Ever looked for a shop or services ‘near me’ on your phone? Locked out! Locksmith near me? Toothache? Emergency dentist near me? More and more internet searches are conducted on mobile phones, and many of them are ‘near me’ searches. A search ‘near me’ implies a clear purpose and Google has found a link between local searches, and subsequent purchases. Better local search results do result in more sales. So how can you improve your ranking in these very local or ‘near me’ searches?
Details up-to-date
Ensure you keep your online details up-to-date and accurate, especially your Google ‘my business’ page, as this feeds Google maps too. It will form the basis of much of the information your prospective customers see about your business online, like opening hours, location, website address and phone number. One wrong digit and your customers won’t be able to get in touch.
Location SEO
The terms being used in searches are more colloquial and specific than they once were, so you need to adapt your location SEO accordingly. Do include locations in your website copy, but be more specific than you might once have been. In addition to the broad descriptions we’ve been used to using, like a region or your nearest city, include more specific details like your local neighbourhoods, ‘South Park’ or the ‘Denes area’ for example. Include the phrase ‘near me’ too, if you can. In addition, ensure all of your website photos have images tags and include geographic references in these descriptions. Also, when updating your website copy refer to locations in your blog entries, case studies and portfolio pages.
Reviews
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – online reviews are important when it comes to influencing people in their purchasing decisions. Bright Local’s consumer review found that a staggering “74% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more”. So encourage your loyal customers to leave positive reviews on Google and online directories such as Yelp and Yell. Be assured you’re likely to have success, as Bight Local also found that 7 out of 10 consumers are happy to leave a review if asked – so ask away, the more recent the review, the better.
Back links
Links back to your website are important for good results in local searches and if these links include a geographic reference then so much the better “emergency dentist Darlington” or “24-hour Locksmith Darlington” for example.
So there you have our hints and tips for improving your search rankings in ‘near me’ searches near you. For help with your local SEO and other website matters, contact our friendly team today.
