Assessing Your Business Local SEO Footprint – Self Assessment Part 5

For most small businesses, local search placement will determine your levels of traffic, engagement, and ultimately your sales numbers. Consumers increasingly rely on Google and other search engines, with visibility and reputation determining whether they buy from you or a competitor. To get a clearer view of your company’s local SEO footprint, take our self-assessment today.

It’s Time to Conduct a Local Business SEO Audit

This part of the Online Presence Self-Assessment focuses on where a business ranks in search results and, more specifically, Google. But keep in mind that it’s also important to apply this process to other search engines like Bing and DuckDuckGo.

Start by doing a Google search on the main services offered by the company in the city where the company is located. You can then answer the following questions based on the data you uncover.

5 Questions for Assessing a Business’ Local SEO Footprint

1. How does your business compare to the competition?

Analyzing your performance against the competition will give you a good starting point. Since many searchers won’t look past the top search results, if you can’t gain more exposure than your competition, you’ll lose a lot of business. However, even poorly performing websites can make quick improvements by adjusting their SEO strategy.

2. Are your company’s ratings higher or lower than the competition?

Check the local visibility of your Google (GBP) Business Profile and note the ratings. If you don’t yet have the search visibility you’d like to see, lower ratings can hold you back. Google wants to show the best quality websites and businesses, so they naturally consider review scores.

3. Does your company have more or less opinion than the competition?

The number of reviews is a useful indicator to determine if your processes are working. If your competitors are getting a large amount of feedback, you can assume they have a streamlined process for getting customers to leave a response. And yes, the total number of reviews can make a difference – 69% of consumers think the total number of reviews for a business is important.

4. How often does your business receive new reviews?

The importance of getting positive reviews indicates that you cannot risk leaving it to chance. Developing a system that simplifies the filing of a review, that encourages and thanks consumers, will ensure a constant flow of comments. The process doesn’t need to be too complicated – it can involve messaging customers, providing direct links to relevant platforms and, of course, responding to customer reviews.

5. How visible is the business online?

An established business will have multiple positions in the search results. If you have an optimized Google business profile, you should expect to see it in the local pack and/or maps. Likewise, your website must have visibility on the first page of organic search results. Also, when researching your business, look for a Facebook or LinkedIn profile, and if directory listings matter more than your website, take note.

We Can Help Improve Your Local SEO Footprint

There’s even more to local visibility than what we’ve shared above. By completing this self-assessment, you will be well on your way to understanding your business’s place in the local ecosystem.

If you haven’t completed the assessments outlined in Parts 1-4 of this series, take action today to get a better idea of ​​your company’s overall online presence. The components of our self-assessment can help you create the ultimate online presence for your business.

Does your business need help with local search visibility? At Rocks Digital, we can help you improve your search placement to drive more traffic and engagement. Call (214) 989-7549 or request a local SEO assessment today.

Online Presence Self Assessment Quick Links

Assessing Your Website’s Viability – Part 1

Lissa Duty

Evaluating Your Google Business Profile for Local Visibility – Part 2