One Third of Businesses Are Forgetting the SEO Fundamentals
Link building remains a vital part of SEO, yet is something many businesses are simply not doing. Content development is core to a successful strategy.
Ask 1,000 or more SEO specialists what components are most important to local ranking and what do you suppose they would say? A recent survey undertaken by Moz, provides an answer to this question. The fact that Google My Business came top of the list will come as no surprise, but link building being ranked the second most influential will undoubtedly raise some eyebrows.
When you combine this with the fact that more than a third or respondents admitted they have no local link building strategy in place whatsoever, it becomes clear that there is enormous opportunity here to boost your local SEO and steal a march on the competition.
Developing Great Content is the Best Strategy
In this age of voice search, social media outreach and augmented reality, it is easy to take your eye off the ball when it comes to the SEO basics. Of the two thirds of respondents that do have a local link building strategy in place, around half said content development is the strategy that provides the best return of investment.
Clearly, then, high quality web copywriting needs to be at the top of your list. But there is no Field of Dreams magic here, just creating good quality content will not by itself be enough to get local businesses linking to it. Here are a few angles to consider taking with your content to attract local links.
Massage Egos
Consider putting together a “best ofs” type article about a related, but non-competing sector. For example, a used car dealership might write an article on the best local tyre companies or MOT centres. Link out to the companies you mention, and then get in touch with them to let them know about your piece. Nine times out of ten, if you’ve said something nice about them, they will be only too willing to link back to the piece or share it on their social media platforms.
Be Concise and Information-Rich
Sites are more likely to link to your content if it is informative. That sounds obvious, but it goes beyond what the content says and into the realms of how it says it. Think about the sort of content you link to and why. Infographics that are information-rich will attract more links than a page of conventional text that conveys exactly the same information.
Become a Local News Hub
Perhaps the most important thing of all is to ensure that your local content is delivered consistently in terms of quantity as well as quality. People are creatures of habit, and whether you add new content every day or twice a month, be consistent. If the quality and the local interest are high and you market the content effectively, people will start linking to it. Once that wheel is in motion, it is relatively easy to keep it moving, as long as you keep adding more new content and it appears when people expect it to.