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The Ultimate
Local SEO Checklist
for Businesses in 2023
Sneak Peek
into Google’s
Local SEO
Landscape

Understanding the impact of Google's ever- Moreover, they've introduced advancements to

evolving algorithms is critical for success- better understand the nature of local busi-
ful local SEO. Since Google's last core up- nesses and the needs of local searchers.
date in 2021, the search engine giant has
made several updates that emphasize user ex- There is now a stronger emphasis on local
perience, page speed, and most importantly, content, local links, and the accuracy of
local relevance. Google Business Profile listings. As a re-
sult, businesses have to prioritize local
In 2023, Google's updates have continued to optimization more than ever before.
value high-quality content and improve the
user experience for searchers.
 Key Local SEO Aspects

20 23
Core Web Vitals: Launched in 2021, Core Web They can also access more insights about who's

Vitals are a set of user-centered metrics viewing and interacting with their business

that reflect aspects of web usability such profile on Google.

as load time, interactivity, and stability of

content as it loads. Google Passage Ranking: This feature allows
Google to index individual passages from a

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My webpage and not just the whole page. This can

Business): In late 2021, Google renamed Goog- influence local SEO as it allows businesses

le My Business to Google Business Profile to provide in-depth answers to specific local

and introduced several updates. With the new queries.

Google Business Profile, businesses can man-

age their appearance on Google Search and
Maps directly from search results.
Key Local SEO BERT Update: Introduced to better understand the context and user

Aspects in 2023 intent in search queries, BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representa-

tions from Transformers) has shifted the focus from keyword stuff-
ing to the generation of meaningful, high-quality content.

As you navigate through our comprehensive checklist, remember that

Google's primary goal is to provide users with the most relevant
and high-quality results. This includes local searches where users
are seeking information about businesses or services near them.
Keep your local audience in mind and aim to provide value at every
step of their journey.
What is Local SEO,
Why Does it Matter?
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a website and local
listings to increase traffic, leads, and brand awareness from
local search. It involves implementing strategies that help your
business appear in search results when users search for products
or services in their local area.

Here’s why Local SEO matters:

“Near me” searches have increased by 500% over the past
5 years: People are increasingly looking for businesses near
their location.

Local Pack results receive 42% of all clicks from Google

users: When conducting a local search, the Local 3 Pack is given
much higher priority than the organic results that follow.
76% of people who conduct a local search on By optimizing your website for local search,
their smartphone visit a business within 24 you can tap into these opportunities and at-
hours: Local SEO can drive foot traffic and of- tract customers in your area. Now, let's dive
fline purchases into the ultimate local seo checklist 2023 that
will help you stay on top of the elements of a
46% of voice search users look for a local successful local SEO strategy.
business on a daily basis: Almost half of all
Voice Searches are for local businesses.
Stage 1:
Foundation Building
OPTIMIZE YOUR GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE

Your Google Business Profile is a critical component of

local SEO. It provides essential information about your
business and helps Google understand your relevance
and location.

Follow these steps to optimize your Google Business Profile:

Claim and verify your profile: Claim your business on Google Busi-
ness Profile (GBP) and verify your ownership to gain control over your
listings.

Provide accurate and complete information: Fill out all relevant

fields, including your business name, address, phone number (NAP),
website URL, hours of operation, and categories.

Add compelling visuals: Upload high-quality photos and videos that

showcase your business and attract potential customers.

Encourage customer reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave

reviews on your GBP, as positive reviews can improve your
visibility and credibility.
Stage 2:
Website and Citation Optimization

A) BUILD CITATIONS AND LOCAL LISTINGS

Citations are mentions of your business name, address,

and phone number (NAP) on other websites, directories,
and online platforms. Building citations helps establish
your business's presence and improves your local SEO.

Here's how to optimize your citations:

Ensure NAP consistency: Consistency is essential for citations.

Make sure your NAP is accurate and consistent across all platforms.

Submit to relevant directories: Identify authoritative local

directories and submit your business information. Examples include
Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific directories.

Optimize directory listings: Complete your profiles on directory

listings with accurate and comprehensive information, including
your NAP, website URL, and business description.
B) OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE FOR
LOCAL KEYWORDS

Website optimization plays a critical role in local SEO. By

targeting relevant local keywords, you can improve your web-
site's visibility in local search results.

Follow these steps to optimize your website:

Keyword research: Identify local keywords that are relevant to your business
and have a reasonable search volume. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner
or SEMrush to discover these keywords.

Optimize title tags and meta descriptions: Incorporate your target

keywords naturally into your title tags and meta descriptions to improve
your website's visibility in search results.

Create location-specific landing pages: If your business serves

multiple locations, create dedicated landing pages for each location
to target local keywords and provide relevant information.

Optimize URL structure: Ensure your website's URL structure is clear

and concise, including location-specific keywords where appropriate.
Stage 3:
Content Development and Review
A) GENERATE AND MANAGE ONLINE REVIEWS

Online reviews play a significant role in local SEO and

can greatly influence potential customers' decision-making
process. Positive reviews can improve your visibility
and reputation, while negative reviews can deter customers.

Here's how to manage your online reviews effectively:

Encourage keyword-rich reviews: Request reviews from satisfied customers

and provide them with easy ways to leave feedback on platforms like Google
and industry-specific review sites. Aim for reviews that include your most
important keywords, e.g. ask your customers to describe their experience
with a specific product/ service in detail so they include your keywords
organically in their reviews.

(Starbucks encouraging GBP reviews

Respond to reviews: Engage with customers by responding to both positive
through social contests)
and negative reviews. Show appreciation for positive feedback and
address any concerns raised in negative reviews.
Use the chance to include more of your keywords in your review responses.

Monitor and manage reviews: Regularly monitor your online reviews

and address any issues promptly. This demonstrates your commitment
to customer satisfaction.
B) CREATE HIGH-QUALITY LOCAL CONTENT

Creating high-quality local content can help improve your

website's visibility and attract local customers.

Consider the following strategies when creating local content:

Write location-specific blog posts: Create blog posts that address local
topics, events, or news relevant to your target audience.

Include local keywords: Incorporate local keywords naturally into your con-
tent to improve your website's visibility in local search results.

Highlight local partnerships or sponsorships: Showcase your involvement in

the local community by featuring partnerships or sponsorships in your con-
tent.

Create location-specific landing pages: Develop landing pages that target

specific locations and provide valuable information for potential customers
in those areas.
Stage 4:
Advanced SEO Techniques
and Link Building
A) IMPLEMENT SCHEMA MARKUP

Schema markup is structured data that helps search engines

understand the content on your website better.
By implementing schema markup, you can enhance your
website's visibility in search results and provide additional
context to search engines.

Consider the following schema markup types for local SEO:

Local Business schema: This schema markup provides information about

your business, including your NAP, opening hours, and business type.

Review schema: Implement review schema to display star ratings and review
snippets in search results, enhancing your visibility and credibility.

Event schema: If your business hosts local events, use event schema markup
to provide additional information about the event, such as date, time,
and location.

FAQ Schema: Use FAQ Schema to put down answers to common questions
and objections your potential customers might have about your product
or service.
B) OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE FOR MOBILE DEVICES

With the increasing use of mobile devices for local searches,

optimizing your website for mobile is crucial.

Make sure that your website provides a seamless mobile

experience by following these best practices:

Implement responsive design: Use responsive design to ensure your website

adapts to different screen sizes and devices.

Optimize page speed: Improve your website's loading speed on mobile de-
vices by optimizing images, minimizing code, and leveraging caching tech-
niques.

Ensure mobile-friendly navigation: Make sure your website's navigation is

user-friendly and easy to navigate on mobile devices.
C) LEVERAGE LOCAL LINK BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES

Link building is a crucial aspect of SEO, including local SEO.

Building high-quality local links can improve your website's au-
thority and visibility in local search results.

Consider the following strategies for local link building:

Reach out to local influencers or bloggers: Identify influential bloggers or

local influencers in your industry and establish partnerships or collabora-
tions that can lead to valuable backlinks.

Participate in local events or sponsorships: Get involved in local events,

sponsorships, or community initiatives that can provide opportunities for
local link building.

Guest blog on local websites: Offer to write guest blog posts for local web-

D) LEVERAGE LOCAL SEO AUTOMATION TOOLS

While manual local listing management can be a tedious and time-

consuming process, automation tools like PinMeTo
streamline the process and help saving time.
With PinMeTo, you can easily manage all of your local
listings from one central platform, ensuring that your
business information is accurate and up-to-date on
all the most important local listing directories like
Google Business Profile, Bing Places, and Yahoo Local.

Stage 5:
Performance Monitoring
and Optimization
A ) M O N I TO R A N D A N A LY Z E YO U R LO CA L S E O
PERFORMANCE

Regularly monitoring and analyzing your local SEO

performance is crucial for identifying areas of
improvement and optimizing your strategy.
Consider the following metrics to track:

Local search rankings: Monitor your website's rankings for relevant local
keywords to assess your visibility in local search results.

Website traffic: Analyze your website's traffic, paying attention to the

volume of organic traffic from local searches.

Conversion rate: Track the conversion rate of visitors from local searches
to customers to understand the effectiveness of your local SEO efforts.

Online reviews and ratings: Monitor and track your online reviews and rat-
ings to follow your customer satisfaction and reputation.

Actions on Local Listings: Analyze the actions performed on your GBP like
clicks on Directions, Calls, etc., to understand how your listing converts
potential leads into customers.
backlinks.
B) COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID IN LOCAL SEO

Inconsistent NAP information: Ensure that your business name, address, and
phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online platforms and directo-
ries.

Ignoring online reviews: Neglecting online reviews can harm your reputation
and credibility. Engage with customers and respond to reviews promptly.

Over-optimization of keywords: Avoid keyword stuffing or over-optimizing

your website with excessive local keywords, as it can result in a penalty
from search engines.

Not monitoring local search rankings: Regularly monitor your local search
rankings to identify any drops or fluctuations and take necessary actions.
To Sum Up
Local SEO is a critical component of a successful digital marketing strategy for businesses in 2023 and
beyond. By optimizing your website for local search, leveraging your Google Business Profile, cultivat-
ing positive online reviews, and creating high-quality local content, you can increase your visibility
in local search results and attract more customers to your business. With this comprehensive local SEO
checklist, you now have the tools and knowledge to empower your business and achieve success in local
search.
About

PinMeTo is a Marketing & Search Technology that connects

multi-location brands to all major maps and search services.

PinMeTo provides different local search marketing tools that

help businesses optimize for ranking factors in the Local Pack
and make sure your brand is consistent on all networks.

Looking for ways to level up your local marketing?

Book a demo to see how PinMeTo can work for your business.

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