Local search ranking factors
Want to learn more about local search ranking?
The world of local SEO is very complex and ever-changing, and it can be challenging staying up-to-date with what affects local rankings. We understand local SEO ranking factors and have the knowledge to improve your local search.
The basic local SEO ranking signals
Google My Business
If you haven’t claimed your Google My Business page, do it now. It only takes a few minutes and is free. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to start improving your Local SEO.
Google My Business Categories
Within your Google My Business account, make sure you have chosen the correct categories. For best results, use as few categories as possible and make sure they are as accurate as possible.
Photos on Google My Business Page
Take photos of your location, your products, your staff, even your customers (with permission, of course). Photos help lend credibility to your business and serve as a local ranking signal.
Bing Places for Business
Google is the most talked-about search engine, but Bing still claims about 33% of the market share. Make sure you take the time to claim your Bing Places for Business account.
Online Directories/Citations
Make sure you have claimed other popular online directories, too. These include: Apple Maps, Yellowpages, Foursquare, Yahoo, etc... Citations don’t have as great of an impact on rankings as they once did, but are still important.
Listings on Review Sites
In addition to the online directories listed above, there are multiple review sites with listings you should claim. These include: Yelp, Glassdoor, Angie’s List, BBB. It appears that reviews directly on Google carry the most weight.
Number of Positive Reviews
In addition to claiming your listing on review sites, you want to make sure the majority of your reviews are positive. According to Google, high-quality reviews improve the visibility of your business.
Reviews with Keywords & Location
According to a Local SEO Guide study, the language that reviewers use matters. When reviewers use the city or keywords, it sends signals to Google that you are a trusted local business.
Reviews with Responses
Studies show that the number of reviews with a response also contributed to local SEO.
Percentage of Negative Reviews not Responded to
The number of reviews with responses counts, but so do negative reviews with no responses.
These last few signals make it clear you need to have a plan in place for following up on all online reviews, but particularly for Google.
These last few signals make it clear you need to have a plan in place for following up on all online reviews, but particularly for Google.
Facebook Business Page
Many people use Facebook as a search engine, which is why this has its own number on the list. Make sure you at least create a business page and update it with your website, hours, and a description.
Social signals may have a limited impact, but they do have an impact on social SEO.
Social signals may have a limited impact, but they do have an impact on social SEO.
Social Listings
Claim other social listings on popular social sites (e.g., Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram). Do this even if you don’t plan to be super active on those sites.
People expect a fast response from businesses on social media, so be sure to leave a note or other contact info if you won’t be manning the channel.
People expect a fast response from businesses on social media, so be sure to leave a note or other contact info if you won’t be manning the channel.
Consistent NAPW
Make sure your name, address, phone number, and website URL are consistent across all the listings above, including review sites, maps, and social media. Ensuring that your business name, address, and phone number are exactly the same makes it easy for customers to connect with your business when it shows up online.
Mobile Responsiveness
Google’s mobile-first indexing has now rolled out. This means Google looks at your mobile site first, not your desktop site. You should be on top of this already, but if you aren’t, now is the time. Google’s mobile-friendly test can get you started.
Structured Data Markup
There are several ways you can use structured data markups for local SEO, including: hours, address, menu, website, phone. These are highly recommended by Google. You can add markups using Google’s guide or a tool like Schema.
Click-Through Rates from Search Results
Turns out if you are doing well in SEO, you will do well in Local SEO. Go figure. Focus on making sure your meta titles and descriptions make sense so users find what they expect when they arrive at your site.
Localized Content
Make sure you are consistently publishing content where you can organically include your key term and location. For example, write about local events, share efforts to raise funds for a local charity, etc. Whatever makes sense for your brand.
On-page Location + Keyword Optimization
For example, don’t just optimize for “air conditioning repair.” Optimize for “air conditioning repair Franklin MA”.
Title + Meta Description
Use your key term and location in your title and meta descriptions when possible. This one goes hand in hand with the signal above, but is important enough to be worth mentioning separately.
High-Quality Inbound Links
No surprise here, links from sites Google trusts are good for SEO. In fact, a solid link profile all around is good for local SEO.
Domain Authority of Your Website
This is a logarithmic scale, which means that it's much easier to improve your score if your domain authority is at a 20 or a 30 than if it was at a 70 or an 80. Domain authority between 40 and 50 is considered average, between 50 and 60 is considered good and over 60 is considered excellent.
Inbound Links from Local Relevant Sites
Links from local news sites, community blogs, and so forth prove that your site is trusted by your neighbors.
Inbound Using Local + Keyword in Anchor Text
A wide range of inbound links from well-optimized sites is great, but the holy grail is an inbound link from a high authority site using both your city or neighborhood and main key term.
Proximity to the Searcher
While you can’t optimize for physical location, it is a strong ranking signal, which is why claiming your Google My Business and having consistent NAP is important.