What is SEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is like giving your website a VIP pass to get noticed by search engines like Google. When done right, it helps your business rank higher in search results, driving more organic (a.k.a. free) traffic to your website. Think of it as turning your site into a digital magnet, pulling in potential customers.
What is Local SEO?
Want to dominate your local competition? That's where Local SEO comes in. It zeroes in on your business's location and the services you provide, making sure you rank higher for searches in your area. With Local SEO, you're not competing against the whole world—just the businesses right next door. Plus, Google loves local searches, so it's a surefire way to get noticed by your nearby customers.
If you're not playing the local SEO game, you're basically leaving money on the table.
Google Business Profile: Your First Step Toward Local SEO
The first thing you need is a Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business). Shockingly, lots of businesses still don't bother setting this up. It's free, it's easy, and it's one of the quickest ways to get more visibility on Google Search and Maps. Don’t skip this.
A fully completed listing will generate more traffic and attract targeted local customers. Follow Google's guidelines on how to improve your local ranking so that your business gets better search results:
- Complete your data: Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate.
- Verify your location: Google will send you a postcard with a code to verify your biz. (Still, verify your business if you work out of your home but you can hide your address from your listing).
- Keep your hours updated: Include holidays, closures, and special hours.
- Respond to reviews: Yes, even the bad ones. Show people you care.
- Add photos: People love visuals. Show off your logo, products, and services.
Congrats! You’re now on your way to dominating local search. Keep it updated, and you’ll stay at the top.
Consistency is Key: Make Sure Everything Matches
Now that your Google Business Profile is set, double-check your website and social media. Make sure your business name, address, and phone number match exactly across every platform. If Google sees any discrepancies, it could tank your rankings.
Here’s what happens when you get sloppy:
- Correct info: Caribbean Eats, 542 Terry Street, Orlando, FL 32801, 407-249-3513
- Wrong info: CaribbeanEats (no space), 542 Terry St. (abbreviated), Orlando, FL 32801, 407.249.3513 (dots instead of dashes)
See the tiny mistakes? Google notices—and it won’t reward you for it.
Keyword Research: The Secret Sauce
Now it's time to figure out what keywords people are using to search for businesses like yours. If you aren’t sure what people are searching, Keyword Tool or Answer the Public is a good source to help narrow down your keywords.
Ask yourself:
- What would someone Google to find my business?
- What cities or areas do I serve?
Local SEO is all about combining your service keywords with your location.
Add Local Keywords to Your Website
Add those keywords everywhere: your headings, body copy, footer, title tags, and meta descriptions.
The Title Tags on your website should be between 50 - 65 characters and your Meta Description is recommended at 155 characters. Note that there is a character limit on search engines. Anything over that amount and your description will be cut off when visitors view them in search.
Provided your website has multiple pages, a steady combination of your keywords and locations can be used throughout the pages on your site. We like using WebYurt‘s title tag and meta description length tools to track our character count.
Here is an example of what the home page would look like using the above character counts.
The keywords we are using: Caribbean, Jamaican, jerk seasoning, homemade food, family-owned with the location of Orlando, FL.
Make sure that you have completed this for every page on your website, use the keywords and locations from your list in various combinations.
Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly?
Mobile searches have increased to a staggering 61%. Translation: If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re losing out. For a quick analysis of how quickly your website loads and ways that you can improve your page speeds, go to Page Speed Insights.
According to Google here are the top 3 things to look for when optimizing your website for mobile:
1.) Does it load in 3 seconds or less?
Benchmark your current load time. Then go into your website and start optimizing all of your images and compress large media files. We like compressing our images to a more manageable size using TinyPng.com. If you think that resizing your images might be necessary try PicResize.com, which allows you to crop, select a size, and compress your image for free.
2.) Is it easy to navigate?
Make sure you have appropriate font sizing for the smaller screen and it is easy to see content, menus, and buttons.
3.) Is it easy to take action?
Can the user quickly find how to contact you or find your address? Can they easily purchase your product? If you provide a service, can they fill out that form without accessing too many pages on your website?
Share Content & Social Media
Google might not care directly about your social media posts, but the traffic it drives to your site? That matters. Share your local content on all your social networks. It builds credibility, boosts traffic, and tells Google that your site is active and relevant.
Pro tip: Start a blog, fill it with keyword-rich content, and share it on social media. The more frequently you update, the more Google’s spiders will crawl and rank your site higher.
Take Action Now for Local SEO Wins
Set up your Google Business Profile and verify it. Seriously, don’t be one of those businesses that never claims their listing—it’s SEO suicide.
Make sure your NAP (name, address, phone number) is consistent across all platforms. Google cross-references everything, and even the tiniest inconsistency can hurt your rankings.
Get Local with Keywords and Share Your Content
Adding local keywords specific to your area will put you ahead of the competition. Research shows that 70% of consumers prefer shopping with local businesses, so jump on that trend—especially since most of it will come from mobile traffic.
Start blogging, add local content, and make sure your site is regularly updated.
Team Up with Pyromaniac Digital
If all this SEO talk feels overwhelming, don’t sweat it. Pyromaniac Digital is here to save the day. We offer SEO packages that take the guesswork out of optimizing your site for local search. Plus, we do way more than SEO—whether you need website development, digital ads, branding, or a complete digital strategy, we've got your back.
Ready to set your SEO on fire? Let's chat!
