Local SEO for the Busy Business in 2023

How Can I Improve My Position On Google?

A question I often get is, “how can I improve my Google position?” I’ve helped a few local businesses with this daunting task lately and had a great time doing so. The truth is, there’s no magic wand or cheat code. The ads that promise quick returns or encourage you to just pay for ads are not accurate and are expensive. In this article, I plan to share 3 key steps I take when assisting a client with their SEO.

What Are Your SEO Goals?

The first step is arguably the most important. Before you speak to your client about their current local SEO situation, there’s some work to do. What does your client hope to gain from this engagement? What are their expectations? What are their concerns? Are they concerned about their competition? Most importantly, take a snapshot of the current state and baseline and agree on a reasonable goal with your client! To get a sense of what my process looks like, let’s talk about SEO together. There are many SEO analysis tools, but without understanding your client’s needs and goals, the analysis means nothing.

Let’s Perform On-Page SEO Analysis

With your client’s goals in mind, there are some basic things you can evaluate. First, let’s look at site functionality. Are all links functional? Is there enough content on the pages from a keyword standpoint? Does the menu structure and sitemap make sense? Does the client have H1, H2 tags? Are they consistent with the keywords they are targeting? Is their site indexed to Google Search Console? All of these seem elementary but are absolutely vital – a great place to begin!

Let’s Track Progress & Pivot As Needed

Going back to the snapshot and goals you established, it’s key to track ongoing progress. Effective SEO takes time, but without gauging progress on a weekly, monthly basis, you could lose your client’s trust. Was their goal to increase website traffic? Was it to increase product sales? Was it to reduce call-ins? Whatever their goals were, you likely formulated a strategy to get there – now it’s time to show the progress. Agree on a cadence and mode of delivering the update so it’s consistent and reliable for your client. Most importantly, keep an open mind and listen to your client. They know their business and industry better than anyone else.

Keeping it Simple – A Case Study

I recently sat down with a local small business owner – owner of a local floral boutique. Within 10 minutes, I learned his business location was incorrect and his website needed some tweaks. With a pointers we were able to correct his location on Google and make some impactful SEO tweaks on his e-commerce store. For more tips on Google Business, check out our previous blog on how to optimize your Google Business page.

I recently sat down and outlined a detailed case study about my work with a local Financial Services client where we improved his visibility by 200% and got him to the first page of Google!. Check that case study out!

How Do I Get Started?

If you’re a business looking to improve your ranking and outrank your competition, we would love to help. Here at Radford Results Web Design, we tailor our plans and strategy to your needs. We understand local SEO requires consistency and determination, and we are here for you! SEO results can take an average of 3-6 months to see, according to Ahrefs, but we are here stay consistent with you. Let us perform a FREE SEO evaluation for you by reaching out below!