WHAT SHOULD YOUR WEBSITE COMPANY BE DOING FOR LOCAL SEO?

What should your website company be doing for local SEO? - How web apps are helping your business - Vectra Digital

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is seeing a resurgence. More and more people are turning to Google for the newest restaurant, latest shopping center, and everything in between.

Linkdex has likened the importance of Local SEO to the folks at Niantic and the Pokemon Go phenomenon. Users who roam the streets looking for anything other than a Zubat mark their map with local businesses. The app has renewed all of our interest in what it means to be visible online.

So, how can your business ensure you “catch ‘em all”? Success on the web is a collaboration, not a competition. Many businesses are reaching out to internet marketing professionals to put them on the map, literally and figuratively.

Vectra Digital is giving you an inside peek of what your website company should be doing for your website.

STEP #1 – SEO STARTS WITH WEBSITE DESIGN

You may not have the design skills to build your own website, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be involved. It’s your business, after all! Make sure to check off all the boxes for a website that will make a lasting impact.

  • Well-Designed Website: Hit them with your best shot — or screen! When users click on your website, they form an impression of your business within moments. Your site should be creative, clear, and cohesive in its branding and message.
  • Mobile Responsive Website: Mobility is essential in today’s digital climate. It’s not just about having a mobile-friendly website. A mobile responsive design shifts the properties of your website to fit the screen of the user’s device. Click here to find out if your website is mobile responsive.
  • Blog: Don’t forget to blog! If you don’t have time to post consistent content, call in a professional. Blogs provide unique, creative content that boosts your Google presence and keeps your customers coming back for more.
  • Header and Footer: Think of your header and footer as the Cliff Notes to your business. Include your business’ address, phone number, and clickable icons for your social media pages.
  • Testimonials Page: Word of mouth is the most effective means of building a business. Include a page of reviews and testimonials for users to peruse.
  • Contact Us Page: Don’t let your website company get tunnel vision. Too often, companies focus on the intricacies of a website that they forget the obvious pages. Ensure your website has a visible, concise page with your address, phone number, email, and other means of contact.
  • Redirect non-WWW to WWW, or Vice Versa: Does your website begin with www. or does it go straight to the domain name? Whether your business wants the website to look like www.business.com or simply business.com, ensure that it remains consistent across the web.
  • Content: Content is, and will always be, King. Have unique, original and high-quality content on every page. Beware of plagiarism!
  • Video: Increase the average time spent on your site by adding video to the home page.

Need some inspiration? Check out Today’s Best Web Designs!

STEP #2 – OPTIMIZE AND MESMERIZE

What’s beneath the veneer? The back-end of your website is where optimization truly begins. Is your website company checking these off the list?

  • Keywords: Keywords are an unparalleled resource that can take you from page 4 to page 1! Ask your website company to perform keyword research using Google AdWords planner.
  • Map Keywords: With AdWords help, your website can map keywords to different pages and grow a solid, crawlable foundation.
  • Clean URLs: Take a look at the address bar. See that clean, straight-forward URL? Implement a similar URL for every page. Include a keyword for an even more optimized page.
  • Page Titles: Keywords are the key to your website. Each page should have a clear, unique title with the appropriate keyword for the content.
  • Page Descriptions: Each page has the option for a unique description. These page snippets are the blurbs that are found in search engines like Google. Creative, keyword-laden descriptions improve the page’s search visibility and improve your ranking!
  • Heading tags: Every webpage has headings referred to as H1 and H2. These are incredible resources for Google visibility. A unique, keyword-optimized heading tag for each page is not just recommended, it’s necessary.
  • Alt-Tags: Images have secrets behind them that improve their categorization. Each image has Alt-tags that can be used to describe the image. Throw in a keyword to pack an even more successful punch.
  • Schema.org: Integrate your business on Schema.org. Schema.org is a collaboration that creates a structured data markup schema that’s supported by major search engines like Google.
  • Links: You shouldn’t be afraid to refer back to your business! Internal links to other pages to your website improve visibility and give your customers the option to delve deeper into your website.
  • Double and Triple Check: Life happens; mistakes are made. Is your website company regularly checking for broken links or errors? If they aren’t, they should be.

STEP #3 – GET STARTED ON GOOGLE ANALYTICS

No business is complete without a strong Google presence. Ensure your spot at the top with these cohesive programs.

  • Google Search Console: Be seen, be heard! Have your website company open a Google search Console account for you. Google Search Console is a free service that helps websites monitor and maintain their search results on Google.
  • Google Analytics: Your website company should have a Google Analytics account to track the results of your business. Google Analytics can turn customer insights into actions with interpretive data.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WEBSITE COMPANY

If you can’t tell, we’re no stranger to the world wide web! Vectra Digital creates eye-catching websites to reach users across multiple platforms while ensuring a seamless experience. We practice what we preach and tick every SEO box!

If you feel like your website could use a little extra love and care, call our offices today: 239-234-2566. Our creative team of web developers works with you to create a website that you can be proud to show your customers!