How to Increase Your Rankings on Google for Local Searches?

Are you a lawyer or doctor looking to boost your practice by using the internet to your advantage?

Then it is high time you started prioritizing local SEO when formulating your marketing strategy. If you are wondering how this will boost the state of your Google results, then this article is for you.

Why local SEO?

Anyone looking for professional services today has a unique way of phrasing their Google searches. Long gone are the days when a general search query was enough to provide internet users with the solutions they deserve. Today, Google search queries from potential customers are influenced by location.

After all, no one in Irvine, California, will look for a lawyer or doctor in Brooklyn, New York. Instead, they are going to search for professionals with practices near them.

Local SEO offers you a raised platform for ensuring that your practice ranks highly for all Google searches within your locality. This will then help you generate new clients and grow your practice as the focus is on the thousands of people within your city or town.

How to rank higher on Google for local searches

Great effort is required to boost your local SEO rankings and attract geographically-relevant traffic. As a lawyer or doctor, you have a busy schedule, and these services are best outsourced to seasoned specialists. Still, you require knowledge of what this process entails, and these are:

·         Mobile-first indexing

Google has changed how it indexes web pages with priority being given to mobile-friendly pages. The first step to boosting your rankings for local searches is ensuring your website is optimized for mobile use. According to internet statistics, more than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices.

·         Build a presence on Google Maps

You can never attract local traffic in any geographical area before adding your business to Google Maps. It is crucial to build and maintain niche citations as this is the secret to making it to the top results for Google Maps/Local SEO results.

·         Have dedicated city pages

Ranking highly on Google Maps is a major step to outshining competitors in your locality, but is not the end when it comes to local SEO. This is to be complemented by optimizing your website for niche searches. The best way to achieve this is by having dedicated city pages that target traffic from a specific geographical region.

·         Encourage customers to leave behind online reviews and testimonials

It is never enough for a potential customer to land on your city pages. Instead, this is a step that they take before contacting you for the services offered. Since you need to ensure greater conversions rates from traffic received, it is vital to captivate anyone who visits these pages with reviews and testimonials.

Online reviews and testimonials go a long way in boosting your credibility and must never be undermined. As a rule, opt for authentic reviews from past clients who appreciated the services you provided.

Final take

If you want to stay ahead of your competitors, then you have to go that extra mile – Working on your local SEO. The tips provided herein will catapult your efforts to increase your rankings on Google for Local searches. All the best.