In October 2020 we featured our first local SEO blog post and promised to follow up with a second containing even more tips and tricks to help your website take the lead on search engines in your local area. So without any further introduction, here are five further tips for preparing your site for local SEO.
<h3 class="list-heading">Add Structured Data To Your Website</h3>
Structured data is information provided in the markup (code) of your website that can be read by search engines such as Google and Bing and can be used to enhance your listings and provide them with further details about your site. Structured data can provide geographical information about your business location and other important data such as phone numbers etc.

Creating structured data doesn't have to be hard, Google even has a tool for it which you can find at <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/webmasters/markup-helper/?hl=en">https://www.google.co.uk/webmasters/markup-helper/?hl=en</a>
<h3 class="list-heading">Guest Blogging</h3>
Most people are familiar with the term blog or blogging, but have you considered writing for someone else's blog? Guest blogging is becoming increasingly popular and can be great for local SEO.

Imagine you are a picture framing business and collaborate with a local artist by writing a blog article about choosing the right picture frame for new artwork. The post could include links and references to your own business, which should help your search engine rankings, and you'll also likely be seen by local visitors to the blog. What more could you want for a few hours of your time?
<h3 class="list-heading">Start Your Own Blog</h3>
Whilst we're talking about blogging, consider adding a blog to your own site if you don't already have one. Blogs are a great way to keep your website current, which usually means more visitors and better search rankings. When writing blog articles, keep on the lookout for local events or news you can tie in with and write about; this will help with that local SEO. For example, if you're running a hotel and one of the Royal Family is visiting the area, write an article about the afternoon teas available at your establishment which are fit for the Royal visit!
<h3 class="list-heading">NAP Consistency</h3>
No, we're not on about getting to bed early, NAP stands for name, address, phone number, and it's vitally important that you use the same details across all listings for your business online. Don't shorten the word street to st. on some listings or miss lines out on others. Consistency is key here, and it helps with your rankings.
<h3 class="list-heading">Optimise Your Site For Mobile</h3>
Google has started to move to a mobile-first policy when it comes to ranking your website. In real terms, this means you should make sure your mobile site is up to scratch, or else you could be missing out.

But why has Google done this, you may ask? That's easy; most searches are now performed on a mobile device, which means most people will be looking at your website on a mobile device, so it's important that your site works well on mobile. Make sure no content is missing and that everything works well, not to mention quickly for mobile visitors.