Ten years ago internet marketers had a very vague idea of what search engine optimization means. Over the years, SEO practices have evolved and changed according to the requirements of search engines. There are countless of aspects that business owners and SEO specialists must take into consideration when optimizing their websites for SERPs, but one often overlooked element is local SEO. Studies show that when a global result renders no satisfactory results, 80% of users will follow up their query with a local element.
More and more internet users are becoming extremely specific about their online searches. Therefore, they will type in longer queries (example: “Italian restaurants near me”). The tone used on search engines has also changed. Nowadays, consumers are actually conversing with the search engine. For example, Google knows where you are and what time it is, so it can answer very specific questions.
This has led to the sudden downfall of general SEO practices and the rise of local SEO which provides relevant results for the internet user. Let’s take a look at the three crucial local SEO tips for your Italian website.
#1 Understand the Local Market
The first thing you need to know is that there’s no tricking the locals. They will immediately know if your business is the real deal or fake because they use specific slang and they have specific customs. According to Posizionati, the only way to success with local SEO is by understanding the local market and building trust & authority. Before you begin your campaign you should research key terms, phrases and trends with the help of software such as www.smepals.com.
Italians love to read about what’s happening around them. This is exactly why you should blog about local events, services and thought leaders that will appear to your targeted audience. This way you can build some authority and attract natural visitors to your website.
#2 Capture a Specific Local market
As we already mentioned, location specific news is a great way to start building trust. Although we are not encouraging you to focus only on your own business’ location, it is a good idea to have it in view. For example, if you are located in the southern part of Italy you can still discuss about trends from the northern region. By doing this you can capture to local SEO markets at the same time and avoid limiting yourself only to one area.
#3 God is in the Details
Another thing you should know about local SEO is the fact that it must be updated and accurate. Investing time in local listing sites such as Google Places is a great idea. Google will check your addresses, and if they aren’t relevant across multiple mediums it will consider you untrustworthy.
Local SEO isn’t complicated, it is just misunderstood. Even if you will be targeting a smaller audience from the get-go, the main advantage of local SEO is the fact that you will be targeting the people that actually matter. Also, local SEO is not as expensive as full-fledged global SEO campaigns, so you won’t have to file for bankruptcy if you invest in your online marketing campaign.
