The Beginner’s Guide to Using Hyperlocal SEO
At this point, most people know about local SEO. But did you know you can take your local marketing strategy to a whole new level? In response to the growing demand from mobile users researching local businesses “near me”, Google launched hyperlocal SEO.
Hyperlocal SEO is almost the same as local SEO but on a more granular level. It focuses on localities such as neighborhoods, streets, towns, and areas located near well-known establishments and landmarks.
The benefit? The customer journey is simpler since you are only competing for niche hyperlocal search keywords, resulting in more customer visits to your retail store.
Google also rewards businesses adapting hyperlocal SEO with prominent placement on Google Map, inclusion in the 3-pack box-out listings, and good ranking on SERP. Moreover, it amplifies your brand’s online visibility by ensuring your CTAs (call, directions, share, website) are displayed properly to entice visitor clicks.
The Process
In this article, we outline three steps to start using hyperlocal SEO:
1. Set up your Google My Business Profile
Make sure you optimize your profile by providing a detailed description of your exact business location, opening times, and uploading images of your business or store.
Google My Business makes it easier for visitors to quickly know about your brand by providing a ‘glimpse’ of information as opposed to the traditional SERP listings.
In addition, you can also post company news updates to inform customers of the latest offers and events, direct from search results. You can check analytics and insights to confirm if hyperlocal visibility is working.
2. Include hyperlocal terms on your web content
Hyperlocal search terms and keywords should also reflect the research and knowledge on the area where the business is located.
Start using hyperlocal SEO with neighborhoods, cities, and popular establishments like schools, parks, etc. Figure out how your business is placed within your area and the information that Google displays when you search for it.
Once you have a list of your hyperlocal terms and words, make sure you include them in your titles, description, body text, and images so that when Google crawls this content and your prospects read it, they will know that your business is there.
3. Use schema or structured data markup
Enabling markup also enhances the visibility of your business information and call to action on Google. Currently, Google accepts markups for opening times, location, and restaurant-specific properties. For more information, you can check Google’s resource on Local Business here.
As web trends point to growing mobile use with people using search terms within areas near them, it is highly recommended to include hyperlocal SEO in your current local SEO strategies.
Be sure to analyze the success of your hyperlocal search term (Google Analytics, Google Business) and make changes when necessary. Be ready for such terms to be more competitive and for Google to modify how it presents its local and hyperlocal SEO.