Location, Location, Location: How to Use Location Keywords to Boost SEO

At Surge Web Design, we're invested in getting the best search engine results to build business for our clients. The fanciest, most dynamic site on the internet isn't worth much if it doesn't generate business for its owner. We use a variety of search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to accomplish this, but one very specific strategy is often overlooked by inexperienced website designers: Targeting a location.

Why Is Location A Vital Part of SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? 

In short, SEO is building keywords and other structural functions into your website in order to stand out in search results on sites like Google and DuckDuckGo. (See our previous blog about benefits of SEO marketing for more information.) By building these details right into your site from the start, you avoid expensive, short-term advertising campaigns and have a great site that draws the right attention to your business.

However, the keywords that work in Duluth, Minnesota, are often not the same keywords that work in Tallahassee, Florida or Fresno, California. Writing your website with your small business' location in mind can bump up your SEO efficiency in several ways, but specifically including your location in your site helps in surprising ways, including:

• Local Search Relevance: Search engines like Google use location data to provide users with the most relevant search results based on their geographical area. By including location-specific keywords, you increase the chances of your site appearing in local search results.

• Increased Visibility: If your business has a physical location (a retail front or showroom), adding location details can help you appear in local searches. Small businesses like doctor's offices, realtors, restaurants, and more benefit from this specialization.

• Competitiveness: If you don't include a location, you're competing with the whole country in your search results. As a small business, your real competitors are other local businesses. Local SEO helps you narrow the focus and compete where it matters. If your competitors are optimizing for local searches and you're not, you might miss out on potential customers who are searching for services near them.

• "Google My Business" Optimization: Incorporating locations helps you effectively use tools like Google My Business (GMB). By accurately listing your business location, you improve your chances of appearing in Google Maps and local search results.

• Local Link Building: Location-specific content can help you earn local backlinks from other businesses, local news sites, or community blogs. These backlinks can improve your site's authority and search rankings. ("Site authority" refers to the believability of your site as a real, useful resource in a sea of bot-generated nonsense. It's key to achieving top search results for your site.)

• Mobile Search Growth: Many local searches are conducted on mobile devices, which often link to location-specific data. Including location-based keywords ensures that your business shows up in mobile search results when users are looking for nearby options. (To make sure your site looks great on a variety of devices, Surge Web Design incorporates Responsive Web Design, which ensures you're accessible on laptops, tablets, and smartphones.)

Examples of Location-Specific SEO

Here are some easy ways to build locations into your website structure:

• Putting a location in the title tag for your page. Google "skims" for certain information before other information. The title tag is one key place that Google looks at. By simply including a city and state in your title tag, you boost your SEO for local results. 

For example, as a real estate investment company, Suncrest Capital could use a title tag like, "Mobile Home Investment Properties." However, leaving it at that means they compete against every other mobile home investment company in the US (potentially the world) for search engine attention. By simply changing the title tag to "Mobile Home Investment Properties in Springfield, MO," Google can bump Suncrest up in relevant results that actually have the potential to convert customers and their site authority improves.

• Writing location pages to supplement your primary site. If you have a business that serves several cities or towns in a metropolitan area, location-specific pages for each of those cities can help target viable customers in your area.

For example, Idaho Finance is an installment loan company that serves cities throughout the Treasure Valley in Idaho. It might clutter up a homepage to target the needs of every city they serve, but by having supplemental location pages that refer to the specific cities (e.g. Nampa, Caldwell, etc.), they gain the benefits of a clean home page while having location-specific pages that drive traffic to that page. It's the best of both worlds.

• Maintaining a current "contact" page. By ensuring that your contact information is both current and specific, your site will generate more traffic in your area. It also helps to have that information to draw from for the "Google My Business" information mentioned above. Customers can't buy from you if they can't contact you!

Whether you're a new or existing small business looking to grow, Surge Web Design has search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to help. Our experienced content writers can write professional, targeted language that will improve your business's search engine results and drive customer traffic to your site. Simple changes like including location information throughout your site can make all the difference in getting relevant online attention.

When you're ready to improve your SEO by including location-specific keywords, contact the expert web designers at Surge Web Design based in Boise, Idaho. We help small businesses throughout the United States to find their online niche and claim it. Call (208) 391-3413 or contact us online today to get started.