About 68% of all activity online begins with a search engine like Google. In fact, as many as 46% of all Google searches are location-specific. With a strong local search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, you can appear in front of those consumers.
You’ll need a strong strategy in place before you can improve your local search rankings, though. If you’re not on the first page of a search, people might not find your pest control business online. In fact, 75% of search engine users never look beyond the first page.
Here are 12 effective local SEO tips you can use to boost your local rankings today!
1. Update Your Google Business Listing
About 76% of people search for companies online before deciding to visit their physical location. In fact, 45% are likely to visit a location after finding a business through a local search. One of the easiest ways to appear in front of your ideal customers is to optimize your Google Business listing.
Your Google Business profile can give consumers the information they need to determine if your pest control business suits their needs. It can also give them different ways to reach your business.
Your profile will display your:
- Business name
- Location/directions
- Phone number
- Business hours
- Customer reviews
- Website
- Recent posts
Giving consumers different ways to reach your business can encourage them to engage with your brand.
Your Google Business profile can also boost your online visibility. After completing a Google search, consumers can find your profile at the top of the search page. Your profile will also take up prominent space, allowing you to generate brand awareness.
Optimizing Your Profile
Before your Google Business profile can appear on search engine result pages (SERPs), Google will need to verify your business is legitimate.
First, claim your business. You can click here to get started with your free profile.
Make sure every piece of information is accurate and up-to-date. Provide consumers with as much information as possible by filling out every field.
Add eye-catching, branded imagery, too. First, add an image of your logo. Then, add updated images of your storefront or team.
You can also add posts to your profile to give consumers updated information about business hours, events, or sales. Try to update your posts regularly to ensure the information is relevant.
Otherwise, ask consumers to post their reviews on your profile (more on this below). Comment back as well to show them you’re active and available to answer questions.
2. Fill Out Local Listings
Optimizing your business listing on other platforms can help you boost your online visibility. It can also benefit your local search rankings. If your pest control business doesn’t appear on these platforms, however, consumers might not realize your brand exists.
In fact, it can take as many as seven impressions before consumers become aware of your brand.
Fill out your company profile on online directories like:
- FourSquare
- Yelp
- Angie’s List
- HotFrog
- About Us
- Best of the Web
- Bing Places
As you begin claiming your online listings, make sure your information is accurate and identical across all platforms. Make sure the information matches what appears on your website, too.
Otherwise, any inaccuracies in your NAP (name and place) can frustrate customers and impact your local rankings. Google might consider the discrepancies as a red flag, too.
3. Research Your Audience
As you work to improve your local SEO rankings, take the time to gather audience research. Understanding your customers can help you better appeal to their needs. Then, you can start generating more website or foot traffic.
Generating more website traffic can benefit your search engine rankings.
Learn as much as you can about your customers, such as their:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Salary
- Education
- Career
- Hobbies
- Pain points
- Interests
- Buying behaviors
- Online behaviors
Create smaller buyer personas if your customers fall into multiple demographic or psychographic groups. Then, gather keyword research for each group.
4. Gather Keyword Research
Keyword research can help you determine what your customers search before finding your pest control brand and services online. You can use keyword research to create personalized content for your target audience. Personalization can show consumers you care about their needs and interests.
It can also boost your local SEO rankings.
When gathering keyword research, look for any location-specific keywords.
For example, these keywords might include your service, plus your region, city, or state.
Once you gather keyword research based on your target audience, you can start creating personalized blog content. Keep gathering keyword research throughout the year. Then, you can create content that’s relevant to your audience’s current needs and interests.
5. Generate Reviews
Remember, you can ask consumers to post their reviews on your Google Business profile.
Positive reviews can boost your brand’s reputation. They can also help improve your local rankings.
It’s not enough to gather a few reviews once, though. Google will review your profile to make sure your reviews are local, recent, and relevant.
Generating positive reviews can help future customers trust your brand. In fact, 93% of people look for reviews of local businesses to determine their quality. Over 70% won’t take buying actions until they’ve read online reviews.
Generating more reviews could help you generate more sales. In fact, customers spend 31% more when a business has positive reviews.
Once you begin generating reviews, take the time to respond. Let consumers know you care about their needs. Don’t delete any negative reviews you generate, though.
Instead, make an effort to fix the problem your customers are experiencing. Make sure you’re managing your reputation online, too.
6. Blog About Your Business
Once you’ve gathered keyword research, you can start blogging about your pest control business to target those keywords.
Blogging can help you build a buzz about your business. You can use your blog as a platform to communicate with your local community. In time, you could even become a thought leader in your industry or an authoritative voice.
Create a content calendar to make sure you’re creating content throughout the year. Google prioritizes content that’s fresh and unique.
Make sure you’re providing readers with detailed information they can’t find anywhere else, too.
Once people respond to your blog posts, make sure to comment back!
7. Update Your Website
Your website can have a major impact on your search engine rankings as well. As part of your local SEO strategy, consider investing in your website this year.
You can run your website through Google’s PageSpeed Insights and Mobile-Friendly Test to determine if it’s fallen behind. If your site is slow, people might leave without exploring your content. As people leave, your bounce rate can increase, hurting your organic rankings.
If your website isn’t mobile-optimized, you could struggle to appeal to on-the-go consumers who are searching for pest control businesses.
Prioritize offering a positive user experience on your website, too. A positive user experience ensures your site is easy to use and explore.
8. Generate Links
Creating high-quality blog content can help you generate natural backlinks. Natural backlinks appear on other websites before directing readers to your content. Each backlink is a “vote” of confidence in your site, which could boost your rankings.
As part of your local search engine optimization plan, try to generate local links this year.
Generating local links can help you gain referral traffic from consumers within your geographic area. As you gain more traffic, your rankings could rise. At the same time, more local consumers will become aware of your pest control business.
9. Stay Social
As you begin creating blog content to target local keywords, consider sharing it on social media. Add a link to the post on your blog. Social media marketing can help you generate more organic traffic, improving your rankings.
It can also help you engage your local audience, giving you new opportunities to appeal to local customers.
Use your overall digital marketing strategy to increase your online presence, too.
10. Create Location Pages
Maximize your ability to rank for local searches by creating location pages for your website.
Create a dedicated page for each business location. Then, embed a Google Map onto the page.
Consider featuring your customer reviews on the page, too.
Creating location pages can help you appear for relevant searches. Make sure to optimize the page’s SEO title and meta description with your location-based keyword.
11. Use Structured Data
Google’s bots will crawl and index your website to gather information about your business. You can optimize your site using structured data markup to appear for relevant searches.
Use the Local Business structured data markup to get started. This markup can tell Google your business hours, location, and other information.
You can also use the Google Maps Booking API if you accept reservations.
12. Hire an Agency
If you’re still struggling to improve your local ranking on SERPs, hire an experienced digital marketing agency this year. Look for a team that understands local ranking factors and the latest SEO trends.
With their help, you can keep improving your local rankings to reach a broader audience of local, ideal customers.
Improve Your Pest Control Company’s Local Search Rankings Today
Learning how to boost your local search rankings can help you reach more customers online. Then, you can generate more website traffic to generate leads and sales. Start improving your rankings using these 12 effective strategies.
Otherwise, consider partnering with an agency this year.
Eager to take your pest control business to the next level? We can help.
Request a free acceleration session today to get started.
