Lenovo Partner Network The SEO Journey Series

3

Local SEO ChecklistWorkbook

• Overview• 12 Point Local SEO Checklist• Additional Local SEO Reading Resources

Produced by Method Savvy

Lenovo Partner Network / The SEO Journey Series Workbook Local SEO Checklist 2

Overview

Local search engine optimization is a branch of SEO that optimizes a website for visibility within a specific geographic region. By taking advantage of certain features of the search engine results page (SERP) - including but not limited to the “local pack” listing of local businesses and map functionality - local SEO drives website traffic and delivers prospective customers to your virtual front door.

In the third webinar in our continuing The SEO Journey series, we examined the factors that influence local SERP and highlighted areas of opportunity for how to increase visibility for your website within your target geographic region. In this workbook we will go one level deeper, providing an audit and optimization framework that if properly applied will positively influence your website’s local rankings and better position your company to capture local visitors.

Produced by Method Savvy

Produced by Method Savvy

12 PointLocal SEO Checklist

Lenovo Partner Network / The SEO Journey Series Workbook Local SEO Checklist 3

Produced by Method Savvy

Review your existing local business listings to confirm common usage of NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number).

Check your local presence for one physical location for free using Moz Local. Visit https://moz.com/checkout/local/check and enter your company name, street address and zip code.

Confirm that your business name, address and phone number are listed exactly the same for all directories. If there are errors or inconsistencies, please correct within the directory or through a local listing management service (such as Moz Local).

If you have not already done so, claim and fully update with the appropriate information your Google My Business (https://www.google.com/business/) and Bing Places for Business (https://www.bingplaces.com/) listings.

Review your website, and your Contact Us page if one exists, for usage of your name, address and phone number. Does it match what appears on local directories? If not, update to be consistent. Optimize the Title tag for pages with location specific content to utilize local keywords. For instance: “HVAC Repair Raleigh” instead of “HVAC Repair”

Optimize the Meta Description tag for pages with location specific content to utilize local keywords. For instance: “XYZ company provides reliable, cost effective heating, cooling and other HVAC repairs to the greater Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill region.”

Create a location specific page that features local keywords as well as regionally specific information that is valuable to your target audience. Example: https://www.uhaul.com/ Locations/Truck-Rentals-near-Los-Angeles-CA-90006/712021/

Lenovo Partner Network / The SEO Journey Series Workbook Local SEO Checklist 4

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Produced by Method Savvy

Ask your customers to review your company’s products and services on Google My Business (https://www.google.com/business/), Bing Places for Business (https://www. bingplaces.com/), Yelp (https://yelp.com/) and other local business listings.

Ask your employees to review your company on GlassDoor (https://www.glassdoor.com/ index.htm), Google My Business (https://www.google.com/business/), Bing Places for Business (https://www.bingplaces.com/), Yelp (https://yelp.com/) and other local business listings.

Create company pages on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/), LinkedIn (https:// www.linkedin.com/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/) with the consistent use of name, address and phone number that references your geographic location. Post new content to these social media platforms at least once per week and answer any questions that are posted by your customers or the community at large.

Contact your partners and vendors within your local community and ask them to link to your website.

For newsworthy announcements such as large new client acquisitions or a key hire to the team, provide your local newspapers, radio stations and television states with a press release.

Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool (https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/in-sights/) to confirm your website loads quickly on mobile devices. If there are areas of opportunity for quicker loading work with your web developer to optimize the site.

Lenovo Partner Network / The SEO Journey Series Workbook Local SEO Checklist 5

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Produced by Method Savvy

AdditionalLocal SEO Reading Resources

Lenovo Partner Network / The SEO Journey Series Workbook Local SEO Checklist 6

Produced by Method Savvy

• AComprehensiveGuidetoLocalSEOin2019: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/local-seo/

• LearnLocalSEO: https://moz.com/learn/seo/local

• LocalSEO:ASimple(ButComplete)Guide: https://ahrefs.com/blog/local-seo/

• TheDefinitiveGuidetoImproveYourLocalSearchRankings: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/local-seo/

• TheDefinitiveGuidetoLocalSEO: https://neilpatel.com/blog/definitive-guide-local-seo/

Lenovo Partner Network / The SEO Journey Series Workbook Local SEO Checklist 7

Lenovo Partner Network The SEO Journey Series

Method Savvy is a marketing consultancy that helps ambitious leaders find better ways to grow their brand and business. Our three focus areas, brand, experience, and growth acceleration, help create connected brand experiences that influence behavioral change at scale. SEO is one of many components we specialize in that help brands build a foundation for the ecosystem they want.