Local SEO is of much significance for any business. Almost 50 percent of overall Google searches look for local information. It means if you have not optimized your website for local searches, you are majorly missing out on a vast chunk of your prospective customers. Put simply, local SEO is paramount if you desire your business to keep itself relevant.

Local SEO enhances the visibility of businesses online. It quite resembles organic SEO but has an extra geographical aspect to it. Optimizing your site for it helps you to gain a better rank in the search engine results pages for local searches.

Have you ever observed how, when you type the name of a service in your local area, the first three blocks above the maps appear distinctly? It is also called the 'Google 3-Pack.' It's a method by which Google showcases the top three results for the local search. These three results are bound to get a huge amount of local traffic.

So how do you optimize your website to get into this coveted pack? Given below are five critical techniques you can use to boost your local SEO. As a business owner, you should waste no time implementing these techniques to your advantage.

Set up and Optimize Your Google My Business

For ranking locally, the first step you should take is creating a Google My Business (GMB). Do you know that it exerts the number one influence when it comes to ranking locally? After you set it up, Google showcases your services quicker in local search results.

You also gain more chances of being showcased in the Google 3-Pack. Apart from the search results, the search engine also utilizes your data from GMB from Maps and Google Assistant.

Setting up a GMB page isn't difficult. You might even have one. But is it complete? View the visual that signals how complete your profile is. It is best to complete it 100 percent and fill out all the necessary fields. While you are at it, pay close attention to your business address and contact information. They are critical for your GMB page. Now optimize it as follows:

Utilize keywords in your text.

Type in the opening hours of your services.

Add a lot of high-quality pictures.

Respond to customer reviews.

Track the GMB results.

Put Your Organization Name, Contact Address, and Number in Your Website Footer

It is an easy yet overlooked thing by many business owners. You can enhance your chances of being found locally by placing your company's name, phone number, and address in your website's footer. You should do this in the footer's HTML. However, keep in mind not to use an image. It's because the search engine is not able to see images and will thus not able to include you in its search results pages.

If you really want to enhance your local visibility, you can put some more effort on your part by using the Google Markup Helper. It's used for structuring data and enables you to format various components on your website's pages. It helps Google to comprehend better what's written on your webpage. Naturally, it enhances your likelihood of ranking better locally.

Optimize Your On-Page Content

Spend adequate time optimizing your on-page content. Use local keywords and location names when doing so. Add local keywords on different pages. Use them in text, header tags, and meta titles. But do not go overboard. Be mindful of the keyword density. Your content will never be shown on local search if it becomes high.

Create Distinct Destination Pages

Making unique destination webpages for local businesses can give you the online visibility you need. But you need to ensure that every landing page consists of unique content and relevant keywords according to the location. Duplicate content will not help you to improve your ranking. When you are making destination pages for varied locations, remember to put the location name in the URL.

Final Words

When you start optimizing your business website for local searches, you'll be surprised to discover a significant increase in local traffic. Start implementing the simple tips given above to improve your ranking online. Consistent efforts at optimizing for local searches is what will yield you the desired outcome.