{"id":354,"date":"2018-04-03T14:57:21","date_gmt":"2018-04-03T14:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/04\/03\/hyperlocal-seo-what-is-it-and-how-can-you-make-sure-you-do-it-right\/"},"modified":"2019-12-09T17:42:54","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T17:42:54","slug":"hyperlocal-seo-what-is-it-and-how-can-you-make-sure-you-do-it-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/04\/03\/hyperlocal-seo-what-is-it-and-how-can-you-make-sure-you-do-it-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyperlocal SEO: What is it, and how can you make sure you do it right?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is likely that if you are reading this, you\u2019ve heard of \u2018local SEO<\/a>\u2019 and\u00a0have an understanding of\u00a0the importance for certain businesses to optimize their web presence to rank for locally specific searches.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a nutshell, \u2018hyperlocal SEO<\/a>\u2019\u00a0is doing the same kind of optimization, but for smaller, more\u00a0focused localities\u00a0such as neighborhoods, towns,\u00a0streets,\u00a0and spots located near\u00a0well-known\u00a0landmarks \u2013 rather than \u2018local SEO<\/a>\u2019, which would normally stop at cities, districts,\u00a0or regions.<\/p>\n

The benefits are clear: the search journey is simpler for your customer, it\u2019s easier to compete with other businesses\u00a0for more niche hyperlocal search terms, and it should lead to more footfall to your door.<\/p>\n

Google is\u00a0also\u00a0aware of these benefits.\u00a0In recent years it has responded to the mobile habits of users\u00a0<\/a>who are\u00a0increasingly searching for businesses \u2018near me\u2019 or \u2018near to\u2026\u2019 and\u00a0who are more often using hyperlocal locations in their phrases.<\/p>\n

Today, Google\u00a0rewards\u00a0those\u00a0sites who have\u00a0serious\u00a0hyperlocal SEO\u00a0<\/a>game\u00a0by\u00a0(in order of mobile search display) by:<\/p>\n

1. Highlighting them\u00a0on Google\u2019s map<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A quick restaurant search of the hyperlocal\u00a0<\/i>Mutley<\/i>\u00a0Plain area of Plymouth.<\/i><\/p>\n

2. Including them in the \u20183-pack\u2019 box-out listings<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The \u20183-pack\u2019 results for the same search.<\/i><\/p>\n

3. Ranking them\u00a0well<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The listing result<\/i>s<\/i>. Note\u00a0<\/i>Mutley<\/i>\u00a0Kebabs<\/i>\u00a0beating Yell and Papa Johns due to the titles, URL and description including the hyperlocal phrases \u2018<\/i>mutley<\/i>\u2019 and\u00a0<\/i>mutley<\/i>\u00a0plain\u2019.<\/i><\/p>\n

Additionally, if Google\u00a0understands you as a trustworthy (or,\u00a0the sole)\u00a0example of a business thanks to good hyperlocal SEO<\/a>, it will also ensure call-to-actions<\/a> (such as call, directions, share, website) are displayed promptly in the search results for your customer to click on.<\/p>\n

So how do you do it<\/b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Getting started with hyperlocal SEO\u00a0<\/a>is all about ensuring it is easy for Google to know your business is relevant to hyperlocal searches. There are three ways to get cracking with this:<\/p>\n

1. Set up your\u00a0Google\u00a0My\u00a0Business\u00a0profile<\/h3>\n

This is\u00a0important\u00a0and the service is free to use. By signing up to\u00a0Google My Business<\/a>\u00a0you can tell Google directly the name of your business, the exact location, what it does, opening times, what it looks like\u00a0(upload your own images), and many more attributes.<\/p>\n

It\u00a0is of\u00a0particular relevance\u00a0to the map results and the 3-pack listings. For instance, Google smartly tells the searcher whether the business is open or closed right now and pulls out images to give\u00a0users\u00a0more of an idea of what to expect.<\/p>\n

Not only does Google My Business make it easier for\u00a0it\u00a0to know\u00a0what\u2019s what\u00a0about your business, it also improves the search experience for your customer \u2013 giving more \u2018at a glance\u2019 information than the traditional SERPs\u00a0listings do.<\/p>\n

Google My\u00a0Business\u00a0also allows\u00a0you\u00a0to post updates to give customers an idea of current offers and events direct from the search results. And you can also make use of the insights<\/a> and analytics to give you an idea of how well your hyperlocal visibility is working.<\/p>\n

2. On-site content\u00a0should\u00a0reflect hyperlocal terms<\/h3>\n

As Nikolay\u00a0Stoyanov\u00a0says in his\u00a0Complete guide to keyword research for SEO<\/a>: \u201cKeywords<\/a> are the backbone of SEO.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m inclined to agree.\u00a0The keyword research<\/a> methods and tools<\/a> explored by Nikolay in his above piece are invaluable, but hyperlocal search terms also need to draw on knowledge and potentially research of the area in which your business is located.<\/p>\n

Neighbourhoods and boroughs of wider cities are good places to start. Where is your business located\u00a0in this sense, and what does Google\u00a0display\u00a0when you search for it?<\/p>\n

Is it worth zooming in smaller?\u00a0Like my above example, \u2018mutley\u00a0plain,\u2019\u00a0is\u00a0a well-established street within\u00a0Mutley\u00a0in Plymouth.<\/p>\n

Are you located near a well-known place or landmark (university, sports stadium, monuments etc.)?\u00a0It might be worth reflecting\u00a0this\u00a0in your onsite content.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re sure of your hyperlocal term, make sure it is reflected in your titles, descriptions, body text, alt. text of images etc. so\u00a0when\u00a0Google\u00a0crawls this content \u2013 and\u00a0potential customers\u00a0read it \u2013 both know\u00a0your business\u00a0is there<\/i>.<\/p>\n

3. Add structured data\u00a0markup\u00a0(schema)<\/h3>\n

Google offers further information on how best for local businesses to do this\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By including the relevant\u00a0markup, you can make Google\u2019s job of displaying the necessary information and call-to-actions about your business even easier.<\/p>\n

Currently Google accepts\u00a0markup\u00a0for (among other things):<\/p>\n