How To Leverage Local Search To Get Traffic

As a local SEO marketer you should try to think like your targeted prospects/customers/searchers

. A crucial part of search engine optimization is thinking like the customer. The real question you have to ask is, if you were the customer, what word or term would you search under if you were looking for one of your own products? Pretend for a moment that your store carries golf accessories and nothing else. Search engine users who type in "golf" are doing an extremely broad search and are mostly not going to be looking for what you have.

Those who search for "golf balls" are not right for you either, as this isn't the kind of item your store stocks. You are looking for customers who search for "golf accessories," which is a match to what you have to offer. Many small businesses with websites bypass keyword phrases that are not the most popular but that could still generate customers. They tend to target the same keywords everyone else is trying to rank for, the very top ones with the most traffic. Putting yourself in the place of your prospect is what gives you the best insight into creative and profitable keywords. As you test various keywords and come up with more appropriate ones, you will get more traffic and you'll be able to rank well for many different keywords in your niche.

The major search engines run local listing services like Google Places, Yahoo! Local and Bing Local, and claiming your profile is the first thing to do when visiting these sites. These sites all ask you if you want to claim your profile, and to do this involves a simple verification process that has a few simple steps such as a phone call to verify your information. Many businesses never think to do this, so it's a simple way to give you an advantage in your marketing efforts. People who search are impressed with pictures, and it makes them assume someone is more authentic, so it's a good idea to upload pictures to your profile on these local site listings. It really helps if you post a few good pictures from your site so your prospects get a look at your business. Use the best pictures you can to show your business in a good light, but they don't have to be taken by a professional photographer.

You will also want to make sure every page your site has lists your address. This is one simple factor that can play a major role in convincing the search engines to rank you better. What should you put in your address? You should have your business address, phone number and last but not the least, your zip code listed on all the pages of your site. This just goes on to show that you're targeting local search and makes your job easier.

In conclusion, if you have always wanted to get targeted local traffic, then this is how you do it. If you keep these ideas in mind, you can start getting more local traffic very soon.

by: Dario Montes de Oca

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