One of the most rapidly changing local SEO keywords in the search engine is “near me search.”
Searches for “near me” have grown by more than 150 percent in the last year.
Moreover!
You’re losing out on 46% of all Google searches if you’re not optimizing for local SEO.
Customers’ ability to discover facts about your company depends on how well you rank for “near me” searches in the SERP.
Your opponents will almost definitely turn up if you do not.
So, with our top tips for optimizing Google searches for “close me” for a good local SEO plan, how do you get the best out of your website and Google My Business?
Optimize for “Near Me” Search
According to Australian survey numbers, at least once a month, 80 percent of smartphones will look for some variation of “near me” keywords.
Hospitality, banks, and cinemas are the most common sectors that fall under such local search radar.
According to the poll, the most “near me” searches are for food companies, followed by entertainment and banking.
However, the apparel and banking industries are not far away. The outcomes clearly show the searcher’s purpose.
If you run a local company, you know that optimizing searches for “near me” is critical to your growth.
So, here are some optimization suggestions for a “Near Me” SEO campaign.
When you look for local keywords, Google Business listings are usually the first thing that comes up.
In some ways, it’s rational, because Google My Business contains all of the requisite details (phone number, address, photos, ratings, and so on) that you’ll need after searching for the term “nearby.”
Whether or not your company has a physical address, you can conveniently build a Google My Business profile. However, to obtain the Google authentication code, you must have an address.
The Google My Business page frequently appears on maps and is promoted by Google via a variety of other channels. As a result, having a presence there will guarantee a company’s online exposure performance.
Having more and more ratings on your GMB page is also one way to improve your “near me” search optimization. The number of reviews should be comparable to the latest rating listing’s number of reviews.
The acronym NAP stands for “name (of your company), address, and telephone number.” Not only on GMB listings, but also on your website, you must have the NAP.
If you want your company to appear in SEO “near me” searches regularly, consistency is important. For example, if your GMB address is “300 Main Street,” you can use that address exclusively on your website.
Inconsistency can just annoy Google, lowering the exposure in local SEO “near me” searches.
Many “near me” search keywords, in my opinion, are used when people are out of their homes or in a hurry.
Are you hungry? Let’s look for a restaurant near me!
When the website is mobile-friendly, it not only draws traffic from all over the world but also reduces bounce rates.
It guarantees that users of the search results have immediate access to the information and do not have to wait.
In terms of overall SEO efficiency, mobile-friendly websites often perform exceptionally well. In reality, several outlets, including Google, have stated that mobile-friendly websites will benefit SEO and rankings in a variety of ways.
The following are few mobile-friendly website tips:
Don’t use the flash.
Give heed to how long it takes for the website to load.
Use keys that are big enough to be seen on a handheld screen.
Advise of large font is used
Keep the interface basic and avoid text-blocking advertisements.
Make sure that your whole website contains the same basic facts about your business.
It’s important to have a regular “Contact” tab, but make Google’s job much simpler by providing information in the footer of all your sites.
Check to see if this detail matches what’s in your GMB listing. A local citation is a term in which your listing or real website gains importance when your name, address, or phone number is listed somewhere on the visible network.
It is not necessary for mentions on local citations to be backlinks.
The correct use of schema markup on your website will help you stand out from the crowd.
Schema refers to the programming that uses in your website. The coding aids Google in retrieving more data from your web pages. Snippets of the retrieved data then serve to internet users.
A schema markup should be present on the location pages that your company provides. Contact numbers, hours of service, and a company address should all include in the schema files.
You may also apply schema markup to your website’s dashboard, which will enable your company to appear in a Knowledge Graph. This sort of schema ensures that internet users receive correct information about your companies.
The bounce rate is one of the variables that influence your website’s search engine ranking. In terms of bounce rate, visitors who leave the site without ever looking at the other pages are a negative sign.
As a consequence, your place in the search results will plummet.
So, how can you get people to spend more time on your website?
Obtaining backlinks for the website is also a key ranking element in SEO. For your local SEO and “near me” search optimization activities, you must create a blog.
How to get more local links
Make a blog out of the interview you had with local influencers in your niche. Attempt to convince those influencers to reciprocate by linking to your blog.
Conduct area polls daily and publishes the results as blogs.
Create blog posts that respond to your visitors’ unique SEO “near me” search queries.
How to get backlinks using geographic anchor text
Backlinks with geographic anchor text are needed for local SEO near me. This ensures that the name of the city and state where your company is headquartered should be used in your anchor document.
Responsiveness
The loading time of your website is highly influenced by videos and photographs. As a result, use image and video encoding tools to compress any visuals you might have.
Your website should have a clean, elegant, and easy-to-navigate interface. When it comes to website navigation, you don’t want to give your guests so many options when they’re visiting your pages.
8. Add Geographical Information Throughout Your Site
By seeing the connection between your business position and searcher location and purpose, using hyper-local information such as landmarks, suburbs, and cities in your site’s content will help prod the search engines to put you higher in local search results.
9. Add Textual Driving Locations on a Page
Although this can appear strange, it may be beneficial. Every little bit of optimization counts. And anything as basic as driving directions will help you get into Google’s prized “3 pack” section.
You can differentiate yourself from the field by including instructions focused on local landmarks and neighborhoods.
Furthermore, not all visitors to your website can have GPS-enabled phones and choose to print and read written instructions.
10.Ensure that your pages load quickly and correctly on mobile devices.
The bulk of mobile website users would bounce from (leave) a platform if it does not launch within three seconds, according to research. So much so that Google’s top-secret algorithms take site pace into account.
To deter prospective buyers from going elsewhere, make sure the website is mobile-friendly (responsive) and not only looks fantastic on smart
devices, but is also completely functional.
11.Get as Many Reviews as you Can Throughout the Web (Especially GMB)
What defines the company from the competition? Your customer support is outstanding!
When you’re up against other local businesses in your town, reviews and the number of high-rated reviews you have online (especially on your Google My Business Page) will dramatically improve your odds of landing customers’ business.
What is the reason for this?
Online ratings are trusted by 84 percent of consumers as well as personal suggestions. You create brand affinity by inspiring consumers to leave feedback, and Google will thank you in the search engine rankings.
Optimize for Local Searches with Nummero
Nummero is a top-rated SEO and digital marketing company in India that has helped hundreds of brands rank higher in Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs).
Our SEO, Content Marketing, and Web Development services will help your company build a strong online presence and appear in local (and global) searches, resulting in more direct visits to your website.
Are you curious about what we can do with your company? And get in touch with us.
12.Make Customer Feedback Visible with Reviews
Customer ratings are one of the most important aspects that influence near me search results.
They can easily review a company on Google. They simply need to go to Google Maps, look for your company, pick “write a review,” and give it a five-star rating.
Increasing the amount of favorable feedback left by users will have a big impact on local searches. This is particularly true when it comes to Google Reviews, as Google, predictably, gives these reviews more weight than reviews from other sites like Yelp.
Another way to increase your local search rating is to respond to feedback. It demonstrates that you care for your clients and want them to have a positive experience with you.
You can use the Schema.org markup method, also known as Schema, to display search engine results pages (SERPs) that you have non-Google ratings if you have exclusive and persuasive consumer testimonials written on other blogs.
On a web page, the schema is code that specifies what the page is for. It changes the way your website is shown in search engines when you have it in your HTML.
If you use Schema for ratings, for example, a star rating will appear below the listing when a user searches for your brand.
Using Schema for feedback increases the likelihood of such reviews appearing in SERPs, increasing click-through rates to your platform and, as a result, improving the local search ranking.
13.Optimize Photos for Location-Based Searches
Images seem to have a major impact on location-based searches.
When it comes to optimizing the images, be cautious. If you choose to score higher for a certain spot, use the location as one of your target keywords not just in your website’s text but also in the file names and tags of each photograph.
Variety of Options for Improving “Near Me” Rankings
While the proximity of the searcher to the company is likely the most important ranking consideration for near me searches, there are many things a webmaster or SEO can do to ensure better exposure for near me searches.
While the proximity of the searcher to the company is likely the most important ranking consideration for near me searches, there are many things a webmaster or SEO can do to ensure better exposure for near me searches.
The following are some of the steps in this process:
Google Local Business information is being updated.
Use Schema to make consumer feedback available in SERPs
Clearly showing the name, address, and phone number of your company
Checking for accuracy in all of the company’s data
Using Schema to promote activities arranged by your company
Image retouching
Creating a mobile-friendly website
Backlinks of regional anchor text are sought after.
Creating a unique web page for each of the company’s locations
Conclusion
There you have it, the top basic measures to gradually gain momentum in the local quest.
Need assistance with “near me” search optimization? Please contact us and we will be happy to discuss it with you.