Local SEO remains a vital component of digital marketing for American businesses seeking to connect with nearby customers. In 2019, the focus shifted toward user experience, trust, and relevance—key indicators of a well-optimized local presence. This article provides actionable insights and strategies to help U.S. businesses enhance their local search visibility, based on the most relevant and reliable source material available.
Understanding and implementing local SEO in 2019 involves a combination of technical, on-page, and off-page strategies. The source materials highlight several core components that drive successful local SEO, including optimizing Google My Business (GMB) listings, building local citations and backlinks, and structuring website content with location-based relevance. Additionally, schema markup, directory listings, and community engagement play a role in reinforcing a business’s local footprint.
Below, we break down the essential strategies for local SEO in 2019, with a focus on practical steps and insights derived directly from the provided sources.
Google My Business Optimization
Claiming and optimizing a Google My Business listing remains one of the most straightforward and effective local SEO strategies. According to the source material, businesses should complete their GMB profiles with accurate and up-to-date information, including business hours, address, and categories.
A well-optimized GMB listing helps businesses appear in the Google Local Pack, a section of the search engine results page (SERP) that displays local businesses relevant to a query. Businesses are encouraged to use high-quality images, regularly update Google Posts with relevant information such as promotions or events, and respond promptly to customer reviews. These actions improve visibility and user engagement, both of which are important for local SEO.
Businesses should also ensure that their NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) is consistent across all online platforms, including their website, GMB listing, and local directories. The source materials suggest that maintaining NAP consistency helps reinforce the legitimacy of the business in the eyes of both search engines and users.
Building Local Citations and Backlinks
Citations and backlinks continue to be critical ranking factors in local SEO. Citations refer to online mentions of a business’s NAP, while backlinks are inbound links from other websites to a business’s website. The source materials emphasize the importance of quality over quantity in both cases.
Reputable directories such as Yelp, Bing Places, and TripAdvisor are recommended for citation building. Businesses are advised to participate in local events, sponsor community activities, and collaborate with local influencers or businesses to generate high-quality backlinks. Additionally, creating shareable content on a business’s website can attract links from other local sites or bloggers.
The source material also suggests that businesses should focus on building relationships within their local community. This can lead to organic backlink opportunities and greater visibility in local search results.
On-Page Optimization for Local SEO
On-page optimization involves structuring website content to reflect the local relevance of a business. The source materials recommend using location-specific keywords in content and meta tags, such as title tags and meta descriptions. For example, a business in San Jose might use keywords like “San Jose plumbing services” or “Los Angeles dental clinic.”
Creating dedicated pages for each service or product is also encouraged, particularly for businesses with multiple offerings. These pages should include location-based information such as addresses, phone numbers, and hours of operation. This helps search engines understand the relevance of the content to local users.
Schema markup is another important on-page element. The source material from an enterprise SEO checklist recommends using local schema to provide structured data about a business’s location, services, and operating hours. This can help Google and other search engines better understand the context of the content and improve visibility in local search results.
Technical Considerations in Local SEO
While the source material does not provide a comprehensive technical SEO audit, it does highlight several key technical elements that contribute to a strong local SEO strategy. These include:
- URL structure: URLs should ideally include the business name and location where applicable. This helps reinforce the local relevance of the page.
- Maps: Including Google Maps on website pages, with pins pointing to the business’s address, is recommended. This not only helps users find the location but also reinforces local relevance for search engines.
- Internal linking: The source material suggests that internal links should point to pages where mentions of locations, services, or events make sense. This helps distribute page authority and improve navigation for both users and crawlers.
For larger enterprises with multiple locations, the source material recommends using local SEO tools such as Yext or SweetIQ to manage location-specific content and signals. These tools help maintain consistency in NAP data and provide additional local SEO signals from authoritative pages.
Local Content and Engagement
Content plays a crucial role in local SEO, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The source material outlines three main categories of local SEO strategies: optimizing local listings and citations, optimizing the website and its content, and working on links to the website.
Creating location-specific content is one of the most effective ways to engage local audiences. Businesses are encouraged to develop content that reflects their local identity, such as blog posts about community events, local news, or customer testimonials. This type of content not only improves search rankings but also builds trust and credibility with local users.
The source material also emphasizes the importance of customer reviews. Encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook can significantly improve a business’s local search visibility and credibility. Businesses should respond to both positive and negative reviews in a professional and timely manner.
Additionally, the source materials suggest that businesses should create unique, high-quality images related to their location and include relevant alt text. This helps improve accessibility and reinforces local relevance for search engines.
Enterprise-Level Local SEO Strategies
For large businesses with multiple locations, the source material provides a detailed enterprise-level local SEO checklist. Key recommendations include:
- Authoritative pages for each location: Each location should have its own dedicated page with unique, high-quality content.
- Structured schema markup: Implement local schema to provide search engines with structured data about the business, including address, phone number, and operating hours.
- Maps and location pins: Use Google Maps or other mapping services to display the business’s location on website pages.
- Unique content: Each location page should include unique content such as customer reviews, location-specific products or services, and event information.
- Internal linking: Link to location pages from other relevant parts of the website to distribute authority and improve navigation.
- Third-party tools: Use tools like Yext or SweetIQ to manage local listings, citations, and content updates across multiple locations.
These strategies help large enterprises maintain consistency in their local SEO efforts while tailoring content to specific regions or communities.
Conclusion
Local SEO in 2019 is centered around creating a strong, user-focused online presence that reflects the local identity of a business. By optimizing Google My Business listings, building high-quality local citations and backlinks, and structuring website content with location-based relevance, U.S. businesses can significantly improve their visibility in local search results.
The source materials emphasize the importance of consistency, quality, and engagement in local SEO. Whether a business is a small local shop or a large enterprise with multiple locations, the principles of local SEO remain focused on providing value to local users and reinforcing a business’s relevance in the community.
Implementing these strategies requires time and effort, but the results—increased visibility, more foot traffic, and higher customer engagement—make it a worthwhile investment for any business targeting local audiences.