THE IMPORTANCE OF KEYWORDS AND LOCAL SEO
Users rely heavily on search engines to find what they are looking for on the Internet. What they type into the search bar indicates their topics of interest and how they expect to find what they are looking for. Marketers can use this information to determine specific keyword trends that increase the local search engine optimization (SEO) for a website or blog. Well written, local content that is informative and includes some of the keywords the user is looking for boosts the ranking of that website and makes it relevant to users.
LOCAL SEO
Local businesses usually want to attract customers from the local area. It may seem as if sites like Google do this automatically, but you can easily increase your ranking by using local search engine optimization. Local SEO helps web pages show up higher on search results specifically in the area.
Implementing local content into your website may be as easy as adding location information, or it may take researching keyword trends in your area. The first step to improving your ranking locally is to provide the company’s address, business hours, and description of products and services. Another step would be to do keyword research on what people in the area type into the search engine and develop a keyword strategy for your web pages.
HOW KEYWORDS ARE USED BY CONSUMERS
When searching for a specific product or service, consumers tend to use fairly specific keywords. For example, if Jane wants to buy a pug puppy close to where she lives in Appleton, Wisconsin, she will type, ‘pug puppies Appleton Wisconsin’ into the search box. The results will consist of all of the web pages with these keywords, in a ranking order. Those web pages have local SEO in their text which as a result bring the buyer and the seller together.
Keep in mind that keyword usage isn’t always straightforward. Sometimes, depending on the business industry, you will have to do some research in order to find out what your target market is typing into search engines.
HOW KEYWORDS ARE USED BY MARKETERS
The method of how to determine and use keywords for selling a local product or service online is rather specific. Once they have determined the keywords that will work the best, they place them in various areas of the website. Common places on web pages that marketers use keywords are: title tags, headings, URLs, content, alt tags of images, and meta descriptions. These are the areas that are most looked at by search engines when considering ranking.
Even though it is tempting to cram your keyword into the website as many times a possible, there is a balance that you must find and make it fit into the content naturally. Search engines frown heavily on keyword stuffing, so marketers use it strategically. Overusing the keyword can also seem less authentic to customers reading your content.
HOW WEBSITES ARE RANKED
When ranking websites, search engines look for keyword trends that relate to its content. A website must provide usefulness and value to the web visitor. Google, in particular, sets a high standard for web content based solely on SEO. If a website provides well-written and relevant content that provides useful information that benefits the user, then that website will earn a higher search engine ranking.
When optimizing a website keep in mind that search engines, especially Google, are constantly updating their algorithms. This means that they are using different methods to determine their rankings. If you aren’t keeping an eye on this, other sites can start to out-rank yours on search results. It is important to keep up-to-date on these changes, and modify your content accordingly.
When used correctly, local SEO can do wonders for increasing the relevance of your content along with increasing the amount of traffic that views your site. Let SCM Marketing Solutions help you get to the top of the search engine list.