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How to Optimize for Local SEO Without a Website


Tips to Optimize Your Business for Local SEO Without a Website

Many local business owners who are yet to create a website wonder if it is possible to make their services visible on search engines or not. Is there a way to optimize your business for local SEO without a website? Yes.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps search engines understand your content better and rank it for the relevant searches. These activities are usually performed for websites, but they are possible without a website. 

Here are some tips to optimize your business for local SEO without a website.

10 Tips to Optimize for Local SEO without a Website


1. Create your 'Google Business Profile'

Google Business Profile, previously known as Google My Business, is a free tool by Google that helps local businesses meet higher visibility for the relevant local searches. 

You can list your business and create a Google Business Profile. Go to GMB and create a profile by adding your business name, address, phone number, and other details. 

Create-your-Google-Business-Profile

Your business will appear in the local searches above the competitors if you use the right keywords in your profile. It will help your customers discover you and engage with your business. 

Tips to Create Google Business Profile

  • Add information such as business name, address, contact number, and other relevant details.
  • To improve the customer's experience, keep your contact information and operating hours up-to-date. 
  • Add business categories carefully in your GMB profile 

Tools to Help Create Better GMB Profile

  • Keyword tool.io: Your guide to using the right keywords for your profile
  • Grammarly: Your go-to stop to check grammatical and spelling errors
  • Ginger: Another free tool to help you refine your content

Read: Step-by-step Setup Guide for Google My Business Set up

2. Get Reviews from Happy and Satisfied Customers Regularly

After completing the sale or service, ask your customer to write a review for your business. It will help further optimize your Google Business Profile

Generate review links using the “Share Review form” and share them with your audience over SMS, WhatsApp, social media, etc. 

Get-Reviews-from-Happy-and-Satisfied-Customers-Regularly

Reviews have the potential to encourage your potential customers to avail of your services. Don't forget that reviews published online are equal to personal recommendations. 

Tips to Get Reviews from Existing Customers

  • You can ask for a review after the sale or completion of the service 
  • Alternatively, you can send a text message or an email in which you can ask your customer to write a review
  • Don't forget to respond to the reviews by thanking the customer or addressing the complaint, if any

Tools to Get Reviews in Different Forms

  • Google: Of course, get them to review your business on Google
  • Reddit: Help your customers by spreading the word on Reddit
  • Facebook: Make a Facebook page and let customers post reviews to boost your local SEO.

3. Optimize Online Directories

Don't worry if you don't have a website. To get noticed and found online, you can get help from local listings. You can expand your reach by optimizing these local business directories with all your business details.

When your potential customer searches for the service or product you offer, these directories help them reach you without knowing about you. Create a strong business profile on these directories and let customers find you.

Take a look at the screenshot below, showing an example of a business listing with no website.

Optimize-Online-Directories

Tips to Optimize Online Directories

  • Find the best local and international directories with good authority like Yelp, Yellowpages, etc.
  • Update all the information along with business hours and contact information.
  • Ensure that there is no mistake in your content.

Tools to Optimize Online Directories

  • FatJoe.com: Set up 100+ local citations automatically
  • Keyword tool.io: Fill in the right keywords for your profile
  • Grammarly: Check grammatical and spelling errors instantly

4. Go Into Social Media Marketing

Social media is a powerful weapon to reach potential customers for businesses of all types and sizes. 

By doing effective marketing on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, etc., you can take your business to another level without creating a website. 

Below is an example where a business is leveraging the Facebook platform without having a website. 

Go-Into-Social-Media-Marketing

You are likely to reach a more extensive audience base using these platforms that will give a much-needed boost to your local business. It will also help in creating buzz. 

Tips for Effective Social Media Marketing

  • Post videos and photographs of your products or services
  • Go live on social media with your products and create events around it
  • Build your community and run your ads

Tools for Effective Social Media Marketing

  • Canva: Make attractive graphics quickly on Canva
  • Inshot: Create and edit quick videos easily
  • Keywordtool.io: Find the right keywords for your social content

5. Start a YouTube Channel

Even if you don't have a website but a YouTube channel, you will create buzz online. Your local business will have face value, and if you upload engaging content, you will take your business up a notch. 

Take a look at the below screenshot of a plumbing business that does it well by producing various content for the Youtube audience. 

Start-a-YouTube-Channel

To make it work, you can indulge in YouTube SEO as well. Ensure that you are putting out quality and engaging content. 

Tips to Run a YouTube Channel

  • Create informative and fun content
  • Give your users a peek into your business operations and make them involved.
  • Ask questions and drop CTAs for better engagement in the comments section

Tools to Create Better Content on YouTube

  • Adobe Premiere Pro: A popular video editing software for professionals
  • Inshot: A perfect tool to create and edit short videos easily
  • Canva: Make interesting cover shots and graphics

6. Start a Podcast

Podcasts are a rage, and you can bank on it. You can start your podcast and start conversations there. You can also invite guests to collaborate and create exciting stuff to engage existing and potential consumers. 

Even if you don’t have the site, several podcast platforms have billions of users to share your podcasts

Start-a-Podcast

Podcasting will help you get your name there, promote your expertise, and network with industry leaders and audiences alike.

Tips to Start a Podcast

  • Pick up trending topics in your industry
  • Provide value in your podcast 
  • Make it enjoyable, including fun elements and drop hints for your local business to create a buzz.

Tools to Start a Podcast

  • Audacity: A free cross-platform audio editor for podcasts and more
  • Podbean: Publish your podcast in just three simple steps
  • Podomatic: record and store your podcast series quickly here

7. Create Geotags

Don't have a website? 

You don't need to worry. You can do local SEO for images and videos anyway. All you have to do is to update their Geotags. 

Geotags are geographical location tags that will help your videos and photographs to rank at the top of the search engine.

Local businesses should upload photographs and videos on social media, Google Business Profile, and other places. Such optimization will give your business the visibility it deserves. 

Tips to Create Geotags

  • Add GPS to your camera; the result looks as below on the maps. 
Create-Geotags
  • Choose your location wisely. It should be on Google Maps
  • Tag locations in your social media stories as well

Tools to Geotag Photos and Videos Online

8. Participate in Local Community Event

You should keep a significant presence in local community events. Offer sponsorships, volunteer for substantial work, provide your business space, etc. This will allow people to take note of your efforts and create a buzz about your business.

You can ask them to put in words for your business online and tag you. This will help the word get out and boost your local SEO without a website.

Tips to Participate in Local Community Events

  • Offer freebies or samples in the local events
  • Lend financial support and be an active member
  • Try to get press coverage for the event

Tools to Help Spread Word about Local Community Events

  • Eventbrite: Check upcoming events and contact coordinators for sponsorships. Here’s a screenshot of how the events show up. 
Participate-in-Local-Community-Event
  • Canva: Make graphics and information notices creatively and easily
  • Venngage: Online coupon generator to promote discounts and offers at a local event

9. Empower your Local Business

Did you know that Google picks up local businesses on its own to tag on Google Maps? 

Yes, that happens. 

If your business is a well-known name in the local community and Google watches a trend among users to search for it, it will pick up your business location and tag it on the Maps.

You don't have to create a website, and your business is online. All you need to do is establish a good business rapport.

Tips to Empower Local Business

  • Provide quality products/ services and take customer feedback seriously
  • Engage in local events and ensure participation
  • Collaborate with other local businesses and spread the word on social media

Tools to Empower Local Business

  • Venngage: Generate coupon codes and discounts for your customers, it lets you customize coupons, photos, offer designs, etc. 
Empower-your-Local-Business
  • Reddit: Get actionable feedback from your customers here
  • Adobe Premiere Pro: A popular video editing software to upload quality videos on social channels

Read: How Can You Make Use of Google Maps for Your Local Business?

10. Let Local News Stories Cover You

There is no better way than this to get published online and offline without a website. You do the work offline, let local media cover you, and a good PR online. This will give your business a boost in online searches. 

You don't need a website to get local SEO to work for you. Such efforts will make your visibility on search engines better.

Tips to Get Covered on News Stories

  • Host exclusive events and make announcements via press
  • Collaborate with big names in the area and get press coverage
  • Make your presence apparent in local events covered by the media

Tools to Find Local News Reporters

  • Prowly: Find media contacts, and create press releases efficiently. It shows which journalists are appropriate for your niche business.
Let-Local-News-Stories-Cover-You
  • Press Hunt: A database of journalists to feature your business in their next story
  • Anewstip: An online platform to connect PR professionals, entrepreneurs, and marketers

Optimizing Local SEO Without a Website - FAQs



Q1: Is A Website Necessary For Local SEO?

Ans. It is not necessary but recommended. However, there are many other ways to put local SEO efforts without having a website to boost business.

Q2: Can My Business Rank On Google Without A Website?

Ans. Yes, your business can rank on Google without a website. You can get your name entered in local listings, directories, and more.

Q3: How Can I Be Seen On Google?

Ans. Your business can be seen on Google by creating a GMB profile, entering into local listings and directories, having social media profiles, etc.

Key Takeaways


  • Create a Google Business Profile and update your business information on it
  • Get reviews from existing and new customers on various online platforms
  • Use online directories and listings to increase your visibility
  • Increase your presence on social media by uploading engaging content
  • Start a YouTube channel to form an online presence and give a face to your business
  • Launch a podcast to create awareness, and bring other guests to collaborate
  • Create geotags for your photos and videos online to boost local SEO
  • Participate in local community events to get a good word online
  • Get in touch with the local press to cover your business

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brice Decker

Brice has been handling marketing projects for more than 12 years and he is providing consulting services on SEO, Social Media and PPC. He has a huge expertise in working at large corporations including Accenture Interactive & PwC Digital Services.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brice Decker

Brice has been handling marketing projects for more than 12 years and he is providing consulting services on SEO, Social Media and PPC. He has a huge expertise in working at large corporations including Accenture Interactive & PwC Digital Services.

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