Website design – Getting found in local search results
Local search has become a very important in recent years and this is mainly due to the trends in mobile internet usage. But what exactly is local search and how can a website owner optimise their website to make the most of local search.
Local search
Over the last few years Google has been developing its Search Engine in order to bring more relevant results to its users and one element of this algorithmic development, is to prioritise local businesses and services in search results. For example, if a person is located in Dublin and they search for a term like “web design”, more than likely a number of local web design agencies in Dublin will rank on the first and second page. Likewise, if that person was in Cork and searched the same term, web agencies from Cork would get priority in the search results. So how do website owners and of course website designers optimise their websites to in order to benefit from local search.
On-site optimisation
One of the most important things from a local search point of view is to have complete contact details on your website. That includes the company name, address, phone number and email address. This information can be located on the contact page or on the footer of each page on your website. Now this might seem very basic but so many website owners and indeed website designers fail to get it right. It is also helpful to include a map on your website, this can be included via a Google Maps API and although it may not directly impact local search results, it is very helpful for customers trying to locate your business. Another very important element of local search is having your website built using responsive techniques so it can be viewed with ease on all mobile devices and ensuring that the load speed of your website is optimised correctly. Finally include some location information on most main website pages; this can be done in a few different positions on the website like the title tags, the webpage headings and the meta-descriptions.
Off-site optimisation
In a previous post we have covered off-site optimisation for local search in detail and now this is easier than ever. Google have introduced a single platform called Google My Business. Simply log into Google My Business and fill out the correct information. Once complete this will update across all Google Services and will greatly help in your local search results.
About our web design and development company
We are located in Dublin City and provide a complete web design and development service. With each and every website we build, we optimise them for local search and advise our clients on how to make the most of the services offered by Google in order to rank better. If you would like any advice or have a new website design project, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us.