By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-01-19 09:17:47 | Word Count: 664
Refining SEO searches by location will help your business target those consumers closest to you, and drive more relevant traffic to your site.
A local search creates a win-win situation for everyone involved. Google makes a huge amount of money on a local search by being able to provide locally targeted ads on the search index. Businesses make more money with local searches because they’re getting more quality clicks – people that are close by, and genuinely interested in making a purchase, not just internet surfers who are killing time. Consumers benefit by getting information that’s targeted specifically to them, which saves them time when they’re doing internet research.
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Google even has a feature now that recognizes your location as you search. So, if you type in “plumber” you’ll get local results for plumbers near you. If you change your location, your search index will totally change to reflect local information that’s relevant to you specifically.
This feature has revolutionized the SEO industry. Not only can it drive traffic to your site, it can drive foot traffic to your store. For example, a lot of people use the internet to research a purchase they’re about to make. But, when it comes right down to it, they don’t want to buy online. Either they don’t want to wait for the item to be shipped, or they don’t want to pay for shipping, or they want to see the item in real life before spending the money. Either way, they need to know where the closest retailer is. Here’s where local search comes in. They type in the item and the top 10 closest retailers pop up. You could be among them.
Another way to refine your SEO searches is by including localized terms in your content. Rather than using a competitive phrase like “nursing homes” try “nursing homes Boca Raton FL.” This is a long tailed keyword and will help you get more quality traffic on your site. If you use general terms like “nursing homes” you’ll get buried on the bottom of a search index, even a localized one. So you need to do everything you can to be specific maximize your SEO.
The other thing you can do is syndicate your content geographically. That will help reach the audience you are specifically targeting. For example, if your nursing home is located in Boca Raton, you may not want to be syndicating your content in Seattle. You certainly can, but it may be more effective, and more informative to readers in Florida.
Refining SEO searches by location has become a vital part of the SEO process. Google has created a very competitive market, with each business trying to be on top of a search index. More and more internet users are not clicking through to the second page of a search index, so if you don’t refine your process you won’t get seen. It’s as simple as that. So, think local as you move through your SEO strategy.
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