Category: Local SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is what your San Diego business can use to get higher rankings in search engines. Local SEO is particularly useful for businesses that are small or medium in size, but it can also help local branches of regional and national businesses. The SEO experts at Saba SEO, a premier SEO company San Diego businesses rely on for unparalleled digital marketing expertise, explain why using local SEO is pretty much a necessity in today’s online-centered marketplace.

Don’t Fight a Losing Battle

For illustrative purposes, imagine your business is called Tim’s Teddy Bears. If people type “teddy bears” into Google, they’re going to get national-level results. If they type in “teddy bears San Diego” or “teddy bears near me,” they’re far more likely to see your business’s name in the search results. Local SEO helps you generate traffic that’s close to you so you’re not fighting national advertising campaigns with huge budgets.

Improve Your Conversion Rates

Getting more traffic is great, but you also need to convert it. Consider these three statistics:

• More than 86 percent of online users rely on reviews before buying locally
• Local information is the emphasis of 46 percent of all searches on Google
• More than 80 percent of smartphone owners choose “near me” options

Reduce Advertising Expenses

Digital marketing doesn’t involve banners, newspapers, or physical mail. Dollar for dollar, SEO is one of the most cost-efficient marketing methods available. That’s especially true thanks to more than a quarter of all local SEO searches resulting in actual sales transactions.

Maintain Enduring Rankings

Commercials are only heard or seen once, and mailbox ads might be thrown away before they’re even opened. SEO efforts stay in place, and they even build over time. You’ll notice increases in traffic growing into the future.

When handling local SEO, always keep mobile technology in mind. It accounts for over half of all online use and the majority of new online users. It’s also the predominant form of technology for local searches, since people tend to be out and about when they’re doing online searches.

Local SEO is important because it’s how most consumers search for businesses on their mobile devices. If you want to benefit from local search engine optimization, turn to Saba SEO, the leading experts on SEO in San Diego. Our specialists can assess your SEO needs and create customized, effective, and result-oriented strategies to boost your local rankings. We have a proven track record of delivering high-quality search engine optimization services and yielding exceedingly positive results. To learn more about how we can help you enhance your local SEO strategy, call us today for an appointment.

One of the best SEO tips for small businesses is to improve their local SEO. Did you know that more than half of the searches conducted with mobile devices are local searches? Adapting your SEO to take advantage of these local searches can help your SEO. Because you know your local customers, the SEO experts at Saba SEO, a premier SEO company San Diego businesses rely on for unparalleled digital marketing expertise, offer a few ways to improve your Google ranking, no matter who your competition is.

Google My Business

In the past few years, Google has focused on becoming a knowledge base. SEO ranking is based on information that makes your business or product knowledge that much better than your competitors’. No matter how large your competition is, local SEO can be where you can beat out your biggest competitor.

Google My Business, a free online directory, is one of the most effective local SEO tools you can use. Make sure to fill out all of your information, including your business’s address as well as social media and website information. The Google My Business form also allows you to post photos, business hours, and a brief description of what your business offers.

Create a separate Google My Business listing for each of your locations if you have more than one. Also make sure to include adjacent areas your local business serves. This is something your out-of-state competitors will likely not do, and this is how you can beat them in the local SEO game.

Voice Search

We’ve already established that more than half of mobile searches are local searches. Voice search is increasing, and voice keywords are different. Make sure you optimize for voice search

Reviews

One of the top reasons Google ranks sites higher is because of positive reviews. Encourage your customers to leave reviews on Google, as this will help you increase your ranking.

Mobile

Make sure your site is easy to use on a mobile device and that your fonts are easy to read. Check the UX. You don’t want to make it difficult for customers to find the buy button or figure out your business hours.

When you’re looking for ways to boost your Google rank, don’t overlook local SEO. In San Diego, businesses know they can rely on the experience and know-how of the SEO pros at Saba SEO to help them increase rank, build their customer base, and grow revenue. For help with your SEO strategy, call one of our knowledgeable SEO specialists today.

Most searches are performed with local intent in mind, and most local searches come from mobile devices. Furthermore, nearly 90 percent of online searchers use Google Maps to find business basics like address, phone number, and directions. If you have multiple physical locations, you’ll want to do everything possible to make it easy for local searchers to find the one closest to them, which can be made easier by hiring a trusted SEO company. San Diego business owners should consider the following tips on optimizing their local SEO for multiple locations.

Make Multiple Location Pages

It may seem easier to simply list all of your locations on a single page, but this isn’t such a good thing when it comes to local SEO. Instead, create individual, optimized location pages for each of your locations with:

• NAP (business name, address, phone number) info for the location being referenced 
• Location-specific details (e.g., reviews, testimonials, special features, or services unique to the referenced location) 
• An embedded Google Map 
• Directions on how to get to the referenced location—include local landmark references (e.g., “across the street from Abe Lincoln Park on Main Street”) 
• Location-specific meta descriptions and title tags 
• Images unique to the referenced location (e.g., staff photos, interior/exterior shots)

Submit a Sitemap to Google

If you’ve added unique location pages, the next thing to do is submit an updated sitemap to Google. Doing so makes it easier for search engine crawlers to properly index these pages so local searchers can find the right location.

Optimize Your Google My Business (GMB) Listings

Google My Business can be a big asset for local SEO purposes. If you haven’t done so already, claim your business. Create new listings for each of your locations, and make sure to: 

• Verify each of your locations 
• List accurate hours for each location 
• Actively respond to reviews and comments for each location (searchers often make decisions based on listed feedback) 
• Keep your business name consistent with each location (e.g., not “ABC Company” for some locations and “The ABC Company” for others) 
• Make sure the business category accurately reflects what each location offers 
• Use GMB Insights to view key data about how customers are interacting with your location listings

Manage Your Citations

Any inaccurate information specific to how your locations are listed on relevant directories or review sites can hurt your local online visibility for your featured locations. SEMrush’s Listing Management Tool is an example of a resource you can use to quickly find citation issues.

Build Links Back to Your Location Pages

One of the challenges of having multiple business listings is to generate enough backlinks to each location page to boost PageRank for each one. Consider the following local SEO link-building tactics for your location pages: 

• Sponsoring local/neighborhood events or participating in local charity efforts—there’s also plenty of free PR potential for the participating location here 
• Distributing location-specific content via social media, your blog, personalized email campaigns, or paid ads 
• Hosting events at specific locations.

It’s just as important to be diligent about making adjustments to your location pages and other local SEO efforts if your business changes. If you have one location that closes, mark it permanently closed on your GMB account so you don’t unintentionally frustrate customers. Also, update your NAP info if you either open a new location or move one or more of them to a different physical address. 

If you need help boosting your local SEO, reach out to SABA SEO, a trusted, search engine marketing, social media management, and web design company in San Diego. To speak to one of our knowledgeable representatives, please call 858-277-1717 today.

Local SEO is becoming more and more important each year. Many Google search results involve local businesses, so optimizing for these searches is essential for increasing your online visibility. Before drafting a search optimization strategy with one of the best SEO companies San Diego has to offer, consider the following three aspects of local SEO.

1. Voice Search

In the past few years, voice search has become massively popular. Voice recognition is improving on smartphones, and voice-activated home devices like Google Home and Alexa are now commonplace. By 2020, it’s likely that half of all searches will be done by voice.

Voice search allows people to ask more detailed questions, so you should emphasize long-tail keywords in your SEO strategy. Hyperlocal searches for services in specific neighborhoods may become more common as well. In addition to your city name, you should also include your neighborhood as a keyword.

2. Customer Sentiment

By keeping an eye on online conversations about your local keywords, you can learn more about how potential customers interact with your brand and tailor your content to appeal to as many searchers as possible.

One option is to use Synup, which allows you to manage your online reputation and location data. The tool keeps track of interactions around your keywords on social media and review platforms, and it gives you an analysis of your online reviews.

3. Reviews

Customer reviews are essential for your local SEO strategy. Google’s algorithm considers local reviews when ranking a website, and most people read online reviews before making a purchase. Encourage your satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google or on other platforms, and regularly interact with your reviewers to show you’re listening to your customers’ feedback.

SEO can be a fairly complicated task. At Saba SEO, we can make search engine optimization easy for your business. As a leading San Diego SEO service provider, we have helped businesses all over the world benefit from a range of winning online marketing strategies. Whether you want to boost your online ranking or establish a strong presence on social media, we are here to help. Call us at 858-951-1717 to learn about our services.

Google processes more than 40,000 search requests per second, which amounts to nearly 4 billion searches a day. Nearly half of all search activity has local intent. When people search for a business on Google, they see the top three choices on Google’s Local 3-Pack that include reviews and cumulative quality ratings. Experts at Saba SEO, a leading San Diego SEO agency, share a few reasons reviews are important for local search engine optimization.

Social Proof Is a Major Influencer

There’s something to be said for the power of the crowd mentality. In other words, if someone looking for a restaurant sees mostly positive reviews, they’re more likely to feel confident about their decision to stop in or place an order for delivery. In fact, online searchers trust reviews as much as advice from friends.

Reviews Define a Business’s Image

Unless your business is very well known, searchers may need to get a better feel for who you are, what you offer, and what their experience will be if they choose you over one of your competitors. Online reviews tend to be descriptive, and they can illustrate what makes your business better than your competitors in a way that’s more compelling than what you can convey with your website content. Lengthy, well-written reviews can help customers learn about:

• How friendly and helpful your staff is
• Little details you may not have pointed out on your website (e.g. décor, ambiance, speed of service)
• How well you handle unexpected problems
• Overall quality of your products or services
• Whether or not it’s easy to reach an actual person when calling

Reviews Are the Most Prominent Local Ranking Factor

According to a study by Local SEO Guide, reviews are among the top local ranking factors. The comprehensive study, which looked at more than 200 factors for over a thousand businesses, found that businesses that perform well in organic search results are likely to do well in Google’s Local 3-Pack. However, the study also found that it’s possible to rank well in local packs without typical search engine optimization ranking factors. The quality of local reviews is equally important, and reviews rank better with:

• Some relevant keywords included (usually in the description of your business you can include on review sites)
• An optimized Google My Business (GMB) profile (which includes a Google Maps listing to help customers find your business)
• Accurate NAP info (business name, address, phone number)

On a related note, it’s important to keep tabs on your online reputation. While Google does pull local reviews from reputable sources, there are times when false or inaccurate reviews may show on trusted review sites, which could impact your local ranking. Even if some not-so-stellar reviews are justified, actively responding to posted feedback can convince potential customers that you care. Consistently posting fresh, engaging content can also counter negative reviews.

If you’re looking for high-quality local search engine optimization services, trust Saba SEO. Our internet marketing service plans include SEO, paid marketing, content development, web design, and social media management. We rely on a variety of white hat tactics to help businesses boost their online ranking, reach out to more customers, and increase their online revenue. For over ten years, our team has created comprehensive digital marketing strategies for businesses all over the globe. Call us at 858-951-1717 to schedule an appointment with one of our SEO experts.

If you have a brick-and-mortar store, a good local search strategy is essential. Ranking highly on local searches will drive more traffic to your business from people who are specifically looking for your product or service. Luckily, the most effective local search strategies are fairly easy. Here are three ways to improve your local search rankings, brought to you by experts at Saba SEO, a leading San Diego web development company.

1. Claim Your Google My Business Profile

Verifying your Google My Business (GMB) profile increases your chances of appearing in the local pack, which is one of the best ways to attract more customers. To become verified, Google will mail you a postcard with a PIN. After entering the PIN, you can fill out all the GMB elements, including your logo, business description, hours, and phone number. Try to include local keywords like your city or neighborhood name, and fill out as much information as possible to help your potential customers.

2. Manage Your Online Reviews

The vast majority of consumers read online reviews before deciding to visit a local business. Many happy customers are also willing to leave reviews online. Positive Google reviews can boost your local search ranking, so it’s important to collect them and manage them. You should also respond to each of your reviews, which helps your customers see you care about their experience.

3. Optimize Your Titles and Meta Descriptions

Titles and meta descriptions are just as important for local SEO as they are for organic SEO. Include local keywords near the beginning of the tag, but avoid keyword stuffing. You should also keep your titles unique to each page and avoid using duplicates.

Even though keyword placement is important for SEO, you should still write your titles and meta descriptions for your customers. Your meta details should catch your users’ attention and encourage them to visit your website. Meaningful and engaging titles and meta descriptions will draw more traffic to your site and to your business.

Local search engine optimization may seem tricky, but the team at Saba SEO can simplify the task for you. We are one of the best SEO companies San Diego has to offer. For over ten years, we have designed customized, quality-assured, and cost-effective digital marketing campaigns for businesses all around the globe. Our services include local and organic SEO, PPC marketing, content writing, web design & development, and social media management. If you need a comprehensive internet marketing plan for your business, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.

 

More than 63,000 Google searches are performed every second, and the majority of these have local intent. In addition, more than 90 percent of Google’s local results include 3-pack listings (top three searches for any given local business). Tracking the right keywords based on how people search locally can boost your chances of showing up in the listings that help local searchers make decisions. San Diego SEO experts share a few tips on how to track the right keywords and locations for your business.

Understand How People Search Locally

Local searches involve geomodified and geolocated keywords. Geomodified keywords reflect a searcher’s area of interest, but not necessarily his or her physical location. This is the kind of searching someone might do if he or she were planning a vacation. Geolocated keywords are specific to where a searcher is physically located at the moment.

Track National and Local Results

Tap into the searcher’s geomodified and geolocated search habits by looking at trends both locally and nationally for your preferred keywords. National search trends may lead you to keywords that are too competitive for your budget. However, you can still enjoy a good ROI with less competitive geomodified and geolocated choices.

Be Specific with Your Keywords

The more specific you get with your keywords, the better. While the keyword phrase “Italian pizza” may be far more popular than “Italian pizza Brooklyn,” you won’t necessarily attract the desired attention with the broader term. Using negative keywords (keywords you want excluded from search results) can also help you get more specific with the local keywords you want to track.

Maintain NAP Consistency

Geomodified and geolocated keyword results are both affected by the consistency of your business info. Make your keyword tracking more accurate by ensuring your NAP (name, address, phone number) details are correct and consistent wherever they appear online. Also, pay attention to your directory listings and the info you have for your My Business account.

Ideally, you want a balanced mix of geomodified and geolocated keywords so any searcher looking for your business can find you online. There is no magic formula to create the ideal keyword mix, but you can do testing to see which keywords are performing best for your business both nationally and locally. Simply trim your list based on your results to streamline your budget and boost your visibility.

At Saba SEO, we understand the importance of keywords and how they impact online ranking. As one of the leading San Diego marketing companies, we offer customized SEO plans to help our clients boost their visibility and connect better with their customers. Whether you need a simple keyword search or a comprehensive search engine optimization strategy, our experts can help. To schedule an appointment with one of our SEO professionals, call us at 858-951-1717 today.

Local search ranking factors are sometimes a little different from organic SEO factors, but both are important for brick and mortar businesses. Both local and organic SEO ranking factors change over time, but in 2017 the most important factor for local SEO seems to be reviews. To back this claim, experts at a leading San Diego search engine optimization agency share a few insights.

One study looked at 200 ranking factors across 100,000 local organizations to find patterns in the businesses that rank highly in the local pack. Companies that rank well in organic searches usually also rank well in the local pack. However, many businesses also ranked in local packs if they had a substantial number of reviews, even if they don’t have traditional ranking factors like links. Even businesses without a website can rank in local pack if they have a lot of reviews.

The content of the reviews is even more important than the number of reviews, though. Businesses with reviews that mention a city name or keyword tend to rank better in the local pack than those that don’t. Responding to your reviews can also improve your local search rankings, and it can help you build a trusting relationship with your customers.

However, this doesn’t mean other ranking factors don’t matter. Even though it’s possible to rank well without links, having high-quality links can still be helpful for your rankings. Having a website is also very important. Although some businesses without websites rank, having a site is essential for ranking in organic searches. Typically, the better you rank in an organic search, the better you’ll rank in a local pack. A website is also important for providing your customers with more information about your business. Most people look at a company’s website before deciding to become patrons.

Whether you need a responsive website or high-quality online content for your business, Saba SEO is here to help. As a leading internet marketing service provider in San Diego, we offer comprehensive SEO plans to help businesses boost their ranking across local and organic search results. We understand the dynamics of search engine optimization, and we’re committed to offering high-quality digital marketing services businesses can always rely on. To schedule an appointment with one of our SEO consultants, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.

Content creation is an important aspect of local SEO, but too much content can be detrimental to your site’s search rankings. Some business owners or SEO agencies produce content in bulk in an attempt to boost local SEO rankings, but there are much more effective ways to increase your rankings.

The biggest mistake content creators make is including doorway pages in their sites. Some local businesses believe these pages will attract customers from more locations. In reality, Google has been penalizing sites that use doorway pages since 2015. Doorway pages are location-targeted pages that don’t offer any real information. The entire reason doorway pages exist is to restate the same weak content over and over again, using different city names with each page. Experienced and professional internet marketing service providers do not use or recommend using doorway pages.

Google considers pages to be in the doorway category if their entire purpose is search engine optimization and if they duplicate content that can be found elsewhere on the site. Doorway pages can’t be found in any menu on the site and can’t be navigated to from other pages on the site. They can only be found in a location-based Google search, and their goal is to funnel traffic into the “real” website pages.

If you have several pages of content about the same product or service that target different cities, Google can penalize you. Instead of using doorway pages, focus on creating content that actually provides value for your visitors. Write blog posts that answer your customers’ questions or cover trending topics. Adding two or three high-quality, informative pages each month will be much more successful for SEO and for converting customers than adding 20 pages of repetitive, location-based content.

To optimize your site for multiple cities in your area, you can create blog content for each location. However, your blog posts should be completely unique for each city. Generating links from other local businesses is another great way to boost local SEO.

When choosing a search engine optimization company, San Diego businesses and other companies around the world rely on Saba SEO. For over a decade, we have relied on innovative SEO processes and strategies to help our clients boost their online ranking, website traffic, and conversion rates. From creating high-quality blogs to designing responsive websites, our comprehensive and customized SEO services are designed to help our clients stay ahead of their competitors. Call us at 858-951-1717 to speak with one of our SEO specialists.