Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results for specific locations. It can be done by business owners or consultants and involves modifying website content without paying search engines. Techniques can be behind-the-scenes or visible, and may include submitting information to business directories.
Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing or modifying the content of a website to rank higher in search engine result pages targeting specific locations. These may include map applications or searches based on proximity to your location. Local SEO can be done directly by business owners or professional consultants, but does not involve paying a search engine. Local search engine optimization strategies can occur within the markup code of a web page or as part of the site’s visible content.
For as long as search engines have existed, web developers and entrepreneurs have looked for ways to improve the ranking and ranking of their sites in the results for a particular search term, a practice known today as search engine optimization. In general, this is done by analyzing the factors that govern the order of elements in search engine results pages (SERPs) and modifying a website based on those factors to improve the search ranking of a particular site or page. As search engines have evolved beyond simple text listings, different subsets of SEO have emerged to optimize content for a variety of search results. In the case of local search engine optimization, the goal might be to increase the visibility of a website in map applications, business directories, or SERPs confined to a city or region. Companies can do search optimization themselves or seek help from consulting firms that specialize in the practice.
Although a business owner may pay an outside entity such as a consulting firm to optimize the search results of his site, local search engine optimization does not involve paying a search engine. All local SEO strategies and techniques have the goal of improving results “organically”, in the sense that they try to improve rankings by playing with a search engine’s algorithms and technologies rather than through financial incentives. However, it is common for a business owner to include search optimization in a larger overall local search marketing (SEM) strategy, which may include paid listings or targeted ads.
The techniques employed in the practice of local search engine optimization can be behind the scenes or be part of the visible content of a website. Behind-the-scenes efforts are often incorporated into a web page’s existing markup language and are intended to pass information to the “spider” software that search engines use to index pages on the web. Examples include geographic coordinates, such as l physical location of the business, and special “microform” tags that mark a block of content as contact information. Some approaches are more obvious to end users, such as including relevant keywords and placing a business address or contact information in visible parts of the page. It is also common for a business owner to submit their information to business directories maintained by search providers, telecommunications companies, and other entities.
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