How to Become a Local SEO Expert and Outrank Your Competitors

A Step-by-Step Guide

Atif Sharif

Published in

Doctor of SEO

4 min readMar 13, 2024

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Local SEO is the process of optimizing your website and online presence to rank higher in local search results.

Local SEO is crucial for businesses that serve a specific geographic area, such as restaurants, dentists, lawyers, plumbers, etc.

Why is local SEO important?

According to Google, 46% of all searches have a local intent, meaning that people are looking for products or services near them.

Moreover, 88% of local searches on mobile devices result in a call or visit to the business within 24 hours.

If you want to attract more local customers and beat your competitors, you need to become a local SEO expert.

Tip #1: Optimize Your Google My Business Profile

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that allows you to manage your business information on Google Search and Maps.

It is one of the most important factors for local SEO, as it helps you appear in the local pack, the section of the search results that shows three local businesses related to the query.

To optimize your GMB profile, you need to:

Claim and verify your business if you haven’t done so already.
Fill out all the relevant information, such as your name, address, phone number, website, category, hours, services, etc.
Add high-quality photos and videos of your business, products, staff, etc.
Encourage your customers to leave reviews and respond to them promptly and professionally.
Post regular updates and offers using the GMB posts feature.

Tip #2: Perform Keyword Research and Optimize Your Content

Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing the words and phrases that your potential customers use when searching for your products or services.

Keyword research helps you understand what topics and questions your audience is interested in and how to create content that matches their intent.

To perform keyword research for local SEO, you need to:

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer, or SEMrush to generate keyword ideas based on your location, industry, and competitors.
Filter and prioritize the keywords based on their relevance, search volume, difficulty, and opportunity.
Include geo-modifiers (such as city names, zip codes, neighborhoods, etc.) in your keywords to target specific areas.
Use long-tail keywords (such as “best dentist in Seattle” or “how to fix a leaky faucet”) to capture more specific and conversational queries.
Optimize your content with your target keywords in the title, headings, body text, URL, meta tags, images, etc.

Tip #3: Build Local Citations and Links

Local citations are online mentions of your business name, address, phone number, and website on other websites.

Local citations help you establish your credibility and authority in your area and improve your visibility on search engines.

Local links are links from other websites that point to your website. Local links help you increase your referral traffic and boost your domain authority and ranking.

To build local citations and links for local SEO, you need to:

Submit your business information to reputable online directories, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, BBB, etc.
Claim and optimize your profiles on niche-specific platforms, such as TripAdvisor, Zomato, Avvo, etc.
Seek out opportunities to get featured on local media outlets, blogs, podcasts, etc.
Reach out to local influencers, organizations, associations, etc. and offer value in exchange for a link or a mention.
Create and promote high-quality content that showcases your expertise and attracts natural links.

Tip #4: Monitor Your Performance and Adjust Your Strategy

The last tip on how to become a local SEO expert is to measure your results and refine your approach.

You need to track and analyze various metrics and indicators that reflect your local SEO performance and identify areas of improvement.

To monitor your performance and adjust your strategy for local SEO, you need to:

Use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or Bing Webmaster Tools to track your website traffic sources quality quantity behavior conversions etc.
Use tools like Google My Business Insights Moz Local or BrightLocal to track your local ranking visibility impressions clicks reviews etc.
Use tools like Ahrefs Majestic or LinkResearchTools to track your backlink profile quantity quality relevance etc.
Conduct regular audits of your website content citations links etc to identify and fix any issues or errors.
Test different tactics methods experiments etc to see what works best for your business goals.

Conclusion

Local SEO is a powerful way to grow your business online and outrank your competitors. By following these tips and best practices you can become a local SEO expert and boost your visibility authority trustworthiness among local customers.

If you need any help with your local SEO strategy feel free to contact us today We are a team of experienced professionals who can help you achieve your local SEO goals.

Best SEO Los Angeles Company

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