Todd Sumamno
Website optimization is about more than just search engines. While it’s important to get your site to rank and show up in search results, it’s equally important to optimize your content for your visitors. Local visitors happen to have unique needs.
When it comes to optimizing your content for local visitors, there are several things to keep in mind based on their intent. Local visitors are often looking for something different than the average visitor. If your goal is to generate local traffic, here are some tips to optimize your website for their use.
1. Know where you’re starting
No matter how long you’ve had your website, it’s crucial to know where you stand when you start a new optimization process. That’s how you’ll measure your progress. For instance, how much traffic are you generating? What is your conversion rate? Where does your traffic come from? Are you reaching your market?
Once you know your current state, then you can make changes and measure your progress from those changes. However, be cautious about changing things without knowing exactly what you’re doing.
A professional will help you make informed decisions
Always consult with a professional before adding, removing, or altering website elements for the purpose of enhancing the user experience.
If you’re looking to change your web design in Long Island, for example, get your website evaluated by a local professional marketing agency first. Optimizing your site for local visitors requires specific page elements and if you change your design without knowing what’s required, you might end up removing beneficial elements.
For example, in some industries, it’s imperative to have both an address and phone number displayed in the header of every page because visitors want to call or visit you immediately. In other industries, vibrant imagery is most important. No matter your industry, discuss your ideas with a marketing professional because what works best might surprise you.
2. Embed an interactive Google map
When locals visit your website, unless they’ve found you by mistake, they’re interested in your business. This means they’ll most likely want to see where you’re located and posting your address isn’t enough.
Put yourself in your visitors’ shoes. They want their experience to be as easy as possible. Help them find you quickly by embedding an interactive Google map on your contact page along with your address, phone number, and hours of operation.
By placing an interactive Google map on your contact page, you’re giving local visitors every reason to visit your business. Granted, some people might find that you’re too far away, but nobody will have to guess where you’re located. Many people who aren’t familiar with your neighborhood will be happy to see how close you are, but they’ll only see that on an interactive map.
If you’ve never embedded a Google map before, this website makes the process easy. Just enter the address, choose your options, and generate your HTML code.
3. Publish relevant content on your home page
You’ve probably seen websites that use their home page to display giant images of their products or staff without much content. This can look good, but it’s detrimental to your local visitors who want to do business with you.
Your home page might be the first page local visitors see when they find you in the search engines. Use this possibility to your advantage and publish relevant content on your home page. For example, if you’re running a nail salon, display an image of your salon, some customer results, and important information like your hours of operation and whether you book appointments or only take walk-ins.
4. Link to your social profiles
Make it easy for your local visitors to find you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and any other social media platforms you use. They might be looking for reviews to help them make a purchase decision, or they could be looking for validation that you’re a legitimate business.
Having an active, positive social media presence will tell local visitors that you’re the real deal. They’ll also be able to see your interactions with other customers to see how you respond to issues like return requests and product defects.
Local users want to connect with you fast
There are many ways to optimize your website for local visitors, but prioritize making your business accessible. If you’re targeting the right market, your local visitors want to connect with you quickly. They’ll either want to call you, visit you, or browse your website for more information. So, make sure your visitors get exactly what they’re looking for when they land on any given page on your site.
Brittany
