12 Common Local SEO Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Running a local business and finding that your SEO efforts aren’t leading to increased sales? It’s possible you’re making some common local SEO mistakes that could be holding you back.
Local SEO? Isn’t SEO just SEO?
Good question. But the truth is not all website traffic leads to sales.
Just because people visit your site doesn’t mean they’ll become customers, especially if they’re far away. To turn visitors into customers, you need to attract local traffic. In fact, 78% of local mobile searches result in an offline purchase, yet many businesses still struggle to attract local clients. So, improving your local SEO strategy is key to boost your sales.
In this article, we’ll explore common local SEO mistakes and share expert tips to help your business shine in local search results.
Let’s get started!
Did you know that 78% of local mobile searches result in an offline purchase, yet many businesses still need help attracting local clients? Despite your best local SEO efforts, poor visibility in search engines can leave you confused and lose potential customers.
In this article, we’ll hunt through the common pitfalls that setback local visibility and share expert tips to turn things around. We’re here to guide you through practical solutions that will help your business shine in local search results.
Let’s get started!
What Is Local Seo?
Local SEO is a seo technique focused on increasing a business’s visibility in local search results. It focuses on optimizing a business’s online presence to achieve this goal.
Let’s say you run a coffee shop. When someone in your area searches for the “best coffee shop near me,” local SEO ensures your shop appears at the top of the search results. It’s about connecting your business with nearby customers who are ready to purchase or need your services immediately.
Why Is Local Seo Important?
Local SEO is crucial because it helps Google understand your business’s location and services, making it easier for local customers to find you.
Local SEO is a key strategy for business owners who want to outperform their competitors, reach a wider local audience, and build a strong presence in their local area.
Look at these recent statistics from WebFX
- The number of “near me” searches has surged by almost 500% in the last few years.
- Mobile searches for queries like “open near me now” have increased by 200%.
- 30% of smartphone searches have a location aspect.
These trends indicate a growing customer preference for local services, emphasizing the need for businesses to optimize their local SEO to attract nearby customers and enhance their local market visibility.
Top 12 Local Seo Mistakes
- Lack of Local Backlinks
- Not Targeting Local Keywords
- NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) Information
- Skipping GBP Integrations
- Ignoring Category and Attribute Selection
- Neglecting Google Posts
- Failing to Use Photos and Videos
- Neglecting Negative Reviews
- Missing Mobile Optimization
- Neglecting Schema Markup for Local SEO
- Forgetting Locator and Local Pages
- Overlooking Social Media Engagement
1. Lack Of Local Backlinks
One common local SEO mistake is not having local backlinks. These links from local websites and blogs show search engines that your business is important and trusted in your area. Without them, your site may not rank well in local searches, making it harder for nearby customers to find you.
How to Fix This:
- Collaborate With a Link-Building Service Provider: We at Outreach Monks specialize in building high-quality local backlinks that can boost your local SEO. Our expert team ensures your business appears in local searches, bringing in more relevant traffic to your website.
- Create Linkable Local Content: Produce content that is specifically relevant to your local community. For example, write blog posts about local events, news, or topics that matter to your community. This can attract local sites to link back to your content.
- Engage with Local Media: Contact local newspapers, blogs, and news sites to cover your business stories or events. Media coverage often includes backlinks to your site.
2. Not Targeting Local Keywords
Local keywords are specific phrases and terms that people use to search for businesses, services, or products in a specific geographic area. These keywords typically include a location (such as a city, neighborhood, or region) along with a service or product. For example, I would say “pet shop in houston,” “plumber near me,” and “best pizza in Brooklyn.”
Like the example shown in the image, Optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP) with local keywords like “pet shop in Houston.”This will help your business appear at the top of the search results when people search for pet shops in Houston.
By focusing on local keywords, you can increase conversions by attracting relevant traffic to your website from people looking for nearby products and services. By making it easier for customers to identify businesses nearby, these keywords enhance their search results and make it more likely that they will select your business for purchase. You gain an advantage over competitors who are not particularly concerned with local SEO by optimizing for local keywords.
Things To Consider:
- Research Keywords: Find relevant local keywords by checking the search volume and competition for specific terms related to your business. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Moz.
- Optimize Content: Include local keywords in your website content, such as in titles, meta descriptions, headers, and body text.
3. Inconsistent NAP Information
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. It refers to the contact details of a business. Search engines rely on this information to verify the credibility and relevance of your business.
The image above is missing complete NAP details, only showing the address without contact information. Ensure you include complete and consistent NAP details in the same order across all platforms.
Things To Consider:
- Potential Issues: Inconsistent NAP details can confuse search engines and customers. They can make it harder for your business to rank well in local searches. Customers might also get incorrect information, leading to lost sales and reduced trust in your industry.
- Update Regularly: For proper NAP, manually update any incorrect or outdated information you find. You can do this by using account dashboards on platforms like Google My Business to make the necessary changes. Utilize tools like Moz Local, BrightLocal, or Whitespark to manage and track your citations. These tools can help you identify missing citations and ensure your business information is consistent across all platforms.
- Standardize Your Information: Decide on a standard format for your business name, address, and phone number, and ensure it is used the same across all platforms. For example:
- Name: XYZ Bakery
- Address: 123 Main St, Springfield, IL 62701
- Phone Number: (555) 123-4567
- Build Citations: Missing citations can harm your credibility and make your content seem unreliable. It can lead to plagiarism issues, damaging your reputation and trust with your audience. Additionally, readers can only verify the information with proper citations or learn more about the topic.
Citations can be done on Yelp, Google My Business, or local business directories. Contact industry-specific websites, local blogs, and community websites to feature your business.
Citations boost your business’s visibility in local searches and build credibility by providing accurate information, making it easier for customers to find and trust you online. Outreach Monks offers various features that aim to result in higher-quality results, making our Local Citation Services stand out. They will manage your NAP listing effortlessly across the directories or online platforms.
4. Skipping GBP Integrations
Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business (GMP), is a free tool provided by Google that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google’s services, including Search and Maps.
By updating your business in Google Business Profile, it will be shown in search results like this.
Linking your Google Business Profile to different tools and applications is known as a GBP integration. This improves the functionality and online visibility of your profile. Consider it as giving your company’s Google presence greater authority.
These integrations keep your business information consistent across platforms, improving visibility and engagement and giving you better insights into customer behavior.
Things To Consider:
- Look For Useful Integrations: Connect your GBP with CRM tools like Salesforce or HubSpot to keep your customer data updated and ensure smooth client interactions. You can also integrate booking tools like Calendly or Square Appointments, allowing customers to easily schedule appointments for salon or other business directly from your GBP.
- Use Management Tools: Use tools such as Yext, Moz Local, or BrightLocal to centrally manage the data about your company on several platforms. For better insights, connect your GBP to Google Analytics and other analytics programs.
5. Ignoring Category And Attribute Selection
Selecting the right categories helps search engines understand your business, making it appear in relevant searches and increasing visibility. Attributes like services, amenities, and special features (e.g., wheelchair accessibility, free Wi-Fi) attract customers and enhance your business profile, improving its ranking in local search results. 
In the above image, Family Lawyer, Criminal Justice Attorney, and Family Law Attorney are different categories.
Vaughn Law PLLC’s Google Business Profile includes attributes such as Service Options, Accessibility, Amenities, and Planning.
Ignoring category and attribute selection can lead to reduced search rankings, missed opportunities, and lower click-through rates.
How To Fix This:
- Select Precise Category: Choose the primary category that is most accurate for your business. Add secondary categories that cover other aspects of your business.
- Add Relevant Attributes: Include attributes like hours of operation, payment methods, and amenities. Highlight features like wheelchair accessibility, free Wi-Fi, or pet-friendly policies.
- Regularly updated information: Regularly review and update your categories and attributes to show any changes in your business.
6. Neglecting Google Posts
Google posts are quick updates, events, offers, or announcements that businesses can publish directly on their Google My Business profile. These posts appear in local search results and Google Maps.
In the updates column, businesses can post related to their latest update, as shown in the above Vaughn Law PLLC updated post about the drink and drive case
Neglecting Google Posts can lead to less engagement, making your business show inactive and resulting in minimal interactions and clicks. Potential customers may miss important updates, promotions, or events, leading to missed opportunities. Moreover, this can reduce your SEO benefits, as businesses that actively use Google Posts often achieve higher local search rankings.
How To Fix This:
- Regularly Create Posts: Post regularly about events, promotions, product updates, or company news. Ensure content is relevant and maintain the content timely so that it can keep up with new trends.
- Use High-Quality Content: Include images and videos to make posts more attractive. Keep the content concise and compelling to gather the attention of the audience quickly.
- Monitor Performance: Use Google My Business insights to monitor the performance of your posts and make strategies accordingly. Engage with comments and feedback on your posts to build a stronger connection with your audience.
7. Failing To Use Photos And Videos
Add visual content, such as images and videos to your business profile on local listing platforms (e.g., Google My Business, Yelp) to enhance the visibility and attractiveness of your business.
Images and Videos are updated by Girl & The Goat on their Google Business Profile
Without photos and videos, your profile may seem less engaging and trustworthy, leading to fewer clicks and interactions. Potential customers might overlook your business in favor of competitors with more appealing visual content. Additionally, search engines may rank your business lower in local search results due to the absence of rich media.
How To Fix This:
- Add High-Quality Photos: Show different aspects of your business like photos of your storefront, interior, products, services, and staff. Keep your photo gallery updated with fresh content to show recent activities and changes.
- Use Engaging Videos: Make short videos showcasing your business, customer testimonials, or special events. Videos to highlight key features and benefits of your products or services are also one of the best ways.
- Optimize Visual Content: Add descriptive titles and captions to your photos and videos to improve SEO. Always use relevant keywords in your visual content descriptions to enhance searchability.
- Encourage Customer Contributions: Encourage satisfied customers to upload their photos and videos to your profile. Respond to and engage with content uploaded by customers to build community and trust.
8. Neglecting Negative Reviews
Since negative reviews have a big impact on your business’s online visibility and reputation, they are very important for local SEO.
Search engines like Google consider the quality and quantity of reviews when ranking local businesses. A high number of negative reviews can push your business lower in search results. Also, it can tarnish your business’s reputation.
When potential customers see poor reviews, they may choose competitors with better ratings. If your business has negative reviews, people are less likely to click on your listing, even if it appears in search results. This will directly affect your sales and revenue.
Things To Consider:
- Provide Excellent Service: Ensure high-quality products and exceptional customer service to minimize the chances of receiving negative reviews.
- Respond to Reviews: Address negative reviews promptly and professionally. Show that you care about customer feedback and are willing to make improvements.
- Encourage Positive Reviews: Ask satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. This can help balance out any negative feedback and improve your overall rating.
9. Missing Mobile Optimization
Mobile optimization ensures your site is easy to use on small screens, improving accessibility for all users. Google uses mobile-first indexing, so without mobile optimization, your site may rank lower, especially in local searches. A mobile-friendly site leads to higher engagement, longer visit times, lower bounce rates, and increased conversions, such as calls and bookings.
How To Fix This:
- Implement Responsive Design: Make sure your website adapts to different screen widths so that users can browse it easily on desktop and mobile devices.
- Optimize Load Times: To reduce loading times, use smaller picture files. Cut down on the amount of code to speed up your website.
- Simplify Navigation: Use touchscreen-friendly icons and menus that are clear and easy to navigate. Make sure the text is readable without having to zoom in.
10. Neglecting Schema Markup for Local SEO
A kind of microdata or code that you add to your website to help search engines understand the content on your pages more clearly. It helps to include detailed information about your company, such as your address, contact information, operating hours, and services. Schema markup creates rich snippets in search results, making your listing stand out and attracting more clicks.
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Example Business",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "Example City",
"addressRegion": "EC",
"postalCode": "12345",
"addressCountry": "US"
},
"telephone": "+1-123-456-7890"
}
</script>This Schema Markup code shows how basic details are included
Without schema markup, search engines may not fully understand your business information, leading to lower search rankings. This can make your listings less attractive, resulting in fewer clicks and visits, and potential customers may struggle to find your business in local searches.
Without schema markup, search engines may not fully understand your business information, leading to lower search rankings. This can make your listings less attractive, resulting in fewer clicks and visits, and potential customers may struggle to find your business in local searches.
Things To Consider:
- Identify Schema Types And Properties: Choose suitable schema types based on your business category (e.g., LocalBusiness, Restaurant, MedicalBusiness). Decide which properties (e.g., name, address, phone number, opening hours) you want to include in your markup.
- Generate and Add Schema Markup to Your Website: Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or other online generators to create the necessary schema markup code. If you’re comfortable with coding, manually add the schema markup in JSON-LD format to your HTML for better integration. Once you have the code, insert it into the HTML of the relevant pages on your website. If you’re using a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, plugins such as Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack can simplify this process.
11. Forgetting Locator and Local Pages
Locator pages, also referred to as seller locator pages or store locator pages, are web pages designed to help users find the physical locations of businesses or retailers, while local pages provide relevant details for each area you serve. This improves user experience and boosts local SEO, as search engines favor sites with localized content. Detailed, location-specific information builds customer trust and leads to higher engagement and conversions.
As shown in the image, Walgreens.com has locator pages for easy locator for their stores
Your website may rank lower in local search results without a locator and local pages, making it more difficult for potential customers to find location-specific information.This can lead to frustration and a loss of local traffic and business.
How To Fix This:
- Create Locator Pages: Add a store locator feature to your website with a map, addresses, and contact information for each location. Make sure each location has detailed information, including services offered and hours of operation.
- Develop Local Pages: Create individual pages for each location or area you serve. Include location-specific details, such as local events, promotions, and testimonials.
- Optimize for Local SEO: Use location-specific keywords in your content and meta tags. Ensure Name, Address, and Phone number information is consistent across all pages and listings.
12. Overlooking Social Media Engagement
The interactions and engagements that a business or brand has with its followers on social media are referred to as social media engagement. When social media engagement is considered in terms of a local audience, it refers to actively interacting with people in a particular geographic area in order to develop relationships, promote community, and achieve local business goals.
Without active social media engagement, businesses risk losing connection with their audience, leading to reduced engagement and interest. It also leads missed opportunities for valuable customer feedback, suggestions, and insights that could enhance products or services.
How To Fix This:
- Develop a Content Strategy: Create a content calendar with localized themes, events, and promotions. Track engagement data to find out what kinds of content your local audience responds to most.
- Engagement Tactics: Make time to promptly reply to mentions, mails, and comments.Engage in discussion with local followers, ask inquiries, and encourage content created by users.
Make special offers or discounts just for your local followers to encourage participation and boost revenue. Organize prizes or competitions that inspire local audiences to participate and spread the word.
Bonus Pro Tips: Local Sponsorships And Partnerships
Local sponsorships and partnerships involve collaborating with community organizations, events, or initiatives to support and promote local causes while enhancing your brand’s visibility and reputation. This approach allows businesses to engage with their local audience in meaningful ways and build strong relationships within the community.
- Find Suitable Opportunities: Sponsor or participate in community events such as festivals, charity runs, or cultural celebrations that align with your brand values. Partner with local nonprofits, schools, or clubs to support their activities through sponsorships or donations.
- Increase Brand Visibility: Consider sponsorships and alliances that align with your business goals and core values to guarantee authenticity and strong ties with the local audience. To raise local awareness and visibility, use banners, booths, or branded items to prominently display the business at sponsored events.
Don’t Be Slow with Local SEO: See, Know, and Grow!
Fix your local SEO issues with our visual guide. See the mistakes and learn the solutions, all in one place!
Conclusion
Avoiding these common local SEO mistakes is key to boosting your business’s online presence. Keep your information updated, respond to reviews, and continually optimize your strategies. By doing this, you’ll see better local search rankings and attract more customers. Stay proactive, and your online presence will thrive!
FAQs For Local SEO Mistakes
Is Local SEO Effective?
Yes, local SEO is highly effective. It boosts foot traffic, attracts more local customers, increases your business's visibility in local search results, and enhances your reputation.
What Is The Difference Between Local SEO And Traditional SEO?
Local SEO focuses on optimizing your online presence to attract local customers through local search results, maps, and reviews. Traditional SEO aims to improve your website’s visibility on a national or global scale through content, keywords, and backlinks, targeting a broader audience.
Can I Use Local SEO If My Business Has Multiple Locations?
Yes, you can use local SEO for multiple locations. Create separate Google My Business profiles and local landing pages for each location, ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information and localized content to improve visibility and attract local customers.
Is Local SEO Profitable?
It's true that local SEO is profitable. Targeting customers who are prepared to make a purchase improves your visibility in local searches, attracts more local customers, and increases revenue. Increased foot traffic and online interaction through local SEO optimization increase sales for your business.
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