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Local SEO Checklist
Taylor Tunnison • June 3, 2022

Search engines connect users to who and what they’re looking for online. They do this by matching a user’s intent with the most relevant websites, answers, and local businesses. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a long-term strategy for improving a website’s visibility on platforms like Google. It involves interface and content updates that signal a website’s authority and relevance to various popular keywords. However, any solid SEO strategy also employs precise tactics for reaching local consumers. Here’s our local SEO checklist that we use to help our clients attract more customers in their area.

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO may sound simple, but it’s a big deal. While general SEO strategy involves organizing a website’s content and structure in certain ways, local SEO is all about accessibility. It’s a much more targeted approach that seeks to bridge the gap between user and provider, no matter how they search.


If your company operates in a major city, consumers are probably interested in your products or services. Local SEO strategies ensure that they can find your company easily on the internet. Whether they use a PC, mobile device, search engine, or map application, you want consumers to notice your business first. At the same time, they want to know who you are, what you offer, and how they can get in contact at a moment’s notice.


Did you know that Google recently shifted to mobile-first indexing? This was largely in response to the growing popularity of mobile devices, given that they account for more than 54% of global web traffic, over 90% of people use them when browsing, and most online experiences begin with a search engine. Simply put, mobile-first indexing means that Google looks at the mobile version of a website before its desktop counterpart. This greatly improves the online experience of tablet and smartphone users.


Mobile optimization is just one of Google’s many ranking factors. It analyzes websites based on hundreds of metrics to determine their expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Showing all of these aspects both on and off your website is one of the main goals of local SEO.

Our Local SEO Checklist

As with any good SEO strategy, local SEO begins with website optimization. Consumers want your website to load quickly, provide key business details, and be easy to navigate on desktop and mobile devices. If it doesn’t do these things reliably, your website will create a poor user experience, and many visitors will simply leave.


We always design our websites with user experience in mind. Before publishing any design, we verify that webpages load quickly and properly on all devices, calls-to-action are clearly visible, and all clickable links go to the right places. We also ensure that the company phone number is easy to find and will open the phone app when tapped. If the business operates from a physical location, we also display the address linked to a Google Maps listing, as well as an embedded Mapbox for users to view on-page.

 

Another aspect of our SEO process involves setting up and managing a company’s Google Business Profile (GBP). It’s hard to overstate how important this aspect is for local consumers, which is why our local SEO checklist includes weekly GBP updates. We upload new photos, respond to customer reviews, and make sure all important details are correct. These actions signal that the company is active, and that it cares deeply about Google users’ online experiences.


As of January 2022, most Americans prefer Apple smartphones. That’s why we recommend that every company creates an Apple Maps listing, as well. The process is fairly similar to creating a Google Business Profile, and completing it will ensure that local Apple users can easily locate your company on their Maps app. Keep in mind that Apple wants to confirm its listings are genuine, so you can expect to coordinate with them directly before your listing will appear on its platform.

We Can Help

This local SEO checklist isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start. Whether your website is brand-new or already established, SEO is a critical long-term strategy for improving organic web traffic. When consistently executed, these efforts show search engines like Google that your company deserves to rank on their platforms. If you need help developing a local SEO strategy, we hope you’ll contact us today. We’ve helped dozens of small businesses with their digital marketing, and we’d be honored to work with you.

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