What it Takes to Rank Locally and Organically?
It is a well-known fact that SEO ranking is a critical factor to determine one’s online success. In fact many business owners are more than willing to shell out a huge amount of cash just to rank higher in search engine results. This is why SEO experts are highly coveted in online marketing.
There are two kinds of rankings that every SEO aficionados should bear in mind. These are to rank well both organically and locally in search engine results. This article is specifically written to help out business- and private-owned websites to have more visibility in both organic and local search results.
Organic Ranking
Dan Smink of C1 Partners noted that top SEO strategies must include organic ranking strategies. This is perhaps what many consider the most important ranking to keep an eye on. If a website has a high rank in organic search results, it means that it is highly relevant to what is being searched for at the current moment. This is contrary to the paid ranking which usually appears on the top list of search results because it is being advertised. Organic ranking is also called ‘natural’ result as it is not forced, unlike paid advertisements.
Local Ranking
Local ranking is another factor that you should consider when crafting your SEO strategies. Many business websites rank high in organic search but somehow rank low in local search, and this is not a god sign at all. Local ranking is as important as organic ranking especially if your business targets local clients as well.
So, what does it take to get high organic and local ranking?
- Utilize organic yet specified keywords
One of the most important aspects to rank high in search results is to use relevant and natural keywords. Do not make the mistake of using difficult and unnecessary keywords which people may not use online. Choose relevant but natural keywords that most clients search on the engine. Choosing the right keywords that will bring more traffic to your website (which is good for your ranking) should not be based on search volume. Think of more ‘buyer’ keywords like using city names and branch offices to target people living in that area as they have more potential to be your clients.
- Take advantage of inbound links as part of your local SEO strategies
As Google has given more attention to local ranking, it became mandatory for businesses to incorporate local SEO to boost traffic in local searches. High-quality inbound links are the secret weapons of some industries to strengthen their SEO value, especially in industries with tough competitors in the market. Although some businesses may rank high locally, this could only be possible because of the lack of virtual competition in that particular area. They keyword here is ‘quality’ links. It doesn’t matter how many inbound links are directed to your site if Google categorizes them as irrelevant and weak, they do not count and could eventually hurt your ranking.
- Focus on online directories
The inconsistency of your name, address, and contact details could bring a huge negative impact on your local ranking. A good strategy to use in this situation is to check your business in major online directories and make sure it has the same address reflected in all data providers.
These three steps are essential to help you rank well both locally and organically. To get the desired search result, these three steps should be incorporated as they are patterned with how Google determine local and organic ranking which includes the relevance of content, high-quality links pointing to your site, and distance.