How to Structure Your Local Website for SEO Results
December 11th 2020 | By Emma Grant
Not long ago we explored the subject of striking a balance between good SEO and great web design. If you found it helpful, read on as we delve deeper, uncovering tangible ways to structure your local business website to drive the best SEO results.
A search engine friendly website is all about having the right pages. When you have the right pages, you create a foundation for SEO success. If you start out with a strong foundation, just like with a building, you will be ready to stand up against every challenge. You will be ready to compete. And you will be ready to land those top search engine positions too.
Running a local business can be a tough game, especially in challenging economic times. You need to arm yourself with the best possible tools to get you noticed. You want to achieve the best possible online visibility, because thousands upon thousands of people are using Google and other search engines every minute of every day to locate and check out local businesses like yours.
We’ve listed the statistics before. Here’s a quick recap:
- 46 per cent of all Google searches are local
- 75 per cent of local searches result in a phone call
- 50 per cent of people using local search will visit a store within a day
- 71 per cent of people look up a local business before making their first visit
- 89 per cent of consumers search for a local business at least once a week
So, what pages make an SEO-friendly website that’s geared up to compete in a local market, and what should they focus on? Here’s what we recommend.
1. A home page that perfectly summarises what you do
Visitors landing on your home page will want to know they’re in the right place, and fast. Google and other search engines will also be on the lookout for a failsafe summary of what it is you do.
Your home page therefore needs to neatly summarise what you do. Its content needs to be centred on search terms that describe what you offer, and where you offer it. So, if you are a locksmith in Kingston, then that should be your focus keyword, along with a nice splash of semantics.
2. Individual service pages for each service you offer
It used to be the case that businesses would pile all their services onto one page, the ‘Our Services’ page. But this really is not a great move for SEO. Unless you offer a single service, you’re going to need individual pages for each of the services you offer.
Each page should be optimised only for the relevant service and location related search term, and directly related terms. It should answer questions that are specifically related to that service, and demonstrate your expertise and authority to effectively deliver that service. You’ll also want to inspire trust, so including testimonials that relate directly to the specific service is a must.
Going back to our locksmith in Kingston, we might have separate services pages like key cutting, emergency locksmith, lock repairs, new locks, smart locks and window boarding for example.
Unless you offer a single service, you’re going to need individual pages for each of the services you offer.
3. Separate location pages for every area you cover
So you’ve got your services covered, but if you offer those services across different areas, or have more than one physical location, then you are going to benefit enormously from having location landing pages on your website. These are the pages that are potentially pull in business within specific suburbs and neighbourhoods.
This is all about taking your service pages, and tailoring them uniquely to attract ultra-local business. So for our locksmith example, we could have a page for emergency locksmith in Surbiton, and one for lock repairs in Kingston Upon Thames for example. Providing your content is unique, wholly relevant, and specifically targeted towards the location and service area, there really is no limit to how many of these you can have.
4. A ‘Who We Serve’ page
When visitors can see that you solve their specific issues, that you recognise them as customers, they feel reassured. And this is precisely why industry-specific pages are so powerful for a website.
Pages that focus on who you serve will help to better target search intent, and we know how important that is for SEO.
Sticking with our Kingston locksmith example, we could have pages specifically targeted for:
- Commercial locksmith for businesses
- Domestic locksmith for homeowners
- Landlord locksmith services
Even if you have a single ‘who we serve’ page with paragraphs for each of your audiences, that will get you ahead. But individual pages for each? Even better. Again, tailored questions and answers and testimonials, and case studies too, will really help demonstrate your expertise and promote authority and trust.
5. A blog, news or resources section
Helpful, authoritative, educational content goes a long way to creating the perfect user experience, and it is one of the most powerful drivers for SEO too.
Use this section to demonstrate your expertise. To answer questions. To solve problems. The more helpful you can be, the more competitive your website will be considered.
Useful blog posts for our locksmith could be things like:
- How to choose the right locks to protect your retail premises
- How to secure your new home
- What are the best locks for my rental property?
Regular content posting is a proven SEO technique, and a great way to demonstrate all your areas of expertise and showcase the industry sectors you serve.
Helpful, authoritative, educational content goes a long way to creating the perfect user experience, and it is one of the most powerful drivers for SEO too.
6. An about page
The about page of a website is important because it’s where people look to get the lowdown on your business. How long you’ve been around, a summary of what you do, your values and mission and how you solve problems should all be set out on this page.
The about page is all about promoting trust and showing expertise and authority, all vital for SEO. So be sure to get those testimonials in, links to case studies and a review feed too.
A note about E-A-T
E-A-T, or Expertise, Authority and Trust, became significantly important as a ranking factor earlier this year, and the latest Google core update has pushed its importance even further.
You will note that throughout our recommendations we have referred to including elements on your web pages that are associated with promoting expertise, authority and trust. Whatever you can do to get these across, anywhere on your website, will prove exceptionally beneficial from an SEO standpoint.
Daunted by the thought of adding so many web pages? Talk to Figment!
There may be a fair amount of pages recommended here for your website, but this really is the foundation you need to create a strong and competitive presence in your local market.
If you feel daunted by the volume of pages required, why not talk to Figment? As an agency specialising in SEO, Surrey and London businesses know they can rely on us to build them the presence they need to gain excellent online visibility, so that ultimately they can enjoy more leads, and more sales. Our trusted team of strategists, developers, designers and copywriters are ready to help you achieve your business goals.