Search engine optimization (SEO) is the most affordable way to get organic traffic. Why? Because it is completely free. And because SEO has so many different facets and intricacies, there is a lot about it that many people get wrong – particularly when it comes to local SEO.
Google is constantly changing its algorithm to enhance and improve the user experience. Many people do not keep up to date with these changes and continue to use outdated SEO strategies that could potentially affect their traffic.
There are many different strategies that businesses can use to improve their local search engine rankings and increase their traffic. While many of them are useful and can in fact help improve rankings and drive organic traffic, there are also many bad local SEO strategies that can affect your ranking or even get your website penalized.
Here are three of them.
1. No Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are a great way to get more business and improve your business’s reputation. While it may be difficult to gain reviews when your business is first starting out, all you have to do is ask customers. You can do this in person, over the phone, or through email.
Good reviews give businesses a great competitive advantage. They tell search engines that a website or business has authority, is trustworthy, and is credible. Reviews also improve the chances of a potential customer visiting your location. This is because great customer reviews improve a business’s visibility.
You should also always respond to customer reviews. This shows that you value your customers and their feedback.
2. Keyword Stuffing Your Google My Business Listing
Any local business requires a Google My Business listing. If you don’t have one, you should set one up immediately. Google My Business allows people to easily find a business when searching online. The listing provides important information about a business, including hours of operation, services, a link to the website, the location, reviews, and more. A business should only have one Google My Business listing.
One major mistake that businesses make when setting up their listing is stuffing it with keywords. Businesses do this by adding location keywords and other keywords to the name of the business. This is a direct violation of Google’s guidelines.
Your listing should always reflect your business’s real name, and should never be stuffed with keywords. It’s just not worth the risk.
3. No Mobile Optimization
Is your website fully optimized for mobile devices?
Smartphones are more convenient and much quicker to use – especially if you are on the go. If your website is not optimized for mobile, your rankings will take a direct hit. Remember: local SEO and mobile optimization go hand-in-hand. This is because today, most people use their mobile devices to search for local businesses.
Google also prioritizes mobile-friendly web pages. In fact, it is a huge deciding factor in how Google ranks web pages. Google also focuses on mobile-first indexing, meaning that instead of crawling and indexing the desktop version of a web page, Google uses the mobile version.
The Takeaway
There are many ways small businesses can increase organic traffic. All it takes is a thorough understanding of what it takes to rank. While there are many great search engine optimization strategies that small businesses can use to increase their traffic volume and reach their target audience, there are also many things that they can do wrong. By applying simple changes and fixes to your business’s SEO strategy, you can get well on your way towards improving your search engine rankings. For more help and information on how to improve your local SEO, click here.