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How-Local-SEO-Mistakes-Affect-Your-Small-Businesses-&-How-to-Avoid-Them

How Local SEO Mistakes Affect Your Small Businesses & How to Avoid Them


Local SEO is a touchy subject in marketing, with many people convinced they are experts in the field. 

However, we tell you that this optimization technique is not more straightforward than it seems. And even the most talented optimizers can make mistakes. 

Reason: In today's digital age, information is abundant and easily accessible. One consequence of this "information overload" is that many may feel a sense of urgency to rank higher on Google searches without thoroughly learning about the Local SEO process.

Below are a few common mistakes that have been seen time and again in Local SEO.

15 Common Local SEO Mistakes for Small Businesses to Avoid



1. Not Claiming Local Listings 

Many small business owners don't realize the importance or impact of claiming their local listings and how it can affect their ranking and visibility. 

If a company doesn't claim their local listings, they will not be able to control what information their business shows up on the map. Also, they can't access other essential functions such as editing (business information about themselves) or adding new photos.

Not claiming your business also has some other consequences. For example, many consumers are looking for local businesses to buy from. 

When your business isn't claimed, customers will see it as not having anything worth buying or that the business is closed. Claiming listings will show customers that your company is active and thriving. 

Tip: Customers are more likely to purchase products when they know that people are behind them, ready to help with any issues.

Here’s a screenshot of how you can claim your local listing:

Not-Claiming-Local-Listings

2. Not Having Google My Business Listing

Since the introduction of Google My Business, small businesses that want to stay competitive in their local market take extra time and effort to claim their profiles. 

The Reason: A GMB account is a free service from Google that enables businesses to add information about their organization on Google Search and Maps services. In addition, having a profile will enable potential customers to find one on Google search.

The consequences of not claiming a Google My Business profile include:

  • Difficulty in getting found on Google Maps
  • Lost visibility on other platforms like Facebook or Twitter
  • Less business than competitors who do claim their profiles

Factsheet: 76% of people visit a brick-and-mortar store within 24 hours after making a local search on their mobile phone.

Claim my GMB profile now!

Here’s how your GMB listing will appear in response to search queries:

Not-Having-Google-My-Business-Listing

3. Writing Generic Content

As technology advances, small businesses worldwide are adapting quickly to stay competitive. One way that they are staying competitive is by creating localized content. However, not every business realizes the importance of this process. 

Not having localized content will result in a lack of customer satisfaction and personal touch.

One must understand that the small businesses in the United States are struggling to compete with the larger corporations that span across borders. 

While the biggies have maintained a global audience due to their easy access to international markets, the smaller ones haven't been as fortunate. 

One way to bypass this lull is by curating localized content. Many small businesses have found that they can sell more products on websites with localized content.

For example, take a look at how Chris Knight Creations of Chicago make use of their product description to insert localized keywords such as "Chief Illini," "Local pick up," and "Chicago-themed."

You can use Google’s autofill feature to come up with ideas to write local content:

Writing-Generic-Content

4. Inconsistent NAP

Having inconsistent records of Name, Address, and Phone number on online listings leads to lost revenue and time spent working on customer service issues, distrust, disrupted workflow, etc. 

Also, when customers are making a purchasing decision, they need to be confident that the seller is verified and reliable. It is common sense that inconsistent information will lead to confusion among customers. 

Potential buyers may be less likely to purchase from a seller with inconsistent information because they may not feel confident contacting the seller for support purposes.

Tips: 

  • Use a local listing management tool like Chatmeter or Yext to rectify NAP inconsistency.
  • Bear in mind that even a small variation can be interpreted as inconsistency by search engines
  • For example, 'rd,' 'rd.,' and 'road' are three different entities.

Here’s a screenshot of Yext:

Inconsistent-NAP

5. Duplicate Listings

Online listings for local businesses are a valuable resource for many reasons. 

They provide information to customers about their location, hours, services offered, and more. While these benefits are well-known, the consequences of having duplicate listings are not well understood.

Multiple listings can confuse potential customers and cause them to leave the site. 

If a customer finds your business through a duplicate listing, you may be less likely to get their business because they may think they are getting the wrong information.

Also, duplicate listings may invite poor reviews, leading to missed opportunities for new customers and the like.

Tips:

  • Permanently deletes your GMB duplicate listing by marking it as "Permanently closed."
  • Use a free tool like Moz to identify duplicate listings.

Here’s a screenshot of Moz detecting duplicate listings:

Duplicate-Listings

6. Half-baked GMB Profile

With more than 5,43,000 new businesses opening every month in the U.S., it's hard to stand out from the crowd of competitors. 

One of the best ways to do this is to have a good Google My Business profile so that your website can be found on Google searches. However, many companies don't know how to optimize their Google My Business profile or what exactly they should include.

To do this, you'll need a few different pieces of information about your company and your customers.

For example, you should have the following attributes addressed:

  • A professional logo
  • A keyword-rich description of your business
  • Your business location
  • Business category
  • Contact number
  • Working Hours
  • Phone Number
  • Prepopulated FAQ section
  • A link to your website showcasing your products/services
  • A map with your business location
  • Store photos & videos

Here’s an example of a half-baked GMB profile:

Half-baked-GMB-Profile

Read: Get to Know 15 Incredible Features of Google Maps

7. Focusing on Broad Keywords

Most people believe that focusing on broad keywords is the way to go for SEO. That may not be the case for small and medium-sized businesses, and they must know why.

This can be attributed to how many more local businesses will rank higher on searches for those words. 

For example, if someone needs a new pair of running shoes, they might type in "running shoes for men" into Google. This is an example of a broad keyword. 

The searcher may buy online or from a retail store. But if someone searches for a "running shoe store in Austin, TX," you can safely assume that the person is inclined to try a few shoes in person. 

You can use Keyword Tool to research local keywords:

Focusing-on-Broad-Keywords

Read: 15 Best Keyword Research Tools Used By Top SEO Companies

8. Not Having Adequate Reviews

Most people base their decision to purchase a product or service from a company based on reviews. Whether it is a restaurant, movie, or even a hotel, the visibility of customer opinions partially determines your Local SEO's success.

Also, many people rely on platforms such as Yelp, Manta, TripAdvisor, and Google reviews for reviews on local businesses. This is because websites like these are extremely reputable and trustworthy. 

However, it's not always the case that a business has plenty of reviews on these platforms. Say that your small business doesn't have enough online reviews; they may have decreased SEO rankings.

Tip: No one wants to take the time to share their opinion on every product or service they interact with. Hence, it is wise to ask for reviews from your customers. Use a tool like Mailchimp to send post-purchase emails seeking reviews.

Here’s a screenshot of Mailchimp’s features for sending post-purchase emails requesting reviews:

Not-Having-Adequate-Reviews

9. Not Using Location Pages

It doesn't matter if you're a restaurant, doctor's office, or grocery store. Potential customers searching by location need to know that your location is available and you're open for business. 

Whenever people turn to an online search engine for local queries, they prioritize results based on their physical location. 

This means that if somebody lives in Arlington, Virginia, and wants to restore their car, they are more likely to go with an auto service that has a page dedicated to Arlington. 

Look at how Hardcorehotrods optimized their pages for many Washington locations, including Arlington.

Bear in mind that the information on a location page should include the following

  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Hours of operation.

Additionally, the page can include a map and directions to the business.

Here’s an example of a location page:

Not-Using-Location-Pages

10. Not Tracking Your SEO Results

Small businesses need to track their website's SEO metrics to gauge the effectiveness of their online marketing campaigns and make necessary adjustments. 

Important metrics include website traffic, organic search traffic, and keyword rankings. Small businesses risk wasting time and money on ineffective marketing campaigns without tracking these metrics.

Small businesses can use free and paid tools to track their SEO performance, including Google AnalyticsMoz, and SEMRush.

You can track various SEO metrics to help measure the success of an SEO campaign. Some of the most important metrics include:

  • Search Engine Ranking Positions For Select Keywords - Tracking where a website ranks for certain keywords can help indicate whether the SEO campaign is having an impact.
  • Organic Search Traffic - Measuring the amount of organic search traffic a website receives can help indicate how well the SEO campaign performs.
  • Click-Through Rate (CTR) - The percentage of people who click on a given link out of the total number of people who see it. A high CTR indicates that your site is relevant and interesting to users.

Here’s a screenshot of Google Analytics:

Not-Tracking-Your-SEO-Results

11. Not Having Local Backlinks

Many don't realize that their backlinks' "quality" and "proximity" partially determine how high they rank on search engines. 

Businesses without a robust network of links from websites geographically close to them may not see any improvement in ranking on Google.

Many small businesses are under the impression that local backlinks are not important, but they are. Google loves to rank sites with better backlinks than low-quality sites with few or no links.

Tips: 

  • Invest resources and time in creating a high-quality blog
  • Speak to local influencers and publishing houses to get backlinks
  • Keep an eye on your competitors' backlinks to find opportunities

Here’s an example of a website providing a local backlink:

Not-Having-Local-Backlinks

12. Not Using Social Media 

Search engines such as Google look at content and inbound links when ranking websites in their results and social media presence. Company A has a great blog and an extensive network of inbound links from other websites but does not have a social media presence

Meanwhile, assume that Company B excels in all three facets. The latter has a slight edge over the former in SERPs. 

Please understand that many factors contribute to a website's ranking on search engines. Social media presence (shares, likes, comments, and links) is just one of these factors. This, in turn, increases the website's authority and relevance in the eyes of search engines.

Tips:

  • Share interesting and engaging content, such as blog posts, images, and videos.
  • Respond to customer feedback and questions promptly
  • Populate y profiles with relevant information.
  • Consider using social media advertising to reach a wider audience.
  • Monitor what is being said about you online and respond when necessary.

Here’s a screenshot of an Instagram ad:

Not-Using-Social-Media-

13. Website Not Optimized for Mobile Phones 

The Internet is vast with countless sites, blogs, and forums. Today's small business owners are smart enough to understand that investing in online marketing is paramount for their success. But many of them fail to make sure that their website is mobile-friendly. 

Google had long back announced that it was changing its search algorithm to favor mobile-friendly sites. 

You can attribute the changes to increased mobile use for online searches. 

For example, mobile searches now make up 68.1% of all search traffic, which continues to rise. If you're not making your site mobile-friendly, you're missing out on an important market part.

Elements of a mobile-friendly website

  • Responsive design
  • Easy-to-navigate menus
  • Clear call-to-action buttons
  • Large font size
  • Using images and videos sparingly

You can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool to check if your website is optimized for mobile phones:

Website-Not-Optimized-for-Mobile-Phones

14. Not Having a Blog

It can be tempting to think that a blog is only for big companies with big budgets to get their message out. But, in reality, blogging can substantially impact small businesses. 

Not only is blogging free (If you have a passion for writing) and easy to set up, but it also helps local SEO. 

Every time you publish a post online, search engines such as Google will crawl your content and add it to their index. A blog is an integral part of building a brand, increasing visibility, and attracting new customers.

Some small businesses understand the relevance of blogging in creating a more personal connection with their audience. First, the blog needs to be optimized with keywords about your business or services to be found by Google. 

Next, you should post localized content that is relevant and valuable to your customers to create quality organic links.

Tips:

  • Keep your posts short and to the point.
  • Write about topics that your customers will be interested in.
  • Share photos and videos to help illustrate your points.
  • Use keywords and SEO techniques to help your blog rank higher in search results.
  • Post regularly.

You can use this tool to come up with blog topic ideas:

Not-Having-a-Blog

15. Low Page Speed

Low page speeds affect the user experience and hurt a small business's website ranking. 

The loading time is now a confirmed ranking signal for Google search results. In addition, studies have shown that when it comes to page speed, people expect pages to load in two seconds or less. 

If your website is not loading quickly, you could be losing business to your competitors.

For small businesses, this can be detrimental, as potential customers may go to a competitor's website if they experience slow page speeds.

There are a few ways to improve your website's page speed.

  • One way is to compress images and videos on the website. This will help reduce the file size of the images and videos, which will then help to load the pages faster.
  • Another way is to use a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN caches static files on servers worldwide, such as images and videos.
  • Services like KeyCDN offer affordable solutions.

You can evaluate the page speed of your website using Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool:

Low-Page-Speed

Key Takeaways



  • Always claim your Google My Business profile
  • Make sure your business name and other relevant details are consistent across all directories
  • Create location pages to attract the audience from all corners
  • Invest resources in creating high-quality localized content
  • Concentrate on long-tail keywords with local intent rather than going for broad keywords
  • Track your SEO performance using advanced tools to find the areas that need improvement and tweaks
  • Do not underestimate the power of reviews. Always respond to negative reviews promptly
  • Make use of social media to your small business's advantage
  • Make your website look and work the same on all devices
  • Reach out to local bloggers and media outlets to earn local backlinks
  • Improve your page loading speed by investing in a CDN 
  • Eliminate duplicate listings and claim your profiles

Rank Your Website


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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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.

Related Post

Site Speed Impact on Local Business

Dentist Local SEO Mistakes

Smm for Local Businesses

Video Marketing for Local SEO

Google Maps for Local Business

Local SEO and Google BERT

Tips to Partner With Local Businesses

Boost Local Rankings Using Cdn

Local 3-Pack Ranking Factors

Tips to Build Local Backlinks

Local SEO Predictions

Local SEO FAQs

Boost Offline Sales for Local Biz

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Boost Local Rankings Using Cdn

Why Invest in Local SEO

Local SEO Benefits for Ecommerce

Ways to Rank in Local 3-Pack

Wordpress Local SEO Best Practices

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Impact of AR on Local SEO

Local SEO Mistakes Plumbers Make

Tips to Build Authority Using Local SEO

Tips to Rank Higher in Google Maps

Tips to Optimize Category Tag Pages

Technical SEO for Local Business

Tips to Get More Visibility for Gmb

Niching Down Benefits for Local SEO

Optimize for Near Me Searches

Local SEO Fixes to Boost Rankings

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