Google processes 3.5 billion searches each day and a staggering 1.2 trillion per year. Your target audience is out there, but how do you reach them and not get lost in a sea of competitors?
For one, make sure you create a local SEO campaign for your business. For another, make sure you avoid these local SEO mistakes that business owners tend to make.
1. Using Broad Keywords
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is choosing keywords that are simply too broad to have any significant impact.
You want to use keywords because those words are the search phrases people use when they look something up online. For instance, they might look up “interior designer.” Choosing keywords such as “interior designer” or “professional interior designer” is too broad.
Instead, you want to choose keywords that will positively impact your local SEO rankings. Define your service area. It might be “interior design services in Paris,” for instance.
2. Not Optimizing Your Website
If you want to achieve a better ranking on search results, you need to have a professional and easy-to-use website. You need to optimize your business website, or you’ll struggle to outpace your local competitors.
Use geo-specific keywords, like Nice, Brunoy, Paris, etc. You might even narrow your service area down further, targeting a specific area of a city, district, or even a neighborhood.
You also need to optimize images, on-page content, page loading speed, blogs, and technical aspects such as descriptions and page titles.
3. Poorly Written or Irrelevant Content
You want to present yourself as an authority in your field so that customers will trust you. Putting out poorly written or irrelevant content can harm that trust.
First and foremost, you want to provide quality content that offers some value. Google prioritizes the length of your content, as well as how well it meets a user’s search query.
Target in a smart way by considering the consumer’s needs. Who is your product meant for, and what problems does it solve?
You never want your target audience to be “everyone,” as this is too broad and can result in irrelevant content.
4. Not Doing Keyword Research
Firstly, what is keyword research? It’s finding and targeting your audience and using words that your customers will search for when they need a problem addressed. You can learn more about keyword researching in that link, including key steps you need to take.
Keyword research should play a critical role in your SEO and social media marketing strategies.
Knowing which keywords to avoid is a good place to start. As we mentioned, you want to focus on geo-specific phrases and avoid terms that might be too broad.
5. No Google My Business Listing
Finally, you need a directory profile if you want to reach your local audience. Using Google My Business, Yelp, and so on can help your business rank better in local searches.
Make sure to submit your business to a directory to avoid this mistake.
Avoid These Local SEO Mistakes
Making local SEO mistakes can hurt your business, but you can avoid them by following the above tips.
Do you want to learn more about the benefits of SEO or simply more about French businesses? Check out the rest of our website for all the latest.
