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How Does Google Rank Your Local Business

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For local small businesses, it is vital to understand how Google ranking works. Without a firm grasp on it, business owners could end up spinning their wheels. If you own a small business, you most likely already know that potential customers turn to Google to search for what you offer. But if they can’t easily find you, they may turn to your competition. 

No matter what type of business you may be, a local SEO company such as Unwired Web Solutions may be able to help grow your online presence. Over the past five years, Google has changed dramatically in the way it ranks local businesses.

A Continuous Process

Optimization needs to be done continuously to make sure your website gets the ranking it deserves. The days of hiring an SEO specialist to get your website ranked and then sitting back and doing nothing for ten years are gone.

Although there have been a lot of changes, the core factors for SEO haven’t really changed. They still depend on keywords on the website and links from external sites. But because of Google’s new changes, SEO professionals need to stay ahead of the game and find ways to help clients rank.

A Different Way of Looking at SEO

A few years ago, when Google started changing results based on local intent, local businesses needed to change the way they thought about their SEO strategies. Google Business Profile was also launched, allowing local businesses to claim their business listing and add information similar to a Facebook business profile.

Google Business Profile changed the game for several reasons. Customers could now learn about your business without even clicking on your website. Google Business Profile and local search algorithms also added new core ranking factors such as:

  • Reviews
  • The proximity of the user on the map
  • Photos, posts, and videos of your products and services
  • Description in the “About” section

Google My Business

More Complex

Over the years, ranking factors for local businesses and franchised locations have become much more complex. There are over 100 factors that may impact how your company ranks in the local area. Experts suggest that the most important part of ranking locally is through keyword optimization. It is extremely critical to take the time to do the research as there are hundreds of keyword combinations that can be used to find businesses. When thinking of keywords for your business, you will need to consider which ones have the most search volume and which describe your core service or product.

Understanding keywords

Understanding keywords can be tricky. Those with the most searches aren’t always the primary keywords for targeted optimization. Sometimes it’s better to be ranked number one for the secondary keyword for a profitable service than being ranked number 18 for the keyword with the most searches. Keyword optimization is a constantly evolving process, with rankings changing every day. With the help of a local SEO company, they can help you track average rank and analyze search traffic to determine your monthly adjustments.

Social Media

All search engines and social media platforms are paying attention to each other. When Google looks at ranking a local business, they are closely watching every aspect of your business. Some of the most significant factors in Google ranking include:

  • Are you actively using Google Business Profile?
  • Are you actively logging in and using listing sites such as Yelp and Bing?
  • Are you updating your events and information?
  • Are you posting on social media regularly?
  • Are you uploading photos and videos to Google Business Profile and other platforms?

As you can see, activity is critical when Google is ranking you. When Google looks at solid and active businesses, they appear as thriving companies using these platforms, which shows they care about their customers since they are showing concern about their online reputation.

A strong, active online presence will help your reputation and clickthrough rates to help convince more customers to contact you. As Google is the search leader who has a highly advanced algorithm, it may be essential to work with a local SEO company that can help with the process. Contact our team at Unwired Web Solutions today to get started with your local SEO plan. 

Social Media Tips For Local Small Business

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Owning a small business often means wearing many different hats. But there comes a time when it is imperative to hire an outside company to help with SEO. By working with a local SEO company, a small business can grow their local reach through Google ranking and through social media. 

Social media is becoming more important than ever when trying to grow a local business. But it isn’t easy. Many business owners simply don’t have time to spend on their social media accounts, let alone learn how to optimize them for more engagement from potential customers. This is why it is so important to hire a local team who understands your business and can help you grow your audience and customer base. 

There are a few simple steps that a local business can take to help promote and market their website through social media, even before contacting an SEO company for help. 

Break the Ice

Breaking the ice on social media is extremely important to be able to promote yourself. There’s no point in being too sophisticated and rigid when discussing what your business is all about. People want to see the human behind the business on social media, and they want it to be real.

Start by asking your customers questions and replying to their queries in a polite manner. Always use relevant content and keep things fun and engaging for your audience.

Don’t Look Desperate

Even if you are a struggling business, your social media campaign should not appear desperate. Try to stay away from terms such as ”like us on Facebook” as this may come across forced. If your customers truly believe in your products or services, they will follow you anyway.

People like to buy from an established brand that is doing well. Put the appearance out there that you are thriving, and people may feel like they’re missing out if they don’t also participate in what you are offering.

Be Accessible

The whole point of social media is to make yourself accessible to your customers. Research has shown that businesses that make themselves more accessible are more popular. Their customers tend to purchase their products more often than businesses that don’t put themselves out there.

Make it easy for your viewers to remain in touch with you. Make use of social plugins that can show your viewers they can communicate with you with the click of a button.

By simply using some social media tips, you can help to promote and market your website and business. Small local businesses should always utilize Google Business Profile, local Facebook business groups, and hashtags of their local community. 

It may take a while to get the hang of using social media for a local small business, but even just by posting regularly, you can begin to grow your audience. 

If you have been doing your own social media and are ready to get some help from a local SEO company, contact Unwired Web Solutions today. Our team can create new local campaigns which will get your business found on social media.

Consider Search Intent with Keywords

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Using the right keywords is vital to driving traffic to a site. But there is a common misconception that high-volume keywords are the best to use for ranking, and this isn’t always the case.  Any SEO company will tell you that a keyword with a high search volume doesn’t always mean you should automatically use it.

First and foremost, ranking for keywords that helps to bring value to your business is what you should be striving for. This means figuring out the search intent of your potential customers. Start by asking yourself “will the people who search for this keyword be likely to buy what I am selling?”

Figuring out the search intent for keywords can quickly show you a simple way to turn traffic from this keyword into a viable lead. For example, if people are searching a specific keyword that brings traffic to your website but the search volume is originating from another country, these people are less likely to purchase your product or service. This clearly means their intent for using this keyword is not to buy the product in your area. 

Put yourself in the shoes of your customers to figure out search intent. If you don’t think you would use the keyword to search for your product or service, chances are, your customers wouldn’t either. The intention behind the keyword is just as important as the keyword itself. 

Low Competition Keywords

Finding low competition keywords can be helpful when running a new website with little or no domain authority. Having less competition with keywords can help you rank more quickly. The process here is to find a keyword that your customers may be using to find your business, yet with a lower competition rate. You will still want to think about the search intent but look at those words that everyone else may not be using. 

Content Gaps

Content gaps are keywords that don’t rank or that you are missing on your website, but your competitors are utilizing. Content gaps are easily found with the help of SEO tools.

Once you find these content gaps, you can fill them by creating and publishing content that uses the keywords efficiently to close the gap. This can provide you with an immediate boost in search engine ranking. Keep in mind that you will still need to verify the difficulty of ranking for a keyword by using keyword research tools that provide you with a keyword difficulty score.

Hire An SEO Company

Keywords are often best left up to SEO experts that have the tools and knowledge to help find the best ones to drive traffic to your website. After all, you want potential customers to find your business quickly and easily so that they can buy your products or services.

An expert SCO company such as Unwired Web Solutions can help find the best keywords for your website. By utilizing professionals who have the tools and knowledge to find the best keywords, your business can see a rise in conversions. Contact us today to learn how we can help get your keywords performing for your site, ultimately bringing in more customers and sales. 

How To Grow Your Blog

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Having a blog could be essential for your business. Many experts agree that it is vital for website content optimization. But when you put time and effort into a blog, you want people to read it. So how do you grow your blog and not only make it enjoyable and informative to your readers but to increase your number of visitors?

Should You Spend Time Writing Blog?

When starting a business, you may wonder if you should spend time building a blog and crafting content. While it may seem like a time-consuming job, having a business blog can be beneficial. One of the most important reasons to have a blog is to help drive traffic to your products, upping your customer numbers. Continual content using specific SEO keywords can help with ranking in Google. Aside from using keywords, inbound links and backlinks are a Google ranking factor that can be placed within blog content.

Blogs can also position you as an expert in your industry. It is a place where you can inform your consumers about your products and/or services. The more information you can share, the more it will inspire trust in your consumers and turn traffic into leads.

Make it User-Friendly

One of the most important things to remember when creating a blog is making it a user-friendly experience. Customers do not want to read articles on a website that is difficult to navigate, so make sure your blog and website as a whole are easy to use. Navigation should be simple, and a search box should be included so your customers can easily find what they are looking for.

Page speed is essential so your customers don’t get impatient, but it is now something that Google considers when ranking websites. Ensure your blog is running at top speed to ensure your potential customers can find you in a search. 

The Importance of Social Media

If you have a blog, social media should be an integral part of the marketing behind it. By promoting your blog on social media profiles, you reach more potential customers by driving more traffic to your website. Utilize all social media platforms available from Twitter to Pinterest and Facebook.

Social media platforms are not only a place to share your blog content, but they can also be a way for your readers to share your content as well. This is just another way for your content to reach more people. While it may sound simple, crafting engaging content that provides readers with a value they want to share with others involves taking time and marketing skills.

An SEO Strategy

Writing for a blog requires a particular skill set, and part of this skill is knowing how to incorporate search engine optimization within the content. An SEO strategy within a blog can help users discover your content. Using keywords as part of your SEO strategy will enable web browsers to find your blog.

Another challenge in creating a blog is making sure your readers come back each time you publish an article. Tools that enable readers to subscribe to an email list are a great way to help ensure those people will return to your blog again. Interactive pop-ups are a crucial component in helping to gather potential customer information. 

Nurture Your Blog

Growing a blog can take a lot of nurturing. This means building engagement by replying to comments. If a reader has taken the time out to leave a comment, a proper response should be made. By building a rapport with the commenter, they’re more likely to return to your blog in the future.

It is essential to know the many ways to help grow a blog, or you may find yourself writing to an empty audience. Our team at Unwired Web Solutions can help to grow your blog and ensure that it benefits your business, converting readers into customers. Contact us today to learn more about our services, including website content optimization

Lesser-Known Local SEO Tips

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The end goal of local SEO is to rank higher in local searches and get more people to your site and through your door. But what if you are overlooking some simple tricks that can help bring more people in through the door?

As a local SEO company, our experts know how to drive potential customers to your business, whether online or a brick-and-mortar location. We understand that it isn’t just the large SEO strategies that work, but that every little bit helps when it comes to local SEO. Sometimes small tips and tricks make a big difference in online visibility. 

With more people searching online for local businesses than ever before, local SEO has never been more competitive than it is today. This means you need to stand out and rise in the rankings over your competition. 

Google Reviews are Important

While it may be intimidating to ask customers for reviews, it is necessary to acquire new ones. Your business needs ratings and reviews to help build trust in your brand to rank higher in local search, so try to encourage customers to go online and leave a review.  

With local businesses, Google will show potential customers your listing to people looking for things near them. The searchers will see results that include a map of business locations, plus listings for three businesses relevant to their particular search. Many small companies believe that just showing up on this map pack is enough, but by optimizing your own Google Business Profile with reviews, you can get one step ahead of your competition. 

A simple five-star rating isn’t what it used to be. There is more that goes into an online review presence now, which includes your response to customers. Be sure to keep track of the reviews on your GMB listing and respond when necessary. People generally want to support their local businesses, so you want to make it easy and convenient for them. 

Consistency is Key

Your business name, phone number, and address data should be consistent and present across all your profiles on the web. By ensuring that your phone number is clickable on your website, you make it easier for your customer to contact you. While most browsers will recognize and highlight phone numbers, you will want to ensure they are working correctly. It is quick and easy to insert a small amount of code on a website wherever your phone number shows up on your website. 

Keep in mind that if you use a Google trackable number, it should not affect your rankings as long as your actual number is listed as a secondary number in Google Business Profile. 

You will also want to make sure that your number is a textable business line. Surveys now show that most people prefer to text. Giving customers the ability to text your business can help to convert a higher percentage of prospects into customers. This can be achieved through either a GMB profile or your website chat feature. 

Make It Easy for Customers to Find You

You want your customers to know where you are located without them having to do a lot of searching. You can make it easier for them by including a Google Map of your locations right on your website. Many businesses opt for a map on their contact page so customers can easily see where they are located. 

The most important part of online marketing is making sure your customers and search engines know how to find you and that they can easily see if you are open for business. Claim every business profile and listing possible and for every location, you operate. Some of these can include Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, Google, and various industry-specific sites. Just be sure always to keep all accounts current, including operating hours and contact details. 

The end goal of local SEO is to get more quality leads. But, getting reviews, updating online profiles, and setting up texting services can be a lot to handle for some business owners. That is where Unwired Web Solutions can help! We are a local SEO company with a team of experts who can optimize your business presence across all platforms. Contact us today for more details.