How to Rank Higher in Local Search: A 10-Step Guide

Introduction

With over half of all Google searches having local intent, local SEO is more vital than ever for driving in-person sales and website traffic. Recent data shows 76% of smartphone users turn to local search results when looking for a store or business near them. Optimizing for local search visibility leads to a higher quantity and quality of leads.

Claim and optimize Google My Business listing

With 46% of local searches on mobile resulting in a store visit within one day, ranking in the top 3 local pack results is vital. To gain this prime real estate, properly complete and optimize your free Google My Business listing. This includes filling out all pertinent business info, uploading quality photos, categorizing the business accurately, adding posts and offers, and ensuring your address, phone number, and website (NAP) are consistent with other directories. This helps establish authority and local relevance in Google's eyes.

Build local citations and NAP consistency

Local citations act as votes of confidence that your business exists in the community. Citation building should be an ongoing effort using available tools, aggregators, and directories. Focus on most influential sites first, then expand out to increase total citation volume. Ensure your NAP is consistent across sources. Inaccurate or duplicate listings can negatively impact local rankings.

Encourage customer reviews and testimonials

88% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a local business. Positive customer reviews boost credibility and rankings for local search. Politely ask happy customers to leave reviews on Google, Facebook, and industry sites. Social proof influences click-through rate from local packs. For extra benefit, include compelling testimonials on your website.

Create and optimize Google Posts

Regularly posting updates, events, offers, and photos on your Google My Business listing helps drive local search visibility. This surfaces your content directly in Maps and search results. Posts indicate your business is active and engaged with the local community. Include keywords in compelling image captions and post titles.

Link build with local directories and niche sites

Earning links from local directories and geo-targeted sites signals relevance and authority to search engines. Pursue quality, editorial-style links from regional .ca domains. Also build relationships with niche sites serving your target customer base. Link building should incorporate both volume of links and authority of domains.

Produce engaging local content

Your website needs locally-optimized content to rank for geographic and "near me" searches. Blog posts and videos targeting community interests and trends not only help build links, but also surface for featured snippet and People Also Ask opportunities in SERPs. Optimize content for readability to keep visitors engaged.

Run location-based ads

Location-based PPC and social ads help reinforce your brand presence to nearby searchers. You can target by radius, city, province, language, and more. Location extensions also boost local visibility. While not free, ads put your business in front of those searching competitor names or related keywords. New visitors convert at similar rates to organic traffic.

Track and monitor local rankings

Use rank tracking software to monitor your local pack rankings, citation consistency, reviews, and website visibility over time. This allows you to double down on what's working and quickly fix issues negatively impacting organic growth. Be patient, stay persistent, and continually optimize to outperform competitors.

Conclusion

Following this comprehensive 10-step guide equips your Canadian business to rank higher in 2024 for local search terms, capture more nearby customers, and boost foot traffic sales. Start with foundational optimizations like your Google My Business profile, then expand efforts out to your website, reviews, citations, content, and ads. Tracking progress allows you to double down on effective local SEO strategies.

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