One of the most important factors of running a successful small business is to create returning customers among your local buyers. If we look at the situation from the perspective of your company website, local search is crucial for small businesses. In over 46% of all searches on Google, people are looking for information about local products and services. If your website is not optimized for local search, you lose a huge piece of the business cake. There is a vast number of potential customers shopping in your area. All you need to do is reach out to them, and that's why improving your local SEO is so important.
The best way to explain how to do this is through a guide that should lead you from start to finish. We will cover all the most important topics. You will know how to approach local SEO optimization by the end of the read.
Google My Business
​A no-brainer strategy to improve your local SEO is using Google My Business. It is probably one of the most critical platforms for local optimization today. You need to create a company profile, verify your business, and provide the latest business information:

• company address;
• contact phone and email;
• working hours;
• describe your products or services;
• share interesting news, events, and special deals;

After setting up the account, it is crucial to engage with the customers, ask them to leave reviews, and honestly respond to their comments as soon as possible. If you wish to instill customer confidence in your brand, you need to keep an open line of communication all the time.
Share social media posts on Google My Business
Social media engagement is another crucial strategy for a better local SEO. Everyone uses social media today. This is the quickest way to expose your business to more people and quickly gather followers. There are so many examples of social media posts going viral overnight. That could happen to your business as well.
 
A good piece of advice would be to work with a social media manager on promoting your business. Besides having a lot of experience in this line of work, a social media manager also knows how to avoid common mistakes that you could make. They will show you the most efficient strategies and teach you how to create engaging content for social media.
 
Once you have that covered, it is crucial to share your posts and stories on Google My Business.
Create locally-oriented content
Local SEO requires location to be a part of the keyword. If you want to optimize your website for your hometown, you need to include its name in the keywords and phrases. The same applies to your content. You need to create content so that it clearly advertises to the local customers. Use content to your advantage, and first grab the attention of your neighbors. Why should they go across the town to get something they can get from you?
 
Without the location, you are advertising your product everywhere. If you find clients from another city, they will probably choose their local vendors instead of you.
 
With that in mind, do not waste your resources trying to grab too much of the market. Focus on your local area first.
Use online directories
Online directories are business listings. If you create an account for your company and assign it a category, potential consumers will be able to find it.
This is a promising strategy because it gives you valuable SEO juice. Mentions of your company play a crucial role in local SEO.
The benefits of citations
Citations are mentions of your company in other online resources. Just like on Google My Business and other online directories, your company's name may appear anywhere else. Whether you are working as a guest blogger trying to build a backlink base or on social media, mentioning a business name is extremely important.
It signals Google that other people are talking about your business.
When using online directories and other forms of citations, it is crucial always to provide up-to-date information. Furthermore, fix misspelled words and grammar issues because that can cause a serious problem.
Regular SEO audits are a must
Doing an SEO audit takes time. You need to check all of the keywords and other attributes to make sure they are bringing you results. The tricky part is that the SEO rules often change. Every time Google releases one of the updates, they change the SEO logic.
With that in mind, create a schedule for SEO audits, and stick to it.
Another reason to do regular SEO audits is to check your competition. They might be using similar strategies like you. Make sure to find a way to distinguish your keywords and essential phrases from theirs. If you fail to do this, they might "steal" your traffic and potential customers.
Do reporting to verify if the local SEO strategy is bringing results
​Any time you change your SEO, you need to observe the traffic and other important elements. Combine your website with Google Analytics, and do extensive reports on your performance.
 
If you see spikes or a sudden drop in traffic, that means you did something wrong. Reports are your safety, and they help you verify the success of your local SEO update.
Improving your local SEO requires patience
Keep in mind that improving your local SEO is not something you can do overnight. It takes a lot of time and effort to make it work. Be sure to monitor statistics and note the fluctuations if you notice any. When done the right way, local SEO can help you not only scale but grow your business. Even though it takes time to do it right, the reward is entirely worth it. 
META DESCRIPTION: Here are the best strategies for improving your local SEO. Learn how to expose your business to more clients.
Photo used: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/strategy-computer-browser-seo-6725105/

If you want to grow your business, marketing is your best tool. Marketing helps you reach a wider audience, and convince them why they should help support your business. Make sure your marketing strategy is as profitable as possible by utilizing these tools.