Local SEO

How A Google Business Profile Helps Local SEO

Google Business Profile (GBP) — previously known as Google My Business (GMB) — is becoming more and more essential for small businesses hoping to thrive locally. Are you a local business keen to get more website visits from customers in your area? Then claiming and optimising your Google Business Profile (GBP) will let you:

  • List your business location or service area on Google Maps and local search results
  • Display key information in local searches like opening/closing times and contact details
  • Boost your local search rankings to reach potential customers searching for related services or products in your area

Getting Started With Google Business Profiles

Even if you’ve never set up your own GBP listing before, Google may have already created one for you to claim.… Read the rest “How A Google Business Profile Helps Local SEO”

Small Business SEO 101: What You Need To Know

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is vital for small businesses. Yet many don’t know where to start. So here are a few things you need to know about small business SEO.

Why Small Business SEO Matters

All websites need visitors, but visitors who are searching for your services are among the most likely to convert into customers. Unfortunately, most are too busy to read past the first Search Engine Results Page (or “SERP”). So for any given search phrase, sites on the first page tend to get 75% of the traffic available for that phrase, with almost 20% going to the first result.

We all do that from time to time. As site owners, though, we need to focus on the next step in most searches.… Read the rest “Small Business SEO 101: What You Need To Know”

Google Web Vitals – What’s The Fuss?

In case you haven’t heard, Google’s latest search algorithm update focuses on your website’s technical performance. Specifically, on a group of metrics that Google calls “Core Web Vitals”. So what are these Google Web Vitals, and what’s all the fuss about them for?

What Are Google Web Vitals?

Google’s Core Web Vitals are a small set of key metrics focused on page speed and user experience. Check these three impactful metrics first before undertaking deeper optimisations.

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures how long it takes for the largest content element (e.g. a hero image or heading text) on your page to become visible. Aim for an LCP of 1.2 seconds or less.
Read the rest “Google Web Vitals – What’s The Fuss?”

How To Master Local SEO

Local SEO Review ManagementLocal SEO helps your site to rank for local keywords, like “dentist Cardiff” or “vet Bristol”. Good local SEO can get you featured in both the organic (unpaid) search results and the “map pack” that appears above them. That’s obviously good for sales. So how can you master local SEO?

Well, it differs from non-local (aka “national”) SEO, because for local searches, search engines need to be confident of your firm’s location. Your online reputation matters a lot more, too. So whilst good on-site SEO and backlinks are still as vital as for normal SEO, citations and reviews are the keys to good local search positioning.

Unfortunately, both citations and reviews have common pitfalls that can easily undermine your rankings.

Citation Consistency for Local SEO

Citations are places that mention your company, even if they don’t provide a link.… Read the rest “How To Master Local SEO”

5 Signs You Need A Local SEO Expert

Most business owners know that SEO is important. An estimated 80-90% of consumers check online before buying a product. So if you aren’t doing SEO right, you’re leaving money on the table and it would pay to get some reliable, expert advice. If you have local customers though, what you really need is a local SEO expert.

That doesn’t just mean an SEO expert in your area. It means someone who knows how to optimise a site for search terms that include location information. Like “yoga Newport” for instance, or the even more competitive, “web design Newport“.

Why Local SEO?

For many businesses, local SEO can be more effective than general, or “national” SEO.… Read the rest “5 Signs You Need A Local SEO Expert”

SEO – Details Matter

SEO Details MatterIn SEO, details matter. In fact, success with Search Engine Optimisation is largely built on two simple things — perseverance and attention to detail. The trick, of course, is to know which SEO details to pay attention to. A recent event reminded me of this, and happens to illustrate a couple of basic principles of SEO, so I thought I’d pass it on.

An Unavoidable Upset

First, a bit of background. As I’m a web designer based in Newport, Wales, you might expect me to get traffic from searches for “web design Newport” — and you’d be right. I like to be on Google’s front page for that search, and often am.

Still, you may also imagine that I’d be competing with web designers from every “Newport” in the world for that phrase, many of whom know a bit about SEO, too.… Read the rest “SEO – Details Matter”