If you own a business, you simply cannot afford to ignore the growing competition for online visibility.
Businesses are popping up at an exponential rate and this feeds the need for focused marketing tactics. Knowing how to get the best local SEO for your business is essential today.
Local SEO allows you to tailor your online visibility to a target geographic audience and specific product or service. This helps your business stand out in local SERPs.
With so many businesses marketing online, this seems like an impossible task. However, there are things you can do to improve your chances of being found locally.
Let’s look at some of the primary tactics to achieve a healthy local presence.
1. List Your Business with Google
Start by creating a Google listing for your business. This service is free and will greatly improve your local ranking.
Creating a Google listing will take care of a number of things at once. It will ensure that potential customers find your business on Google Maps and see basic information such as location, hours, and a business description.
Think of this listing as Google’s indicator of who you are and what you do. The great thing about a Google listing is that it acts as the primary hub where you can manage all your Google needs. The set-up and verification process is easy and will increase your chance of a higher local ranking.
Another important feature of a Google my business listing is that it gives your potential customers some valuable information straight away, from a mobile or desktop result. The three main bits of information are:
Your Phone number
Your address
A link to your website.
Your customers can click the phone number and call you directly from the listing and even click your address to get directions straight to you. They can click on the weblink to go straight to your website. This is a fantastic for conversions and is a great reason to use a local seo service, as this makes it easy for your local customers to contact you.
The other really important feature is the review feature. Customers can leave reviews on your listing about your service. You can manage these reviews in your account and respond to customer reviews. Customer reviews are checked constantly by potential customers so its really important to ask your existing customers to leave you a review. Many people are happy to leave reviews for you if asked. It’s a good idea to get into the practice of asking for reviews
Reviews are also a ranking signal for Google to rank your local listing and your website linked to your listing.
2. List of Other Local Directories
Although Google is the primary search engine used today, there are other local directories that shouldn’t be ignored. Listing with these local directories ensures that you have the best local SEO coverage.
Some of the top local directories include:
Bing Places
Yelp
Yahoo Local
Yellow pages
True Local
You can also find local directories that are more specific to your industry. For example, Urban Spoon lists local restaurants and cafes. When setting up these listings, make sure all the information, such as hours of operation and your address are correct from the beginning. Your name, address and phone number should be exactly the same as the ones that you are using in your Google My Business listing. This is really important as Google loves consistency and the more consistent you are across the web, the better your chance of improving your business listing in the search results.
For example, Urban Spoon lists local restaurants and cafes. When setting up these listings, make sure all the information, such as hours of operation and your address are correct from the beginning.
There are even services that will take care of setting up your local listings for a fee. This is an option if you simply don’t have the time to devote to the process. If you need help building your local listings or your Google My business listing, feel free to contact us.
3. Social Media Boosts Local Rankings
A strong social media presence is essential for any business wanting more exposure. Setting up profiles on top sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn is a great way to engage your customers and share information about your products and services.
Social media profiles are also great platforms for sharing customer reviews. They also allow local customers to follow and share your site content to help spread information about your business.
There are also many local business groups on sites like Facebook. Becoming members only increases your local reach.
4. Is Your Site Mobile-Friendly?
Last year mobile devices beat out desktop computers as the primary device used to access the internet. When searching for a local business on the go, people are turning to their smartphones to find services nearby.
If your website is not compatible with mobile devices, it’s likely potential customers will pass you by. Making sure your website has responsive web design is the best way to deliver a user-friendly mobile experience.
Other elements of mobile site optimization include separate mobile URLs and dynamic content. If your website is not optimized for mobile devices, speak to your web developer about making this change.
5. Backlinks Matter
Part of having the best local SEO rankings includes having relevant links back to your site. Backlinks with strong anchor text can improve your site’s exposure in your niche market for a specific geographic location.
A good way to get quality backlinks is to have local clients link to your site. Getting involved with community business organizations like the chamber of commerce can give you an opportunity to get a relevant backlink that will improve your local ranking.
Instead of paying for links, try establishing backlinks from stable, local organizations and businesses. Paying for links can actually end up hurting you, as many of these programs employ tactics that border on spam.
6. Generate Customer Reviews
It’s now the norm for people to make decisions on products and services based on customer reviews. Reviews help build credibility with the public and even help search rankings when people click through to your site.
It can’t hurt to ask your valued customers to go online and write a review. Google now gives businesses a review score based on the number of reviews they have, which only helps your local ranking. Plus, when potential clients see many satisfied customers, it builds consumer confidence in your product.
7. Don’t Neglect Onsite SEO
The content and SEO on your website has a direct relationship to your local SERPs. Aside from using relevant keywords to describe who you are and what you provide, your website should indicate your locality.
Your physical location along with the geographic location of your client base should also be included on your website. A contact page is a great place to incorporate a map to your location and can even mention local landmarks.
Making sure your website includes keyword-rich content will help you rank appropriately and target your niche market.
8. Include Locally Relevant Content
Producing content that includes local information and news is a great way to help get the best local SEO results for your business. A great way to do this is through blog articles related to local events your customers may benefit from.
Doing this also helps establish your local reputation and can provide another way to incorporate keywords into your site. It won’t hurt to establish relationships with local news organizations. They are typically interested in the local business community and may publish press releases or information about your business on their site.
Best Local SEO Strategies
Don’t lose out on business by neglecting the best local SEO techniques for your company’s online marketing strategy. It’s likely that your competition is taking advantage of these tactics, so you can’t risk ignoring the trends in local optimization.
LocalWeb provides search engine optimization services in Sydney. Learn more today.
The medical field is chock full of high paying jobs. Dentist salaries average nearly $175,000 a year. With this kind of pay, the market is becoming increasingly saturated.
You need to make your practice stand out in the crowd so you can bring in new clients. Making a website and practicing some simple SEO, or search engine optimization, techniques can do wonders for your business.
SEO for dentists isn’t that much different than it is for any other company, but plenty of people make a lot of mistakes when they’re getting started. Read on to find out our top 3 strategies to help your practice rank well in search engines.
1. Local
SEO for dentists is all about local search. The first step is to create a Google My Business account. Make sure the NAP (name, address, phone number) are accurate and identical for your Google information and your website.
Next, you’ll start building local citation links. These are online directories and websites that promote and review businesses. Think Yelp, the Yellow Pages, and Crunchbase.
You can build out this local citation link profile just by signing up for various sites, filling out the required information, and clicking submit. Some of them are premium sites, where you pay to receive a dofollow backlink and you also get some other bells and whistles.
However, if you’re on a tighter budget, you can still easily build 25 or more citation links for your website. It’s free and should only take a few hours.
2. Blogging
You know what Google absolutely loves? Fresh content.
Updating your blog with new posts on a regular basis can make all the difference between your practice and the competition.
For every dentist who is making a new website, there is a site dedicated to helping them get set up with a professional looking blog. It’s as simple as researching, watching some tutorials, and executing.
While creating the best possible content should be a primary focus, there are aspects that should also be taken into account.
Use internal links to help direct readers to product and service pages. Linking externally will help boost your authority in the eyes of search engines as well as readers.
Know your keywords. What terms are people searching for when looking for a dentist? Incorporate these terms and words when writing your content to help search engines get an idea of what your business is and who wants your services.
3. Social Media
Building out readership is difficult for new websites and small businesses.
The most popular and best way to accomplish this mission is to use social media. Facebook and Twitter are great ways for you to get your content in the eyes of potential clients.
Pro tip: Don’t just share your own content. Share anything that your readers will find valuable. This will increase your reader’s trust as a professional who cares about their well being.
SEO for Dentists – Some Final Thoughts
SEO for dentists isn’t hard. However, the research is time-consuming and the consequences of potential mistakes can do more harm than good.
With the right strategy implemented into your marketing campaign, you will push your way to the top of the rankings in just a few months. Continued efforts will keep you there.
For optimal results, hire an agency. Local Web has all of the experience and skill to do the work so you don’t have to. Check out our site audit tool and then contact us to find out how we can help.
Local SEO for beginners can be a trek, but we’re here to help! We want you to avoid some of the most common misconceptions.
As of 2016, more than two million businesses are competing for top placement in search rankings in Australia, and beyond that, the exit rate of businesses decreased. That means there are more businesses continuing to play and less are leaving the marketplace.
So, armed with that knowledge, wouldn’t you agree that knowing how to properly execute your local SEO strategy is crucial? More than that, wouldn’t you agree that you should be aware of the mistakes to avoid?
That’s where we come in. Let’s talk about five SEO mistakes you should avoid so you can be successful.
1) Focus on what matters
A lot of local business owners will talk about how much they want links built. Truth be told, links can be impactful, but they’re not the special sauce of local SEO. Not anymore at least.
Want to know what that really matters? User experience. If a customer has a smooth and successful cruise through your website, Google will commend you.
They’re more concerned with how users explore, discover, and engage with your website than how many links you’ve built.
2) SEO means content, and content is king
As content marketing propels to the forefront of SEO for beginners, remember how important it is to offer attractive and engaging content to users.
Instead of investing energy into old practices, take it from us and put your energy where your customers are. Create well researched and appealing content!
Amazing photos are an often overlooked must-have for local SEO. Appealing images of your storefront and/or your team will show Google that you mean business.
Some other small tweaks in SEO for beginners are adding a map with your accurate address, including a phone number, website, and links to active social media accounts.
3) Reviews carry a lot of weight
Although the world is digital, customer care is still the root of good business. Treat your customers so well that they will feel compelled to go on Google to give a great review of their experience with you.
Digital is the new word of mouth marketing. Whether it’s a comment or share on Facebook, or in this case, a Google review, what people are saying about your business is an important element of local SEO.
Now, since this is SEO for beginners, let’s say your business is new to the game. Reach out to your top six or seven customers and kindly ask them to leave a review on Google, and that it will help your business.
From there, just keep doing a great job. The positive reviews will start flowing once you’re established and have gained some traction.
4) Never underestimate the power of design
Incorporating SEO into your web design is a no-brainer. Don’t ignore the obvious, because the obvious might be what you’re missing.
We’ve got a more detailed breakdown on web design SEO for newbies, but here’s the meat and potatoes:
Keep your design clean and easy to both navigate and read.
Make sure your site is updated so the speed is up to par for users’ short attention spans.
Mobile is the new black. Optimizing your site for mobile is an absolute must!
5) Typos = little, but huge mistakes
Spelling and grammar marks are key! A misplaced grammar mark or letter in a keyword can be the difference between a new customer or a lost one.
Proof your keywords and make sure they are consistent and uniform on every page, and in every piece of content on your website.
Stay up to date on SEO trends, changes, and updates by connecting with us! We’d love to hear from you. Contact us anytime.
Let’s face it. Getting high quality backlinks can be hard.
You can do on-site optimisation to improve your sites SEO relatively easily. However, convincing somebody else’s site to link to you can be a daunting task.
There are many doubts that can crop up in your mind:
Is my content good enough to share?
How do I get another website to link to me?
Is it even worth my time?
Will getting backlinks improve my ranking on Google?
All these questions can be paramount to ensure you’re getting the most traffic for your local business. Although ranking a local business site uses very similar approaches to broader SEO, you’ll find the results happen a lot quicker.
In this article, we’ll take you through the steps of how to get high quality backlinks by focusing on your local SEO.
How to Tell What High Quality Backlinks Look Like
Before you start getting as many backlinks as possible, first you need to understand what good quality backlinks actually look like.
Many experts agree that getting high quality links is one of the best ways to improve your websites local SEO ranking. Link signals make up 29% of the local search ranking factors, according to a study by moz.com.
Link signals are inbound anchor text, linking domain authority, and linking domain quality.
When looking for high quality backlinks for local SEO, you should be focusing on three main points:
Find links that will help drive direct referral traffic
Find links that will help your audience become accustomed to your brand
Find links that will build on your reputation
With that in mind, let’s power through some ways you can start building your high quality backlinks.
Spy on the Competition
When did you last look at your local ranking factors in Google? Who’s ranking above you, and how are they doing it?
The great news is you can find out! It’s never been simpler to scout out exactly what your competitors are doing to achieve a higher ranking than you.
You can reach out to a local SEO expert to help you identify where the backlinks for your competitor are happening. Then you can decide on a strategy from there. You may decide to contact that site to see if they’d want to link to your content instead.
When checking backlinks, remember that not all businesses operate legitimately. Always make sure you’re building quality links and not links from a website with a black mark from Google.
Gain Links from Other Local Businesses
Collaboration is the name of the game with this one. Chances are there are many businesses in your neighborhood you can partner up with for mutual benefit.
Many businesses are completely unaware of how SEO works. Gaining a mutual link in which you will both benefit could be a win-win situation. If possible, try and focus on businesses in the same industry as yours, as this can help with ranking factors.
You could even offer to do some other form of collaboration between your businesses to gain the link.
Partner Up for an Event
Another great way to collaborate and build high quality links is to partner up with other business for an event.
Not only does this bolster your brand recognition within the local area, but it can help to build great quality backlinks. If you’re participating or sponsoring a local event, make sure to ask for links to your website from other partners.
An event that has 20 local businesses offers a lot of potentially high quality backlinks. You’ll be able to build those connections while also benefiting your local business presence.
Search for Link Opportunities Frequently
There are hundreds of websites out there operating in the same niche as your business. Many have links to their websites which may have expired or that no longer exist.
Finding these websites and reaching out to the owners can be a win-win. You’re helping to keep their content relevant by having a link to a site that’s giving them the information they need. You, in return, get a high quality backlink.
You can also do Google searches for your industry name and the area you work in. You can try searches such as:
Your industry name + ‘write for us’
Your industry name + ‘trade shows’
Your city name + ‘nominate a business’
This is an easy way to find sites that you can collaborate with for high quality backlinks.
Don’t Ignore Social Media
Many websites consider social media a waste of time for building SEO due to social media sites having no-follow links.
However, although links will not directly improve your local SEO, Google has confirmed that they use links shared on Facebook and Twitter as ranking signals.
With this in mind, having social media content that users share regularly can have an impact on your ranking. Another added benefit is a local social media presence for your business will drive organic traffic to your site.
Reach Out to Bloggers and Influencers
There are bloggers and influencers in every industry, from ultra niche topics to super broad ones. Most bloggers are dying for an opportunity to work with local businesses.
For not much in return, you can gain some great exposure and high quality backlinks.
Whether you offer a free product for them to review or even sponsor the blogger, it’s an effective way to gain brand awareness and great links.
Final Thoughts to Consider
There are so many web design trends that you must consider for SEO. It can be hard to know what to focus on.
One thing we’re certain of is that you can gain results from local SEO much quicker than on a wider national scale.
By focusing on optimising your local SEO by building great quality backlinks, you can quickly and effectively boost your businesses online presence. Click here to learn more!
“I didn’t realize you were still in business.” The phrase cuts like a knife through any business owner’s heart.
Surprisingly, this statement is all too common even for a well-established business that has long been a part of the local community.
Statements like this don’t reflect the value of your company’s work or reputation. It is just a side-effect of the move to digital advertising.
In the same way that landscaping can add value and curb appeal to a home, landscaping websites add an online presence to your business.
Without a set online presence many customers may not ever find you. When a customer needs a service they turn to their mobile devices and computers. If you want to hear “I’m excited I found out about” instead of that other thing, consider these 8 reasons you need local SEO in Sydney.
SEO and Landscaping Websites
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps the Internet deliver the best results to users looking for products and services. Without SEO a web search for a service may return results from half the planet away.
Landscaping works best when it works with the varieties of foliage and rocks that exist in the local environment. Local SEO uses the same kinds of tools, keeping search results contained to the places they work best to empower landscaping websites.
A flourishing natural landscape needs a local eye. A flourishing business environment needs the same.
Local Customers Turn to the Internet
Advertising in a phone book has been on a decline for more than a decade. The cost to client ratio on a phonebook advertisement is not favorable.
This is because more consumers turn to the Internet. If someone reaches for a phone, why should they also reach for a phonebook? The Internet is already on the phone!
Not only is an Internet search faster, but it also provides more information at the touch of a finger.
Local Consumers Trust Online Reviews
The single most powerful advertising is word of mouth. People trust other people.
Reviews that are coerced feel as such. Real human reactions say volumes about a product or service. Running reviews through the web let a potential customer feel confident that you will deliver what they need.
Customer reviews also set expectations. Customers angry about previous experiences with another service can see their concerns addressed through a review before they’ve even contacted you.
That is more than just a foot in the door.
Online reviews raise your profile and show your professionalism. An interesting side-effect of reviews is that people generally only leave them when they have had really great or a really terrible experience.
The great reviews advertise for you, the negative ones show where you can improve. Together they give a more honest feedback than questionnaires or comment cards.
Always On-Advertising
Timing matters more than cost when creating an advertising campaign. The most expensive advertising can go unseen.
Online the world is different, your website gives all the information and opportunities you need to hook a customer.
Landscaping websites provide advertisements that never go away. They wait until a customer decides they need help.
SEO makes certain that when the customer is ready, they get to you and not your competition.
High Conversion Rates
Conversion rates make a baseline for the effectiveness of an advertisement. Nobody wants to spend money on a campaign and see it return few customers.
The conversion rates in local-mobile searches are reported at 78 percent.
Simply put, landscaping websites optimized for mobile devices get results.
Newspapers have Limited Reach
Even though news is important, newspapers continue to decline in readership and reach.
Fewer people get a physical paper every year, and the papers they do get are ignored within a tight time frame, ranging from a day to a week.
A website stands ready always-on and always broadcasting your service.
SEO services offer tracking services which tell you your website ranking on many search engines. This gives you real feedback; not just projections and promises.
Keywords Match Your Area
Keywords bring forward customers ready for a service. Unlike passive ads that simply show that a service exists, keywords direct people looking for a specific idea to a specific end result.
Whether your business offers general maintenance, full installs, or exotic touches a landscaping website will tell your customers what you are offering and how they can get it.
Nothing frustrates potential customers more than when they have to ask for specifics and they don’t get them. Even if you provide a lot of what they want, being told no on a few details up front can really sour a relationship.
Keyword matching ensures that customers feel your business is right for them before they walk in the door.
Local Content Keeps You in the Community
Landscaping websites don’t just connect you with customers through local SEO, they connect you to the community.
Search engine visibility is important to grow your business and put yourself in front of customers. However, being a part of the community brings you even closer.
Customers like to see your business as part of the place they live. Not some money-taking arm reaching from beyond the influence of the local economy.
Local SEO uses language and terms that your customers will find familiar. Cold and impersonal is not the way to grow a business. You want to be a part of their interests, focuses, and desires.
Local Knowledge
Much like a forecast for the weather, close is not as good as accurate. Location-specific knowledge doesn’t just sell your products, it lets you meet the demands of the community and the customer.
Landscaping websites offering seasonal and weather specific services can’t be making guesses about when the winds will change. When you are a part of the local populace you will be able to anticipate demands and problems faster.
This gives an advantage in offering location and time-specific specials and sales.
Not Certain Where to Go?
If you are looking for help in setting up and managing landscaping websites that target your locale and return your advertising dollars, check out what we offer.
Like you, we strive to match a need with a solution.
Let’s face it, your business will stagnate if it’s not on the top pages of Google. This is the most popular search engine customers use to find businesses like yours. So if your content and website aren’t showing up on the top, then you’re losing prospects at the gate.
So what do you have to do to compete? Well, for starters, you need a solid SEO strategy. And the best way to get this is with the help of an expert.
But what should you be looking for in an SEO Sydney agency? That’s exactly what we’ll cover in this quick guide.
Here are the questions you should ask an SEO Sydney expert before making the decision to hire.
1. How Will You Increase My Website Ranking?
Now, this is likely the very first question you want to ask the SEO firm anyway. After all, this will determine how well their strategy works.
Of course, you’ll meet some SEO professional who will promise you the world (i.e. #1 rank in 2 weeks). And those are the guys you want to run away from – and fast.
What you’re looking for is an honest answer that details the steps taken in order to get X results. For example, “We will improve your keyword optimization throughout your site and start up monthly guest blogging to increase backlinks.”
The question isn’t how long it will take, but what the SEO Sydney agency will do. The strategy should sound promising based on the methods being used.
2. Can I see Your List of Past Clients?
If you’re dealing with a reputable SEO firm, then they’ll gladly hand over their list of past clients. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Some firms work with fortune 500 companies, while others did plenty of business with locals.
But what you’re looking for is a firm that has a good reputation. And the best way to determine this is to see who’ve they’ve worked with.
You can reach out to some of the clients to ask questions about the SEO firm’s professionalism and results. They may not give you numbers, but they will share their gratitude or dismay either way.
You can also ask the firm to share results to gauge the success of their methods.
3. Do You Stick to the Search Engine Webmaster Guidelines?
We can’t stress enough how important it is for your SEO strategy to adhere to Google’s webmaster guidelines. Because if it doesn’t, you’re in for a world of hurt.
Your rankings will plummet even further if your site isn’t altogether banned.
So you have to be wary of shady firms that use blackhat methods to get site rankings. This is what will get your site penalized by Google and other search engines.
4. Can You Guarantee I’ll Get a #1 Ranking?
This is a trick question, so the right answer is no. If the agency claims they can guarantee a #1 spot, then run for the hills. Any company that’s willing to lie to you to get your business is a no-good firm.
You want to avoid red flags like this. Instead, you want to go with an SEO Sydney firm that will be real with you. They should work hard to get you to the #1 spot, but shouldn’t guarantee it.
Why? Because no one can. Google doesn’t reveal its algorithm secrets. However, there are experts who are great at using ethical methods to get you somewhere on the first page.
5. What Experience Do You Have in Local Search Results?
What improves your chances of reaching the top of SERPs is the use of local keywords. So if your business is a brick-and-mortar or service-based company, then this will benefit you. However, even if you’re an online entity, you can still target locals.
But you’re going to need an expert who specializes in local SEO. This professional should focus on getting your business listed in business directories on Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
And this includes optimizing your title tags and meta descriptions to help locals find your local listings in these directories.
6. Do You Openly Communicate Updates with Your Clients?
This is very important because it will keep you in the loop of what’s going on. It doesn’t make sense to continue wasting money monthly on an SEO Sydney service that’s failing you.
Any company that’s not willing to update on your site’s progress isn’t an honest and fair one. They should give you regular reports to showcase what’s working and what’s not.
Just be patient – search engine optimization takes time and lots of split testing.
7. How Is Success Measured in Your SEO Campaigns?
Now, the answer to this will demonstrate the agency’s experience. The best way to measure the success of your SEO strategy is to look at your traffic. Is it increasing? And what about your conversions? Are they increasing?
Google Analytics is key to identifying whether or not your campaigns are succeeding or failing. And keep in mind, less of the right traffic is better than lots of the wrong traffic.
So if you see a dip in traffic, but an increase in conversions, that’s great SEO work.
8. What Are Your Rates and Payment Terms?
Obviously, you need to know how much you’ll have to dish out each month for their SEO services. Some consultants charge hourly, by project or by retainer. Then there are others that charge by the month.
It’s important to work out a payment plan that works based on your own financial schedule and budget. On average, the cost of an average SEO campaign is between $1,000 and $7,500.
9. What Happens After the Project Ends?
Once the SEO company gives you the results you seek, what happens afterward? Will they help maintain your results or do you have to do it yourself? It’s best to have a firm that will offer maintenance services, such as updating your content on your website and ads.
This way, they’re already familiar with your campaign.
10. Which Tools Do You Use?
Any reputable SEO firm will gladly tell you the SEO tools they use. This shouldn’t be a big secret. Instead, divulging this info can help put you at ease.
The key is ensuring their methods and tools are using whitehat SEO. This includes reporting tools, link building tools, research tools and technical SEO tools.
Finding an SEO Sydney Agency Shouldn’t be Tough
Now that you have a list of solid questions to ask a potential SEO provider, you’re ready for your search. And many of these questions are the same ones customers ask us at Local Web.
You see, we’re a reputable SEO agency in Sydney that specializes in web marketing. This includes web design, SEO and PPC. We can perform an SEO audit for your site and offer better solutions to improve your results.
We are open to answering any and all questions you have to put your mind at ease. So contact us today to get a free quote to optimize your website.
You keep hearing about adding an SSL certificate to your website. But how do you benefit? In this post, we’re sharing how SSL works and why you need it for SEO.
Keyword(s): how SSL works
It is no secret that the Internet has become an extremely saturated marketplace regardless of your industry. How can you sort through the noise, so that Google can recognize your business as one of the best, and rank it accordingly?
One word: trust.
A healthy cycle of reliability and security is an effective way of leveraging trust to boost your SEO efforts. SSL is a huge component of trust between business, user, and Google.
Let’s talk some more about SSL and how it can benefit your SEO.
What is SSL?
First off, let’s explore the details of how SSL works and what it means. SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer” and in a nutshell, it acts as a protective shield between a web browser and a web server.
To break it down further, an SSL is the referee in a boxing ring, arms extended to the sides, keeping two competitors apart.
Need another metaphor to help you understand what SSL is? Food is always a good bridge builder. Let’s say that an SSL is the cream in an Oreo cookie. The two crunchy sides never make contact because the cream is there to separate them.
Got it? Good! Let’s move on.
How SSL works
Now, how SSL works is a little more complex to understand. But, we’ll get you there!
In order to get the added security of an SSL, a business must request an SSL certificate and then activate and install it on their website.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to how SSL works:
The healthy cycle of trust that an SSL certificate brings to your business is as follows:
User visits website > users sees the added security of an “HTTPS” address > user grows trust in using the site > Google says, “high five!” to your site
Getting an SSL Certificate
Purchasing an SSL certificate is similar to any other digital transaction. Find a brand you trust, do your research, and pick the right company to distribute your certificate. It really is that simple!
How SSL is good for SEO
When it comes to the Internet, trust is everything. That’s something that even we, as consumers, can agree on. If you visit a website, especially one where you’re making a buying decision, don’t you want to feel safe while you’re there?
An SSL adds a layer of security to your website, which leads to an element of trust from users who visit it.
Knowing how SSL works and using it is a double-win. Not only do you gain the trust of your customers, but you’ll get a nod from Google as well.
Google’s main focus is user experience, so by adding SSL to your site, you’re letting them know that you have the same values. Ultimately, that’s going to give you brownie points as far as ranking goes.
As a dedicated team of digital marketing professionals, our goal is to help you reach yours. Contact us today and let’s talk about turning those goals into a tangible reality.
Today, your target consumers use search engines to find information fast. As a business, you have to position yourself in search results so those consumers can find you. That’s why you need to hire the best SEO consultant Sydney can offer.
Companies use search engine optimisation techniques (SEO) to have a competitive advantage.
If you rank high, consumers get to use your great services.
More people will visit your website and get information.
Your business will get more opportunities to close a sale.
It is an effective marketing strategy.
SEO builds your brand.
As you can see, implementing SEO strategies will benefit your business. But how should you go about choosing the right SEO company? Read on to learn more.
Tips to Find the Right SEO Consultant in Sydney
New SEO professionals pop up every day because of the importance of ranking high in search engines. It is not enough to go online and search for “SEO consultant Sydney”. You have to look deeper than SERPS to find the best person for the job.
Here are some tips to help you:
Use Referrals
Companies use referrals to find the best employees. This method can also help you get an experienced SEO consultant.
Referred professionals have already been through the vetting process for other companies. Therefore, you only need to look at the quality of their work and their results.
Note that big and small companies require different SEO agencies. Go for consultants who work with similar-sized companies as yours.
Check their Experience in SEO
Does the consultant you are interviewing have a record of local SEO success? Local SEO involves boosting your rankings for a particular location. Your company must stand out in your area to prevent customers from going to competitors.
Qualifications aside, consultants must be willing to walk you through their process. What steps will they take to boost your rank? Will they audit your website? Which tools will they use to optimise your website?
When you listen to their explanations, you will know if you are dealing with experts.
Are they selling or offering solutions?
There is a difference between service providers you can work with and those you can’t. One offers solutions to your problems. The latter will say anything to get you to buy their products or services.
The number one lie in SEO is, “Our service will get you the number one rank in search engines.”
Ask yourself, if they get another client in your industry, will they demote one of you?
Money-hungry consultants may not follow the search engine webmaster guidelines. They might break every rule to get your website ranking higher, otherwise known as black hat techniques. Unfortunately, those results won’t last long.
Once search engine crawlers discover the crime, you will get in trouble. Penalties can include banning your website. And that’s not good for business.
Look at their Pricing and Payment Terms
We often equate high prices with quality. However, SEO is all about results. If an expensive consultant cannot deliver the results you want, they are not worth it.
In the same vein, looking for a bargain might not be the solution to your ranking problem. Find the balance between cost and value. Discuss all payment terms and extra charges.
Hire the Local SEO Experts
The tips above will help you choose the best SEO consultant Sidney can offer. It is crucial to the success of your business.
In the age of the Internet, how are local businesses really faring? Around the world, you see major local brands closing up shop because of Internet giants like Amazon taking over the scene.
But does this mean no local business can survive? Absolutely not. You just need a really good digital marketing strategy to compete.
Search engine optimisation has worked wonders for countless brands in various industries. If you can rank high on Google, you can increase your traffic substantially.
This is in part due to Google owning most of the search engine market.
The amount of people using their mobile devices to search for products and services has skyrocketed over the years. In the UK, back in 2015, 65% of searches for clothing and accessories were done on mobile devices and 57% was performed on tablets.
If you’ve ever searched for anything on a mobile device, you know the results come back local. This is why it’s so important to implement local SEO into your strategy.
If you don’t know how, you can always consult with a local SEO expert. Not sure it’s right for you? Continue reading!
What is Local SEO?
In a nutshell, local SEO consists of online searches that yield localized results. For example, if you were to type “pizza delivery” into Google on your smartphone, you’ll receive listings of pizza delivery services closest to you.
You’d even be able to click on the phone number in the SERPs to phone the company. Local searches are driving a ton of business to companies.
The same also occurs on desktops. This gives you even more of a reason to focus your efforts on local SEO.
Claim Your Business On Google Places
Since the majority of local searches take place on Google, it makes sense to claim your business pages on this search engine.
Once you do, make sure the profile is fully complete. It should contain your correct business name, phone number, address, and list of services or products. You can even include related keywords in the profile.
Link Your Google Places Page to Google+
Everything’s connected on the web. Make sure to connect your Google Places business page to Google+ Local page.
This will help generate social interactions. For instance, you can showcase customer reviews, more details about your business, images and even posts.
It will also help make your local listings on Google Maps more dominant.
Use On-Page Local SEO
Any local SEO expert will tell you it’s essential to have local pages on your website. These can help generate traffic for local keywords.
On these pages, make sure to include your business address, which should match your business pages and profiles.
Get it Right the First Time with a Local SEO Expert
There’s a lot to learn when it comes to search engine optimisation. That’s why it’s recommended you have a local SEO expert on your team.
At Local Web, we offer a variety of SEO services that can help you improve your ranking, traffic and conversion rates. For more than a decade, we have assisted businesses just like yours build an online presence.
Contact us today to receive a free quote!
Have you used the H1 tag before? If not, you’re missing out on a valuable SEO tool.
H1 tags help your SEO strategy, so it’s important to understand the basics.
If you’re not familiar with how SEO works, it’s a way to optimize your web page to get noticed by search engines. This leads to more page views on your web page and hopefully more business.
Since 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results, it’s crucial for your website to immediately pop up.
A big key to making sure that you’re successful with SEO is creating a blog that has original content on your site. Search engines need keywords to recognize and move your site to the top of their search results. Quality, original content gives them just that.
This is also where H1 tags come into play. Using H1 tags is an easy way to get Google (and new customers) to notice more of your blog content.
Read on for a deeper dive into how H1 tags can bring more traffic to your website.
How to Write H1 Tags
What exactly is an H1 Tag? The short answer is that an H1 is a basic HTML tag that indicates where a heading is within a post. If you’re looking at the HTML code on a website, it should look like this:
<h1> Content Is King</h1>
To break that down: the <h1> is the opening tag, “Content Is King” is the text of the header, and </h1> is the closing tag. All three parts are necessary for your title to appear in the blog and for search engines to recognize it properly.
There are a lot of different size headers. H1 tags are typically used for main headers, while H2 or H3 (and so on) indicates a smaller font size that’s saved for subheaders.
In terms of SEO, H1 is considered the most important type of header, all the way down to H6 which is considered the least important type.
So now that you know how to write H1 tags, what’s the point of using them anyway? Good question.
Why H1 Tags Are Key
Tags have always been an important factor in SEO. This Periodic Table of SEO Success Factors breaks down all of the factors nicely.
H1 tags help Google (or any other search engine) figure out what your post is all about. They also make your content more user-friendly by breaking up text and creating more readable posts.
You should also use H1 tags to keep up with the competition since 80% of the search results on the first page of Google are using H1 tags.
So now you know why H1 tags are beneficial, but what should the actual text of the header include? Let’s explore that a little more.
Elements of a Good H1 Tag
There are a few basic rules to go by when creating an H1 tag.
First, the tag should always include keywords that are relevant to the topic and are included in the body of the post as well.
Second, don’t stuff your headers with keywords and don’t get too wordy either. In general, the perfect length is somewhere between 20-70 characters.
Is your website using H1 tags properly? Leave a comment below with questions or check out our SEO services page for more information.
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If you own a business, you simply cannot afford to ignore the growing competition for online visibility.
Businesses are popping up at an exponential rate and this feeds the need for focused marketing tactics. Knowing how to get the best local SEO for your business is essential today.
Local SEO allows you to tailor your online visibility to a target geographic audience and specific product or service. This helps your business stand out in local SERPs.
With so many businesses marketing online, this seems like an impossible task. However, there are things you can do to improve your chances of being found locally.
Let’s look at some of the primary tactics to achieve a healthy local presence.
Local SEO for beginners can be a trek, but we’re here to help! We want you to avoid some of the most common misconceptions.
As of 2016, more than two million businesses are competing for top placement in search rankings in Australia, and beyond that, the exit rate of businesses decreased. That means there are more businesses continuing to play and less are leaving the marketplace.
So, armed with that knowledge, wouldn’t you agree that knowing how to properly execute your local SEO strategy is crucial? More than that, wouldn’t you agree that you should be aware of the mistakes to avoid?
That’s where we come in. Let’s talk about five SEO mistakes you should avoid so you can be successful.
Let’s face it. Getting high quality backlinks can be hard.
You can do on-site optimisation to improve your sites SEO relatively easily. However, convincing somebody else’s site to link to you can be a daunting task.
There are many doubts that can crop up in your mind:
