SEO for Small Businesses in Coventry and Rugby
Posted on 1st May 2024 at 14:44
You may have heard rumours that SEO is dead in 2024. Well, let’s give you a recent statistic to change your mind – SEO drives 1,000%+ more traffic than organic social media. But let’s bring it down to the local level, which is what businesses in Coventry are really interested in. 76% of people who search on their smartphones for something nearby visit a business within a day. That’s a potential 76% of people in your area who could be looking for a product or service from you.
So, these statistics tell us two things: one - SEO is as important today as it’s always been, and two - your website and other online channels must be optimised for local SEO. All this raises the question: what must you do to boost your sales in Coventry?
SEO vs local SEO?
First, let’s clarify the difference between SEO and local SEO. Traditional SEO, which is also known as national or organic SEO, is primarily focused on increasing your website’s visibility online, nationally and globally. Local SEO is more focused on doing this in local searches.
Both types of SEO use the same strategies, but local SEO will use more specialist tactics to reach and connect with people searching online in your local area. Using local SEO practices, businesses in Coventry can put their products/services in a prominent position online to increase the potential of appearing in local search results.
Why is local SEO important for small businesses in Coventry?
There is a much higher use of local user search terms, like ‘near me’, and with 98% of consumers using the internet to find out information about local businesses, keeping on top of SEO is a priority.
To maximise the opportunity of becoming more discoverable within search queries, SEO activity needs to be focused on your local area. So, let’s look at the main benefits of local SEO:
Increased search engine visibility.
More local foot traffic through the door.
Targeted organic web traffic.
Improved mobile searchability.
Increased local reach.
Building trust and better local brand reputation.
More competitive locally, leading to more sales.
Better lead generation and conversion.
So, what do you need to do to implement local SEO practices to boost your online profile and gain more local business?
Implementing local SEO best practices
At it’seeze Coventry, we ensure that every website we develop incorporates SEO best practices to boost your online presence. Certain activities are specific to local SEO, including:
Google Business Profile – a Google Business Profile (GBP) is an absolute must. It is possibly the number one local SEO strategy that can have the biggest impact on local small businesses in Coventry, and it’s free. Google’s search bots look for verified content and that’s what a comprehensive Google Business Profile will give them. There are four essential tasks to maximising your profile for your business:
Create and verify your Google Business Profile page. Add as much information about your company as possible, including opening hours, products/services, office location(s), contact and website details, then verify those details.
Use the Google Posts option in your profile.
Encourage your customers to share reviews about your business online via your profile page.
Respond to each review, adding your location, to build authenticity. Indeed, 76% of consumers regularly read online reviews when browsing local businesses.
Add blogs and social media posts to your profile.
Internal link building – Google uses links and citations as a ranking factor. Internal links have a two-fold result; they tell Google your company is a trustworthy, credible source for the user. It significantly helps with website navigation, as well as distributing page authority and rankings from other web pages. Citations are another aspect to include; if your business is listed on more than one online directory, is cited on other websites and in social media posts, your business is more likely to feature in Google’s 3-Pack - a list of the top three local businesses that are prominently displayed in search engine results pages.
Targeted content – high-quality online content is a major ranking factor for search engines to have a better chance of reaching your local audience. So, it’s important to create content that targets them directly. For example, make sure your content focuses on the local community rather than gearing it towards the search engine. A great way of doing this is by getting involved in local community activities or sponsoring a local event. By building brand awareness, promoting your business and boosting local SEO, you can incorporate local SEO best practices into your local online content.
Include location pages on your website – location is the key to making local SEO work for your business. By adding location pages to your website, you are giving Google all the necessary local information about your business it needs to rank you higher, like your address, contact details, business name and testimonials. Also, add a Google Map to the website and don’t forget to have an About Us page with more details about your brand.
Optimise URL and meta descriptions – every piece of online content relating to your business will have an impact on SERPs. Therefore, make sure your URLs, metadata, title tags, social posts, blog posts and other content are geo-targeted, i.e. include your location.
Local SEO best practices are as important as ever in 2024, particularly with more people looking for local businesses, online and physically. If you haven’t maximised your local SEO activity yet, now is the time to do so.
At it’seeze Coventry, we specialise in creating and building mobile-friendly, SEO-optimised websites that perform beyond your expectations. We will design a website that truly reflects your business and wins more customers. With ongoing support and all the tools you need to stay secure, get in touch with us for hassle-free, fully-optimised web design in Coventry.
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