5 Local SEO mistakes to avoid

One of the main reasons why a lot of businesses suffer from poor search engine rankings is because they keep making the same set of mistakes over and over again in their local SEO campaigns. Their onsite content might be superb, their offsite links in the right place, and their social media presence solid, but if they continue to fall for these same mistakes, they won’t enjoy desirable results in their local SEO. So what are these common mistakes anyway? Below are all of them plus the necessary measures that you need to practice to avoid them.

1.) Using Different Names

Numerous businesses do not possess a standard means of writing their name. Doctors, for example, may pertain to the practitioner on some instances.  In others, they may pertain to the practice name. Business owners may not hesitate on doing this but it’s a huge challenge for Local SEO. To maximize the results of your links and references online, your business needs to follow the same exact name all throughout. When you submit your business to directories in the future, stick to one name.

2.) Inaccurate Location Info

You must make sure that Google and other search engines know where your business is. If your business has moved to a new location, you may have two or even three different addresses listed across the World Wide Web. Google and other search engines utilize references to your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) to rank your business. They will cross-reference your NAP information across a variety of websites as a means to confirm that you are an authentic business and not a spam site. If your NAP is inaccurate and inconsistent, search engines will not recognize you as an authority. Your location information should therefore be accurate and consistent so be sure that you take the needed time and energy in verifying that your local listing is free from any form of error on every publicly available location.

3.) Inconsistent Policies

Keeping your customers and visitors satisfied is important if you want to enjoy a good reputation as a household name or authority. The best way to go about this is by maintaining consistent staff training documentation or customer service policies. Establishing a stern but fair content policy on your website will also guarantee that you forum, comment section, and onsite testimonials, are free from spams, scams, and offensive and abusive content that can destroy your reputation.

4.) Lacking Local Profile

Having a complete local profile that reflects your company is also important. This means you should fill out vital details in local directories that would show how long your company has been in operation, its mission and vision, and some updated pictures and content would help a lot. These details are crucial if you want to obtain solid web visibility and authority. Online users depend on local directories for numerous different reasons and if they can’t see enough information about your business, they won’t trust your services that well.

5.) Not enough clarity

You should be able to clearly communicate to your customers what makes you different from the rest. If you can effectively relay this important message in a few powerful words, your customers will be the one to spread your name on the web. Word of mouth plays a vital role in Local SEO and if you don’t have a clear set of words that illustrate your business’s distinct advantages, it would be difficult for you to establish a robust position in your industry.