Digital marketing is an evolving field, which means that the local SEO tactics you used last year may not work as effectively as you would like in the coming year. Here are some suggestions from expert marketers on how you can improve your local SEO in 2018.

Get Listed by Local Directories

Getting listed by local directories is a must. Doing so not only makes it easy for potential customers to find you but also shows that you are a legitimate, trustworthy business. Local directory listing can improve your local SEO because they offer you a chance to use keywords and key phrases to describe your company, products and/or services.

Here are some basic tips you need to know about creating local directory listings:

  • Start with large directories but don't stop there. Even listings on lesser-known local directories can boost your local SEO.
  • Make sure your business name, hours, address and phone number is consistent across all directories.
  • Immediately update any business information as soon as the need arises.
  • Promote your local directory listings on your website. Doing so makes it easy for customers to leave reviews on the directory they use the most.

Get Involved in Your Community

Getting involved in your community can open doors to create valuable links on local websites that have a high SEO rank. Some ideas you may want to consider include:

  • Helping to sponsor a local event or charity
  • Start a scholarship fund.
  • Organize a donation drive
  • Organize a fun event at your business or store.
  • Participate in local exhibitions and gatherings

Getting involved in your community will improve your local SEO because community events are often covered by local magazines and newspapers. The news outlets are likely to include a link to your business website along with the story, providing you with a valuable backlink that would have been very hard to obtain otherwise.

Pay Attention to Micro-Influencers

Micro-influencers may not be able to help you reach your entire target audience but they can enable you to reach certain segments of it. What is more, such influencers are more likely to respond to collaboration requests than influential individuals who get dozens or even hundreds of collaboration requests every single week.

Look for people who have a local following that you want to reach and get in touch with them. Offer a win-win deal such as a free product or service in exchange for an honest review, a guest blogging opportunity in exchange for a link in their blog or some other arrangement that suits both your needs.

Encourage Customers to Leave Reviews

Getting positive reviews is not necessarily as hard as it may seem. In fact, it has been estimated that up to 70% of all clients would be happy to leave a review if the company they purchased goods and/or services from would simply ask them to do so.

Make it easy for your clients to leave reviews by not only asking for their input but also providing links to your profiles on sites such as Yelp and Google Places. However, don't offer freebies or discounts in exchange for reviews as many directories frown on the practice.

Use Local Search Ads to Improve Your Local SEO in a Hurry

You don't want to rely solely on local search ads to generate traffic to your website as doing so will drain your marketing budget and leave you unable to take advantage of other promotional opportunities. However, local search ads are a very effective way to create awareness of your company if you are new to the area or just starting your business.

Local search ads are extremely versatile. You can set them up so that they are only displayed in certain geographical locations. You can also tailor your message to catch the interest of clients in your local area.  Experiment with different ads to see which ones are the most effective in generating traffic and/or sales.

Improving your local SEO in 2018 will enable you to reach clients not only this year but also in the future as well. The internet is becoming an increasingly competitive play area as a growing number of businesses start to take full advantage of all that it has to offer so don't want to improve your local SEO.

If you don't have the time to implement all the tips outlined above, consider getting in touch and allowing us to work with you to create a fully optimized business website, e-commerce store or blog. At Brandy, we offer a number of important services under the same roof so that you don't have to work with different companies in order to promote your website. What is more, our local SEO and content marketing packages are available in various price points to suit the needs of any business owner in any industry.