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Local SEO is very important for local small businesses to appear regularly in search engine results listings (SERPs). The way to attain local SEO success is to develop a local SEO plan and to begin local advertising on Google, Bing, and Yahoo as soon as possible. Local SEO offers great potential customers all the information they need, when they need it, right where they are. Businesses can take advantage of this simple concept by placing a small local PPC ad in a regional newspapers or Yellow Pages directory.

Digital marketing is a new form of internet advertising which allows customers to interact with businesses even more directly, while delivering the same results through other channels. Digital marketing encompasses everything from web content to email campaigns, from mobile apps to coupons. The power of digital marketing is growing rapidly and local SEO is an emerging form of digital marketing for restaurants in the small to mid-sized market. Using a combination of search engine optimization techniques, local digital marketing can move a restaurant from being unknown to being highly recognizable. Restaurant owners can benefit from the following advantages:

High page rank. Search engines consider both the number of external links and internal citations that a site receives, when calculating page rank. External citations, such as links found in websites such as Yelp, make a business look better. Internal citations, such as contact information provided in a map or receipts, also give the impression of a reputable business.

More referrals. Because more people are using search engines to locate businesses, more people are also looking for local businesses. Because restaurants appear in search results for a specific location, more new customers will find them. In addition, because customers are more likely to include contact information in a map, they are more likely to connect with a local business and keep it longer.

Better ranking in local search results. As mentioned above, more people are searching for local restaurants in search engines. This means more potential customers are connecting with a restaurant through its Google Places page. A successful strategy is to have a high ranking in local search results. The higher the ranking, the more likely a restaurant will get more traffic, which leads to more revenue. There are several methods restaurant owners can take to increase their ranking: use paid advertising, build reputation, and gain exposure.

Use Google Places. Google Places is a local business listing designed specifically for local SEO. This type of listing is one of the best ways for restaurants to gain backlinks and be recognized by other webpages using local search terms. Restaurant owners can optimize their listing by optimizing content on the website. They can also improve the ranking by using paid advertisements such as Google AdWords.

Build reputation. Many local search engines give more importance to websites having positive reviews. The most popular restaurant review sites are Yelp, Moblog, and Qype. These sites help users discover restaurants near their area or even reveal useful information like menus, reviews, and directions. Establishing a good reputation is one of the most important factors in gaining more traffic and more customers.

Build exposure. Using Google Places, a restaurant owner can gain exposure by creating listings on social networking profiles such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The more exposure, the more visitors and potential new customers a restaurant gets. There are other things considered for effective local seo strategy, such as building link popularity. The most important part, though, is getting new customers.

Make the website user-friendly. Local SEO for restaurants should not just be limited to an efficient on-page optimization. Since people often perform local search in Google or other search engines, it is important to make the website user-friendly. Provide informative and interesting content to entice visitors and to encourage them to stay on the site longer. Offer features that would allow them to optimize their searches on the local search.

Promote through social media. Restaurants can also gain more exposure by promoting through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ among others. Having updated and current information on their restaurants on these social media platforms can greatly help improve their ranking on the local search. Additionally, they can post up-to-date restaurant reviews, participate in local events, and promote upcoming events in their location.

In conclusion, it is necessary to implement local SEO for restaurants to improve the chances of getting more traffic and potential clients. The importance of on-page and digital marketing cannot be underestimated. These two forms of marketing have been proven effective in delivering tangible benefits. Aside from improving search engine rankings, these forms of marketing let potential clients know the restaurant’s location. Through this, they are given the opportunity to interact with the operators and staff of the business.