The Ultimate Guide to Local SEO Content Writing

Local SEO content writing is all about creating valuable content that resonates with your local audience. This type of content is crucial for businesses that want to attract more customers from their surrounding area.

Google considers a city or region to be a "neighborhood" if it has a distinct name and is mentioned in local content. This is why it's essential to include your city or region in your content.

Businesses with a strong online presence tend to get more foot traffic and sales. In fact, 72% of consumers who search for a local business on their mobile device visit a store within five miles.

Local SEO content is part of the digital marketing process, specifically created to rank a business locally for searchers.

It's content that you create, optimize, and publish on a local business website to attract and engage a local audience.

Local content in SEO refers to content created specifically to attract and engage a local audience, often made with the goal of improving a business's visibility in local search queries and results.

This type of content focuses on topics, events, news, tips, activities, and communities relevant to a specific geographic area.

Local content can cater to search queries that look like "restaurants near me" or "restaurants in Los Angeles", and other location-based queries.

Localized content is one of the most effective approaches to a local SEO strategy.

It can benefit businesses with physical stores, such as restaurants, dentists, and mechanics, as well as local service providers, like plumbers, tutors, and dog walkers.

To create effective local SEO content, you need to understand the different types of writing that can help boost your online presence. One key type is conversational writing, which is perfect for voice search. This type of writing involves using question-based keywords that users are likely to ask, such as "Where can I find the best Italian restaurant near me?"

Conversational writing can be achieved by incorporating question-based keywords into your content. This will help your business rank higher in local search results and attract more customers. For example, if you're a florist, you could write a blog post titled "Which florist delivers same-day flowers in Eerie?"

Another type of writing is location-specific content. This involves creating separate pages for each city or neighborhood you serve, including local keywords and relevant content about your services in that area. This can be especially effective for small, local businesses that serve a specific community.

Here are some examples of location-specific content:

By incorporating these types of writing into your local SEO content, you can create a strong online presence and attract more customers to your business.

When you're writing for local SEO, you'll want to focus on content that's relevant to your local audience. This means creating content that's specific to your location and niche.

There are several types of writing you can use for local SEO. One example is blog posts with local keywords, which can attract new customers and maintain existing ones. Each post you publish with local keywords gives your site another local page for Google to index.

You can also create location-specific pages, which include local keywords and relevant content about your services in that area. This is especially important for small, local businesses that focus on one neighborhood or community.

Another type of writing is location-specific content, such as blog posts that provide valuable information to your local audience. This type of content can include local news, events, and tips, and should be optimized with local keywords.

Here are some examples of types of writing for local SEO:

Remember, the key to effective local SEO content is to create content that brings value to your users first and makes use of keywords second.

Conversational/Question-Based Keywords are a game-changer for local SEO. Voice search is on the rise, especially in local search, and users tend to use more conversational language when speaking into their devices.

Optimize your content for voice search by incorporating question-based keywords that users are likely to ask. For example, users might ask "Where can I find the best Italian restaurant near me?" or "Which florist delivers same-day flowers in Erie?"

Service and location are crucial elements in local SEO content. A service page is a dedicated page about a specific service that a business offers, and it should be targeted to a location to rank for services offered in that area.

You'll want to create separate pages for each service you offer, like a lawn care company having a fertilizing service page targeting St. Pete, FL. This gives your site the opportunity to rank for all the services you offer in the location you target.

A service-area page is a dedicated page about a specific location that the business services, but does not have a physical office in. For example, a lawn care company would have a service-area page targeting Tampa, FL.

Here's a breakdown of the different types of location-specific pages you can create:

Creating location-specific content is also essential, as it will help attract customers with quality information and maintain existing ones. This can be done by adding a blog and using local keywords within your content.

A service page is a dedicated page about a specific service that a business offers. Having one for each service helps businesses rank for those services in a targeted location.

For local businesses, it's essential to create a dedicated page for each service, along with targeting a specific location. This is crucial for local SEO.

If you're a lawn care company, you might have a fertilizing service page targeting St. Pete, FL. This shows how service pages can be tailored to a specific location.

An HVAC company in Napa, California would have separate pages for various services, such as AC Repair, AC Installation, Heater / Furnace Repair, Duct Cleaning, and Air Purification Systems.

Here's a breakdown of the services an HVAC company in Napa might have:

By having dedicated service pages, businesses can increase their chances of ranking for those services in a targeted location.

A service area page is a dedicated page about a specific location that the business services, but does not have a physical office in. This is a great way to give your site the opportunity to rank for all the locations that you service.

For example, a lawn care company that travels to Tampa, FL for work should have a dedicated service-area page targeting that area. An HVAC company would have separate pages for each service-area, just like a lawn care company.

Having a service-area page can help you rank for locations where you don't have a physical office, but still provide services. This can be a huge advantage for businesses that operate in multiple areas.

Here are some examples of service-area pages:

By creating service-area pages, you can increase your visibility in local search results and attract more customers in areas where you provide services. Remember to include local keywords and relevant content about your services in each page.

To do keyword research for local SEO, you need to identify the search terms people use to find local products and services.

Use a keyword research tool to find key terms and phrases that potential customers are likely to use when searching for products or services in your area.

Look for keywords that include your city, neighborhood, or region, such as "plumber in Austin" or "best sushi restaurant in Manhattan".

Research local keywords, including location descriptors like "near me" or "close by", which have seen a 900% increase in the past two years.

Conduct comprehensive local SEO keyword research to lay the foundation for a successful local SEO content strategy.

To get started, you need a short list of keywords people can use to find your local business.

Research your competitors to see what keywords they rank for, using tools like Semrush's Keyword Gap tool.

You can also leverage Google Keyword Planner to discover new keywords related to your business, by entering a competitor's domain and getting results.

To select keywords for local SEO-friendly content, focus on locally relevant keywords, experiment with different geo-tagged keywords, and use a mix of long-tail and short-tail keywords.

Here are some key metrics to consider when evaluating keywords:

Optimizing your online presence is crucial for local SEO. Your Google Business Profile (GBP) listing is the foundation of your online presence, and it's essential to keep it up-to-date with accurate business information, including your address, phone number, business hours, and customer reviews.

Google values consistent and up-to-date information on GBP, which can positively impact your local search ranking. To get started, claim and complete your Google Business Profile by adding and/or verifying your business information.

To optimize your GBP listing, provide as much information as possible, including contact details, opening hours, photos, and videos. You can also add business attributes like Wi-Fi and outdoor seating.

Reviews are a vital part of your online presence, and you should try to get reviews on Google, as they're visible in search results and an important local ranking factor. You can encourage customers to leave reviews by asking them when you speak to happy customers, creating posters or business cards with QR codes, or embedding widgets on your website.

Here are some key statistics to keep in mind:

By optimizing your online presence and encouraging reviews, you can improve your local search ranking and attract more customers to your business.

Tracking and monitoring your local SEO results is crucial to staying on top of changes in positions and keeping an eye on your competitors.

Your site's local keyword rankings will regularly change for any number of reasons. This can potentially hurt your business if traffic to your site decreases.

To monitor your progress, head to the "Overview" report and select the time range you're interested in. The graphs will help you understand your overall performance.

Use the Map Rank Tracker to see where your business profile ranks in Google Maps. Select your business to get started and then choose the local keywords you'd like to track.

Each circle represents a search location that the tool will track your rankings in. If you have lots of nearby competitors, it's a good idea to go more granular, while covering a larger area if your competitors are more widespread.

You can track your rankings in Google Search with Semrush's Position Tracking tool, monitoring your performance in different countries, states, regions, cities, or zip codes.