Make showing up for near me searches on Google a part of your local SEO strategy today. 

Optimizing for location-based keywords is a crucial part of implementing an SEO strategy for a local business. Part of this local SEO strategy should be showing up in Google search engine results pages (SERPs) for “near me” searches. 

“Near me” searches on Google get a ton of traffic. Properly implemented local SEO will increase the chances that a customer will find information about your local business.  

Two steps to check if you are showing up for near me searches on Google (for this example, let’s say you own a pizzeria):

1. Open up a new incognito window. 
2. Search for pizza + near me 

The top three pizzerias in the Google map pack will show in the search results. For those that are new to local SEO, the map pack is an SEO term to describe a cluster of businesses that rank together in a Google search result. Depending on the search, Google will display the map pack results based on local geography. 

Map packs are an essential consideration for near me Google searches. Map packs have different ranking signals from other organic rankings. In this blog post, we will go over how a business owner can get the most out of their website and Google My Business page. By the end of this post, we hope you can better understand and implement a local SEO strategy for optimizing near me searches on Google.   

1. Create a Google My Business Profile (if you don’t already have one)

To get started in Google near me optimization, create a Google My Business (GMB) page. Your GMB page needs to have consistent NAP (name, address, phone number) across the web, along with any other essential information about your physical location. 

There will be a space to write a business description and services inside your GMB. Throughout your Google My Business listing, you will want to include keywords you want your business to rank. A great keyword would be (service+location). Ex. Roofing Contractor+City 

2. Use Geotagged images 

Geotag any photos added to your GMB and website to reflect the areas that your business serves. You can geotag your pictures using a site like tool.geoimgr.com. Here, you will upload the image you want to add coordinates to and then download the new image that includes the new specific location. 

Local SEO rankings and near me searches will increase when you geotag your GMB and website’s images.  

3. Use consistent NAP

Whenever you are building out your website or GMB page, you will want to ensure that you are using consistent NAP. As mentioned earlier, NAP stands for: Name, Address, and Phone Number. Your NAP needs to be consistent throughout your citations, social platforms, your website, and GMB. 

When the team at Algorithmic Global builds a new website for a client, we like to include all the NAP info in the footer of the business website. Showing the NAP on every page allows Google to know your business’ location quickly. 

4. Build location-based content 

One of the best ways to write new website content is by using specific content that local users can easily follow. In the content you create, you can include nearby landmarks, museums, national parks, and famous rivers. Using location-based content throughout a website will allow a local user and Google to understand that you are a local business.  

5. Add Service area schema

Schema markup is a powerful accessory used to match data on your website and Google My Business listing. The great thing about schema is that it is universal across all search engines.

You can include service areas inside your GMB listing; adding service area schema performs the same function for all search engines. Adding accurate and relevant service area schema will help with local SEO and near me searches. 

6. Optimize for mobile 

Now more than ever, the importance of optimizing for mobile is critical for any website owner that wants to show up for near me searches. When optimizing for mobile, you will want to ensure that the site loads quickly. There is nothing more frustrating than having to wait a long while for a website to load. To check to see how your site is doing regarding speed, you can head over to site speed insights by Google. 

7. Get more 5-star reviews 

Shoppers are looking for products and services that they can trust, and nothing builds trust like multiple 5-star reviews embedded on a website. Google is known to reward those with more 5-star reviews over their competitors for near me searches.

In 2021, Google put out a new product review algorithm update that looks at the content within the reviews. Even if you do not own a product-based company, now would be an excellent time to develop a strategy to ensure your customers are leaving high-quality, in-depth reviews. 

8. Test new content

Three variations are worth testing in your website’s content:

1. Near me 
2. Near you 
3. Near us 

This type of content may not rank quickly, but if it does, you will have your local searches clicking on your content before the competitors’. Avoid an overbearing focus on the near me keyword in the content because Google rewards natural language patterns.

Before you go

We hope you learned how to rank for near me keywords in the SERPs. Remember that ranking for near me searches does not come automatically. 
Contact the team at Algorithmic Global if you are looking to partner with a group of professionals that focuses on helping you rank your local business in the top positions on Google.