Local businesses often depend on word-of-mouth advertising to encourage people to visit their locations, and consumers tend to trust reviews and suggestions from those they know. However, this advertising may not be giving you the amount of traffic and revenue you need or want. Therefore, these are a few local SEO strategies you should know about.

Post in Online Directories

Online directories, such as Yelp, Angie’s List and About Us, are national and global directories, but they are used by individuals looking for local businesses. They provide information about your company, including your contact information. Your current and past clients can leave feedback and rate your business. In addition, you can review your ratings and solve any issues that you find. Another major benefit is that Google and other search engines search these directories, allowing you to move up on search results.

However, when you add your information, make sure it is correct in every directory. These listings should mirror each other. Your name and location are especially important but don’t underestimate the value of your contact information. Incorrect data can encourage Google to flag your company as illegitimate. Even the use of abbreviations and spelling should be exactly the same across all the directories you are listed in. Don’t forget to update all your directories if anything changes in your listing.

Set Up a Google My Business

In the past, you may have listed your business in the yellow pages, but today’s consumers don’t search these resources as much anymore. Instead, they go online to find applicable companies. Therefore, if you want to be found in a local online search, consider creating a Google My Business listing.

Don’t skip any of the fields on the profile page, including your products and services. List your main and secondary categories to move your listing up the search results. Then, take time to manage your listing with content like mini-posts so that Google sees it as active.

Use Keywords Strategically

On your website and in any advertising, use your keywords strategically. Include local keywords in your headings, body, descriptions and title tags. Use different forms of your local keywords as well. For example, you can use New York City, NYC, Manhattan, etc. for a company located in this region.

Don’t forget to optimize your website with your local keywords. If you can get them into your URL, that’s even better. However, use your keywords naturally and do not overuse them (called keyword stuffing) because search engine algorithms do not like this and can move your listing down instead of up.

As you add local information to your traditional content, consider these tips to improve your local SEO strategy.