An Austin Local SEO Company Can Put Your Business on Google Maps

Most people are looking for products and services in their local area by adding the term “near me” in their search query. A professional Austin local SEO company can help your website get found in this type of searches made by all people in your area. 

While big brands can afford to compete for high-ranking keywords and promote their business nationwide, local businesses need to be found by customers in their community. Also, since the number 1 search engine – Google – gives increasing importance to localized search results, you need to hire a local SEO Austin company to optimize your website and create an effective local SEO strategy for your business.

What Exactly Is Local SEO in Austin?

As specialists in local SEO services in Austin, we know what Google is looking for when selecting the best results for a specific search. The three main criteria for ranking in local Google searches are:

• Proximity
• Relevance
• Reputation

In order to check that your website meets these criteria, Google spiders will look at various areas on the internet, not only your website. Thus, local SEO service in Austin, TX involves making sure that your business:

• Has a Google My Business listing
• Has accurate NAP details (name, address, phone number) in online register listings
• Has quality backlinks pointing to your website
• Has unique and relevant content on your website, matching your products/ services and the keywords you want to rank for 

The Importance of Local SEO Service in Austin, TX for Your Business

You may wonder whether you really need to hire an Austin local SEO company or not. “I have a good customer base. Why pay for a new kind of strategy?” The issue is that local search is quickly becoming the new norm for all consumers. Using Google Maps or digital assistants like Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant, consumers are looking for businesses that can deliver products or supply services quickly – that is, as close to them as possible. 

Here are just a few statistical data to help you understand the importance of local SEO in Austin:

• 44% of all consumers use a mapping app when looking for businesses
• Local companies adding the “near me” qualifier grew 150% faster compared to businesses that did not include this term since 2017
• Over 50% of consumers looking for auto parts and car repair services called the business directly from a search result

Steps to Optimize Your Business Website for Local SEO in Austin

A professional Austin local SEO company will perform the following actions to get your website to rank for local search results:

Performing an SEO Audit of Your Website

Before taking any actions, the company specializing in local SEO service in Austin, TX will make sure that your website is Google-friendly. This means:

• It loads fast
• It is optimized for mobile browsing
• It is secure
• It offers optimal navigation to users
• It contains unique and useful content

An SEO audit will focus both on the technical aspects (checking the code, various third-party apps, and widgets, file size) and on the user interface and keyword strategy.

Creating Your Google My Business Listing

Google My Business is an online directory created and offered by Google for free to businesses. It is also the first place the search engine spiders look for a match between a user’s location and your business location. Thus, your local SEO Austin strategy must start with creating this listing.

As a business owner, you will control the account and will give Google the information needed to verify your listing. However, our specialists in local SEO services in Austin will help you set it up and add relevant content. 

Checking Your Citations 

For local SEO in Austin, citations mean internet listings where your business contact details appear, such as:

• Yellow Pages
• Yelp
• Foursquare
• Apple Maps
• Business directories
• Social media accounts

Any expert in local SEO services in Austin can tell you that many businesses do not have consistent citations. In order to rank for local searches, your business name, the physical address of your offices or store, and your phone number must appear in exactly the same form.

Otherwise, Google may interpret any deviation as a different business. Thus, you may end up competing against yourself in local searches.

Review Management

Google determines the reputation of your business in several ways:

• Looking at the backlinks pointing to your site
• Looking at the reviews and ratings left by users on various platforms

The two most popular platforms for reviews are Google My Business and Yelp. The Austin local SEO company will make sure that all the reviews you get are honest and fair. Unfortunately, many people will try to “take down” a business by leaving negative reviews. While we cannot remove them, we can report them to the platform owners and take measures to reduce their negative impact on your business.

Optimizing Your Website

A company specializing in local SEO service in Austin, TX will go through all the relevant parts of your website and optimize them with local search terms, such as:

• Near me 
• In (city name)
• Close to (area)
• These terms will be added, in a natural language flow, to the:
• URL - the unique address of each web page
• Meta description – the bit of text appearing under each link in Google search results
• Title tags – the text appearing above the URL bar in the browser
• Header – titles and subtitles on the page
• ALT tag for website images
• Content on web pages

Creating Content that Will Rank for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets offer users an answer to their Google search query without clicking on a link. They have very high visibility, as they appear immediately under the search box. Featured snippets represent a very valuable piece of real estate property on a Google search page. Many people will click directly on the featured snippet link because Google ensures that it contains relevant information.

So, how can an Austin local SEO company help you rank for featured snippets? There are specific types of content that Google targets for this purpose:

• Lists
• Question and answer pages
• Tables

The content must be both highly informative and keyword-rich. Experts in local SEO in Austin can create this type of content for your website.

Social Media Pages Optimization

Google and other search engines, especially Microsoft Bing, index social media content, including profiles and pages. Thus, the team of specialists in local SEO services in Austin will go through all your social media business pages and optimize the About sections, paying special attention to your contact details.