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Top 7 Local SEO Mistakes and Their Solutions

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Maps and local search are the primary keys to increasing the leads and traffic. But, they are effective only when done right. Local SEO is one of the most important drivers of organic traffic for start-ups and small businesses. As Google witnesses more than 8 million searches every day, this is the only place where you can boost the visibility of your small business by presenting your products and services to the relevant people. 

However, the optimization process of the local search SEO is a little bit complicated. Not only keyword research but also on-page optimization is extremely important to make your business website a local traffic generation tool. Additionally, there are other multiple factors that you need to consider while optimizing for SEO. As the process is extremely overwhelming, many SEO professionals and business owners make some common SEO mistakes. 

Do you want your website to rank on page one of Google? Do you want more traffic? Do you want more leads and sales? Once you figure out what your goals are, it will be easier for an Edmonton SEO company to help you reach them.

In this article, we will discuss the top 7 local SEO mistakes and their solutions by expert Digital Marketing Agency. 

Mistake: No Customer Reviews

Many business owners neglect the importance of online reviews. Even if they do consider online reviews, they treat them like a nice addition to their marketing techniques, not as a necessity. 

However, in local SEO, positive customer reviews are extremely important and they will help your business or brand to rank higher in the search results. 

Solution

As a business owner, your priority should be generating positive online reviews for your multiple social media profiles, websites, and other online profiles. Not only will the positive online reviews increase the trust of your potential customers, but also help Google to shortlist your business as a reputed organization. 

These factors will allow your business to rank better on Google Maps as well as other organic search results. 

Mistake: You Don’t Target Localized Keywords

One of the most common SEO mistakes is targeting restricted keywords. Many SEO professionals and business owners target unspecific and broad keywords. If you forget to use specific keywords, you won’t be able to boost your local traffic. As per Amywright, keyword targeting will help you to track results.

Solution

While implementing local SEO, make sure you’re identifying service-specific and geo-specific keywords that will help you to attract your target audience. Additionally, the keywords will also increase the discoverability of your brand. Hence, instead of optimizing SEO with non-targeted keywords, use specific keywords to enhance your reach. 

Mistake: Inconsistent NAPW Data

Do you know what NAPW means? It stands for “Name, Address, Phone number, and Website”. This is the most important piece of information that you need to add to your online listing. 

Unfortunately, people make mistakes in the NAPW data as they make inconsistent actions across multiple NAPW listings. This is because they change their phone number, website URL or move their location frequently. Additionally, they also forget to include “st” or “ave” in their location or use vague website URLs. 

Solution

While creating new or updating the information of online listings, make sure you use the same NAPW data across all listings. You can use some great directories such as Google My Business so that you can update the information easily. 

However, remember that large aggregators will spread the information across various listings on the web. Hence, getting and monitoring the information every day is a perfect choice. 

Mistake: You Don’t Use Directory Profiles

If you want your business to rank better in the local searches, you should submit business information to directories such as Bing Places, Google My Business, Yellow Pages, and Yelp. Many entrepreneurs sometimes stick only with one directory or neglect creating local listings. 

Solution

When you enlist your business information across multiple directories, it will help you to boost the traffic rate to your business website. This happens because you’re giving your potential customers multiple options to discover your business. 

The primary goal is to determine multiple reputable directories and submit the information of your business to enhance traffic. However, don’t forget to keep the NAPW data consistent. 

Mistake: You Don’t Use Google My Business Listing

One of the best ways to rank your business on Google Maps is by utilizing the benefits of Google My Business. If you don’t have a business account on Google My Business, you might not be able to increase the visibility of your business to potential customers. Both online and offline customers won’t be able to find your business easily. 

Solution

Make sure you submit the business information on Google My Business. It’s also possible to claim an existing online listing. After that, you can include your business hours, photos, your NAPW, customer reviews, categories, and more. 

When you have a completely optimized Google My Business profile, you can easily drive local traffic via Google. 

Mistake: You Ignore the Negative Reviews

This is one of the worst SEO mistakes that you need to avoid. Upon noticing negative online reviews on Yelp or Google, many business owners choose to ignore unsatisfied customers. This will not only damage the potential growth of their business but also their image amongst potential customers. 

Solution

Just like you respond to the positive reviews, make sure you also respond to the negative reviews that will help you to generate trust with your customers. Your response will lighten the situation as well as minimize the damages. But, if you notice spam reviews, you can remove them. 

Mistake: Your Website Isn’t Optimized for Mobile Devices

Nowadays, most people use their mobile devices to search for a business. As per a report, it’s been proved that more than 60% of online customers use their mobile phones to make a purchase. Even though other websites are optimized for desktop view, neglecting the optimization process of your website for mobile users will reduce your traffic potential.  

Solution

Make sure you work with a developer or an experienced SEO professional so that you can ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. Additionally, the PageSpeed Insights report of Google will help you to identify the performance of your website across various devices. Despite the device, your website needs to be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and fast. 

Conclusion

These are the top 7 local SEO mistakes as well as their solutions. Even though a lot could go wrong while optimizing your business website for SEO, avoiding these mistakes will help you to achieve success quickly.