Is local SEO a one time effort or ongoing process

I’m a little confused about local SEO and how much effort it really takes. I run a small bakery – "Sweet Surrender Bakery" – in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. We’ve been open for about 6 months, and I did some stuff when we launched, like claiming my Google Business Profile, making sure our website mentioned "bakery" and "Asheville," and getting a few citations on Yelp and TripAdvisor. We even got a small write-up in a local blog.

We saw a bump in traffic at first, and some new customers said they found us online. But things have kind of plateaued now. Am I supposed to be doing more? Is local SEO something you just "set and forget," or is it an ongoing thing? I don’t have a ton of time (or budget!) to dedicate to it every week, but I want to make sure we’re staying competitive and getting found when people search for "bakery near me" in Asheville. So, is it a one-time thing, or do I need to keep working at it? What kind of ongoing activities are really important if it is an ongoing process?

Answer

Local SEO is not a one-time effort; it’s an ongoing process. While some initial setup is crucial, maintaining and improving your local search ranking requires continuous effort and adaptation. Here’s a detailed breakdown of why:

Initial Setup: The Foundation

The initial setup involves establishing a solid foundation for your local SEO. This typically includes:

• Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimization:

  • Claiming and verifying your listing: Ensuring you own and control your business profile.
  • Completing all sections thoroughly: Providing accurate and comprehensive information about your business, including business name, address, phone number (NAP), website URL, business category, attributes (e.g., "wheelchair accessible," "accepts credit cards"), and a detailed business description.
  • Choosing relevant categories: Selecting the most appropriate categories to accurately reflect your business. Google allows you to choose a primary category and several secondary categories.
  • Adding high-quality photos and videos: Visual content that showcases your business, products, services, and team.
  • Setting up messaging: Enabling potential customers to contact you directly through your GBP.

• NAP Consistency: Ensuring your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online platforms, including your website, online directories, social media profiles, and citations. This is critical for Google to recognize your business accurately.

• Website Optimization for Local Keywords:

  • Keyword research: Identifying the relevant keywords that potential customers use when searching for your products or services in your local area (e.g., "Italian restaurant downtown [city name]").
  • On-page optimization: Incorporating these keywords naturally into your website content, including page titles, meta descriptions, headings, body text, image alt text, and URL structures.
  • Location-specific content: Creating content that specifically targets your local area, such as blog posts about local events, neighborhood guides, or customer testimonials from local residents.
  • Schema markup: Implementing structured data markup on your website to provide search engines with more context about your business, including its location, hours of operation, and services offered.
• Local Citations: Listing your business in relevant online directories, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, industry-specific directories, and local chamber of commerce websites.

Why Ongoing Effort is Essential

While the initial setup provides a strong foundation, local SEO is a dynamic field that requires continuous effort to maintain and improve your ranking due to several factors:

• Algorithm Updates: Google’s search algorithms are constantly evolving. What works today might not work tomorrow. You need to stay informed about algorithm updates and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.

• Competition: Your competitors are also actively working to improve their local SEO. If you’re not continually optimizing your online presence, you risk falling behind.

• Customer Reviews: Reviews play a significant role in local search ranking and influencing customer decisions. Actively encouraging customers to leave reviews, responding to both positive and negative feedback, and addressing any concerns are crucial for maintaining a positive online reputation.

• Google Business Profile (GBP) Management: Your GBP is not a "set it and forget it" asset. You need to actively manage it by:

  • Regularly posting updates: Sharing news, promotions, events, and other relevant information with your potential customers.
  • Answering questions: Responding to questions posted by users in the "Questions & Answers" section of your GBP.
  • Updating your information: Ensuring your business information is always accurate and up-to-date, including your hours of operation, contact information, and services offered.
  • Monitoring insights: Analyzing the performance data provided by Google to understand how customers are finding your business and identify areas for improvement.

• Content Marketing: Creating fresh, relevant, and engaging content for your website and blog helps attract new visitors, establish your business as an authority in your industry, and improve your search ranking. Localized content is particularly important.

• Link Building: Acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, especially local websites, can significantly boost your local SEO.

• Monitoring Performance: Tracking your local search ranking, website traffic, and other key metrics allows you to measure the effectiveness of your SEO efforts and make adjustments as needed.

• Staying Current with Industry Best Practices: Local SEO is a constantly evolving field. You need to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, best practices, and tools to maintain a competitive edge.

In summary:

Think of local SEO like gardening. You can plant the seeds (initial setup), but you need to water, weed, and fertilize regularly to nurture growth and prevent others from overtaking your plot. Neglecting your local SEO will allow your competitors to outrank you, resulting in lost leads, customers, and revenue. It’s a continuous process of optimization, monitoring, and adaptation to ensure your business remains visible and competitive in local search results.