Local SEO Content Strategy: Content Planning for Local Business

Updated by Chima Mmeje — December 9, 2024

Content is the foundation of digital marketing success, no matter the channel on which that content appears. Content determines the businesses social media fans and followers choose to associate with, how visitors choose to engage with your website, and for which keywords search engines find your site relevant. Utilizing local business directories can significantly boost visibility in local search results and enhance the credibility of your business.

If you’re like most small business owners, you probably have no trouble talking to friends, relatives, business partners, and prospective customers about your business: the kinds of people you help, the pride you take in your work, what customers value about your business, and so on.

But it’s tough to find time to write about your business. It can be a struggle to find the exact right words to describe your business to the World Wide Web.

Fear not! Your website content doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, it will appear more authentic to your customers—and probably be more useful to them—if it isn’t filled with refined marketing language, and actually answers their questions about your company’s products or services.

With that in mind, here are some ideas to get you started with creating content:

7 best practices for creating a local SEO content strategy?

Google and Bing both provide a very simple method for researching the key phrases that your prospective customers are interested in: Simply visit either search engine’s homepage and perform a search. Prior to hitting “return” on your keyboard, take a look at the list of terms related to the one you typed in. These are generally the most popular words or phrases related to what you typed. Make a list of these terms and be sure to target a page on your website about each one. Repeat this process several times to develop a comprehensive list of subjects to start your content process.

Additionally, implementing local SEO tips is crucial to enhance visibility and attract customers with local intent.

1. Research local SEO keywords using Google Trends

Google Trends can provide you with a few more specifics around the relative search volume of each keyphrase that Google or Bing suggests. You can even zoom in to your specific geographic area to see just how popular certain phrases are in your state, metro area, or in some cases even your city. Google will also suggest even more key phrases related to these phrases next to the geographic overlay, so don’t ignore these. Engaging with your local community through events, partnerships, and sponsorships can further enhance your local link building and overall SEO performance.

2. Review the top questions your local customers are asking?

This is a great tip from Aaron Weiche of GatherUp. If customers are asking you the same questions over and over again offline, they probably have the same questions online as well—and may even type these questions directly into a search engine. Each of your top questions should have a full page devoted to it to maximize your ranking potential for each question.

Additionally, identifying and connecting with local influencers can enhance your outreach campaigns and improve local SEO performance.

3. Understand what's unique about the areas you serve?

From an SEO standpoint, it’s a best practice to create a page for each town, county, or region that you serve. For example, if you’re a suburban plumber looking for business in the major city in your metro area, you could talk about the history of the sewage and water system of that market on its own page, highlight subdivisions or condo buildings that have a higher incidence of plumbing issues, or list lawsuits that have occurred over faulty pipes in that market. The more local the “scent” of a given page, the more likely Google and Bing are to rank that page. Additionally, listing your business on local business directories can build high-quality local citations and improve local search rankings.

4. Optimize your Google Business Profile

Optimizing your Google Business Profile is a critical component of local SEO. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your listing:

  • Claim and verify your listing: The first step is to claim and verify your Google Business listing. This increases your online visibility and ensures that your business appears in local search results.
  • Complete and accurate information: Make sure all your business information, including your name, address, and phone number, is complete and accurate. Consistency is key, so ensure this information matches what is on your website and other online directories.
  • High-quality photos: Upload high-quality photos of your business, products, and services. Visual content can attract potential customers and give them a better sense of what to expect when they visit your location.
  • Respond to reviews: Engage with your customers by responding to their reviews. Thank them for positive feedback and address any concerns raised in negative reviews. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also boosts your local search rankings.
  • Use Google Posts: Take advantage of Google Posts to share news, updates, and promotions. This feature allows you to communicate directly with your audience and keep them informed about what’s happening at your business.
  • Monitor and analyze performance: Use Google My Business Insights to monitor your listing’s performance. Analyze metrics such as search views, customer actions, and photo views to identify areas for improvement and refine your local SEO strategy.

By following these tips, you can optimize your Google Business Profile to enhance your local SEO efforts, attract more potential customers, and improve your local search rankings.

5. Include case studies of previous projects

You can also start a little bit closer to home, so to speak, and feature projects you’ve worked on in a particular market. Be as explicit as you can about the services you performed, or how your products helped the customers achieve their goals. Case studies are one of the things that make your business unique, so stay away from using canned marketing-speak, and focus on telling stories that will help future customers relate to previous ones. Engaging with the local community through events, partnerships, and sponsorships can enhance your digital presence and gain valuable backlinks from local sources, improving your credibility and visibility in local search results.

6. Build trust with video interviews and testimonials

The best way to help future customers relate to previous customers is through video interviews and testimonials. In the era of smartphones, it’s super-simple to film and upload video interviews to YouTube and embed them on your website. The personality of your clients and customers will really shine through the video. Make sure you include a text transcript of your conversation below the video so that you get keyword “credit” from the search engines also. Additionally, building relationships with local influencers can significantly enhance your outreach campaigns and improve local SEO performance by gaining traction within specific communities.

For more information on writing great content that is compelling to both humans and search engines, see Moz’s complete Beginner’s Guide to SEO

7. Attend and recap local events

Engaging with your local community by attending industry-related events can be a powerful way to boost your local SEO strategy. For example, if your business is based in London, you could attend events like Search London, and if you're based in Califonia, Southern California SEO Meetup is a good option. Local events help you build relationships with other local businesses and influencers but also provides you with fresh content ideas.

After attending an event, create a recap-style blog post that highlights key takeaways, interesting discussions, and personal insights. This type of content not only positions you as an active participant in your industry but also attracts local searchers interested in the event or topic. Including relevant local keywords and linking to other local businesses mentioned during the event can enhance your local SEO efforts and improve search engine visibility. By consistently engaging in and writing about local events, you can establish your business as a thought leader in your local market.

Keep learning

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