As a local business owner, there’s no doubt that investing in a campaign for Search Engine Optimization can have a positive impact on your business. Customers are searching online for local products and services, and you need to make sure that your website is showing up for these relevant searches. Once you establish a strong organic ranking, you will enjoy the benefits of steady leads and new customers who are finding you online.
The truth is that local SEO best practices don’t have to be complicated. In fact, these strategies are seemingly simple, but they can have an undeniable impact on your marketing. Don’t overlook these tips because they make a difference to the long-term success of your local business.
Some of the most important things that you need to do are to ensure your brand is visible, share information about your products and services, and make it easy for potential customers to find your business information. This last piece is critical: make sure that your business information is right so that people know how to contact you! It might be a simple requirement, but it’s surprising to see how many people fail at this piece.
NAPS: More Than Just Contact Details
NAPs stand for name, address, and phone, which are all critical pieces of information that customers need if they are going to contact your business. You need to make sure that all of this information is correct, and also include supplemental details about your company and offerings.
We strongly encourage all of our clients to not only verify NAPs for their businesses, but also add as much business information as possible. These local SEO best practices help you gain authority online, which increases the likelihood that Google will rank your site higher in the search results.
Why do your name, address, and phone number matter? Because search engines view this information as trust signals. When customers are making purchase decisions, Google wants to be sure that customers are interacting with accurate and reliable business information. So, setting this foundation is the first step that ensures success with all of your other online marketing efforts.
Don’t Destroy Your Online Presence with Incorrect Information
Not only does inconsistent information about your business make it hard for customers to contact you, but it can also be confusing for the search algorithms. You need NAP consistency so there is no question about who you are and how people can get in touch with your business.
As you are setting up business citations through online directories, it’s critical to make sure that there is consistency across all of the platforms. Typos and misinformation can backfire on you, eventually resulting in your online presence breaking down because the search engines don’t know the correct information about your business.
Additionally, the lack of consistency can result in customer frustration, which can result in lost revenue because people can’t reach your business when they are ready to buy. So, aligning NAP consistency not only improves your local search rankings, but also increases the likelihood that you can turn leads into buyers.
Why Business Information Gets Scrambled
It seems like everything should be pretty straightforward when listing your business information online. But there are small issues that can pop up along the way, eventually causing inconsistencies in business operations.
Usually, these mistakes are innocent: a well-meaning employee accidentally enters the wrong information. Or there is a problem with a marketing plan that creates issues with your online presence.
Plus, it’s normal for information to shift as your business grows and changes over time. For example, you might extend your business hours, but this information isn’t updated in your Google My Business profile… which causes confusion for customers about when they can come to your location.
To keep everything consistent, set a reminder on your calendar to check your online presence at least twice a year. You want to be sure that your name, address, phone number, and any other relevant information are up-to-date. Also, add these to-dos to your checklist if you are going through any major transitions in your business.
Your Step-by-Step Cleanup Strategy
As you are getting ready to clean up your local search rankings, here are some of the local SEO best practices you should follow for optimal results:
- Set up a systematic approach to check your online information and fix any inconsistencies that you find. Mark your calendar to ensure that this priority doesn’t get overlooked.
- Create a master record of your business information, so that all team members can reference it and use the same information.
- Compare all listings, profiles, and directories online. Anywhere your business is showing up, you need to make sure that the information is accurate and updated.
- Not only can you search your business name and phone number manually in Google, but also consider using other directory scanning tools.
- Don’t forget to check the About section on social media profiles, review sites, and industry-specific directories.
- As you are auditing everything, keep a spreadsheet of all of the URLs that you find with your business information. Then you can reference this in the future when it’s time to check/update everything again.
FAQs
What is NAP in local SEO?
NAP stands for name, address, and phone number, which is the core business information that needs to be consistent across all platforms.
How does inconsistent business information hurt local search rankings?
If your information is inconsistent, then you lose credibility and authority. As a result, you might have a drop in local search rankings, which reduces your visibility online.
Which online directories matter most for business information accuracy?
When you are auditing and improving your NAP consistency, Google My Business is the most important since the majority of search engine traffic comes from Google. Also, check business citations on other online directories like Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing Places, and industry-specific platforms relevant to your business.
Expert Help for Local SEO Best Practices
Sometimes, the easiest solution is to hire an experienced team that can help with your NAPs, business citations, and local SEO rankings. ARYU Advertising is here to assist every step of the way. When you are ready to learn more, contact us to access personalized recommendations and a strategic plan to boost your search engine visibility.
