For any business (brick and mortar or an online platform), doing well and being popular in your area is a goal and something we all hope and dream of.
With around 40% of Tasmania living in Hobart and an estimated population of 220,000, you cannot miss out on the chance to acquire local potential customers. (data source:population.net.au)
So, here are a few tips that you can adopt to gain success in your Local SEO:
1 Website structure and optimisation
Having a website is necessary but getting it optimised is vital to the success of the site at attracting business. It is also important to make sure that your website behaves uniformly across all browsers and devices.
Always ensure that your website:
- Has https connection to all the pages contained within the site
- Clear and precise Title and Meta tag descriptions
- Is mobile and tablet friendly
- Has reduced page load speed
- Easy to use
2 Localised content
Content is king! But how well you write your content and for whom you write it matters a lot. If you are a business who is trying to find leads in and around Hobart, try to include these locations in your content.
Also if you are aiming to display separate content for different locations, please ensure that the content differs not just in location but other factors too. Otherwise search engines will think that you are just trying to generate content using duplicate and thin information. This will definitely result in drop of your rankings and other negative consequences.
3 Everybody loves a NAP…so does Google!
A child might need their same old toy or the same blanket everyday to get a good nap. Well, so does Google! Google also expects you to include exactly the same business information everywhere you list – consistency counts.
NAP – Business Name, Business Address and Phone Number have to be the same throughout the web wherever they appear, not just on your website. In every online directory or anywhere online you mention your business, the search engine expects word-to-word identical information.
So, if you have given an Address/Phone number which is in a different format, make sure to update this information for consistency.
There is no correct or specific format for NAP. Just making sure the information is the same. This is one of the keys in ranking well in local organic search results in your area.
4 Google reviews
Leaving a review for the products/services you use is a friendly gesture. Sometimes the review maybe in the form of a complaint too. Whatever the reviews you receive, try to respond in a positive manner. If a person is not happy with your business and leaves negative feedback, make sure the person was a genuine customer and try to sort out the issue promptly. There are ways to take care of fake reviews too.
5 Natural link building
Natural link building is difficult and takes time. But it’s worth doing that rather than falling for quick fixes with agencies who promise a startup achieving ranking 1 for different keyword terms and phrases right away. If it sounds too good to be true or too cheap…it is! Taking people up on cheap offers of quick fix solutions for your social media can cause more damage than gain in your online business presence.
List your business information on all local online directories (keep NAP in mind), try to link with different content inside your website and also maximise your social shares.
Some of the local online directories that a business in Hobart can consider registering are:
- Pure local – https://www.purelocal.com.au/
- Hobart direct – http://www.hobartdirect.info/
- Service Directory – https://www.tasict.com.au/
- Hobart Business Directory – https://www.localbusinessguide.com.au/tasmania/hobart/
- Yellow pages – https://www.yellowpages.com.au/
- YELP –https://www.yelp.com.au/
6 Engage through social media
Social media is a great way to keep in touch with your customers on a regular basis. Posting regular content and generating user engagement is an excellent method to let your customers know about any new products/offers/services you have launched. And it is the most cost effective and helpful way too!
7 Competitive Analysis
Competitive analysis is definitely another very beneficial SEO strategy as it helps you to see how well your business online strategy is working against your local competitors. You can analyse your competitor’s keyword ranking, website, backlinks, social media and much more with the right tools or help from a Hobart Digital Marketing Agency such as By George Digital, to come up with new ideas and strategies that would help you be victorious and on top of the winners podium in the SEO race!
