Local Citations to put your Business on the (Google) Map

by Steve OBrien | 16 Dec 2019 | Digital Marketing, SEO

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Businesses (especially smaller ones) have to do whatever they can to get their name heard, and with the internet providing everyone the opportunity to carve out their own little space online, it can often be difficult to stand out from the crowd.

When targeting customers or potential customers in a specific geographic area, local citations can be key to a business ranking highly on Google maps. A small focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) can boost your profile on Google and help you feature higher than your competitors.

What are Local Citations

A ‘local citation’ isn’t a Google term, but instead refers to a really basic form of marketing on the internet. It is simply an instance of your business’ NAP (that is: business Name, Address and Phone number) appearing online – be that on your website or on others. This may be in business directories, press articles, advertiser sites or reviews of your firm.

How Do Local Citations Benefit a Local Business

Aside from it being a small ad boost, every time someone sees your information; a local citation helps reiterate to Google (and therefore Google Maps) that you are a leading business in your area and that you are a genuine business. Google’s algorithms are well developed to identify spam and disingenuous entries and so good, organic reach through local citations is an easy way for it to understand proper local businesses.

What are the Elements of a Local Citation

The three main elements of a local citation are your NAP: business Name, Address and Phone number. The key is to keep them entirely consistent throughout all citations online – any differentiator will break the link between the citation and it relating directly to your business. It may be worth considering therefore if you have a ‘Ltd’ in your name or a space/unusual capitalisation/sub-brands, that you instead revert to one shorter name for your public-facing communications to avoid any confusion.

Other elements that may be included in citations (but aren’t imperative) include e-mail addresses and links to social media profiles. Where you can, keep the names of such profiles consistent and ensure you refer to yourself in the same way across all of your marketing.

Why Local Citations Matter

Local citations are the best way for Google’s automated algorithms to understand who you are and where you are; and that you’re genuine! The internet is full of bots and false entries, and citations are genuine reviews to show you’re not one of them. Citations alone are responsible for about 10% of Google’s decision in who to rank where on Maps, and with 76% of visitors accessing local results and then visiting one of the businesses featured within 24hrs, it’s a no-brainer that it’s an area of your online presence worth investing in!

Search marketing, SEO or search engine optimisation helps websites to rank well in Google and other search engines. At Woya Digital we are specialists in small business growth through digital marketing, including Local SEO services. We make SEO services affordable for small businesses through our pay monthly marketing packages, with no upfront investment. Find out more about how we can support your business growth!

Latest Google Update Released

by Steve OBrien | 25 Sep 2019 | General, SEO

Reading Time: 3 minutes

We seem to have entered an age where everyone blames their social media, web content or marketing related failures on ‘algorithms’; even if perhaps that’s not really the case. In an attempt to stop internet users scapegoating their tech updates, Google yesterday, for the second time announced a broad core algorithm update in advance of it actually happening and impacting on websites. What does a Google update actually mean for your business and web presence? Read on ….

What is a Google Broad Core Algorithm Update?

‘Broad core algorithm updates’ aren’t specifically aimed at combatting any one issue, but rather at improving Google’s overall systems efficiency. These updates can take anything from a few hours to a few days to roll out across all content online. Whilst there’s no set schedule for these updates to take place, they do usually happen every few months. This means that what can be considered ‘Google friendly’ content changes frequently.

What happens when a Google Update is implemented?

The effects of algorithm updates vary depending on exactly what work has been done ‘behind the scenes’. The most notable impact is usually a change in the search rankings of content; so you may find your pages suddenly rank considerably higher or lower than they did before. This happens as Google reassesses all of its content to better align it and list it out.

For businesses who rely heavily on organic search for traffic to their websites and resulting sales, any change in SEO situation can have devastating effects if not managed adequately. It’s important, therefore, to work on your website optimisation regularly.

What should I do about a Google Broad Core Algorithm Update?

Monitor the situation when it comes to your SEO. Any pages that have dropped in the rankings aren’t necessarily being penalised for poor content but may just sit differently alongside new criteria standards. Regardless, action should be taken after each update to ensure that your rankings are able to recover. No one set action will guarantee full recovery but doing nothing will almost definitely inhibit any chances of it – even if another update is just around the corner!

When creating new content, it’s important for it to remain as relevant and current as possible. It is this, and not necessarily stuffing pages with keywords and links, that will help the content stay well ranked. Seek advice from SEO experts and work with them at each update, staying mindful that the approach to take will need to differ every time, dependent on what changes have been implemented.

How soon can SEO action taken recover a site from a Google Brand Core Algorithm Update?

There’s a common misconception that any remedial action taken won’t take effect until the next algorithm update is run. That’s not true: any recovery should be noticeable the next time that an automated ‘crawler’ (a bot that scans the site’s content to judge its fit amongst other pages and analyse where it should sit in the search rankings) scans it. This happens periodically and doesn’t wait for further updates. This means that rapid recovery is achievable, if effective action is taken quickly.

At Woya Digital we are constantly work to ensure that our clients website SEO is optimised and brought in line with constant security and Google updates. Take advantage of our awesome Instant FREE SEO Site Audit Report which we’ll send you to highlight all the things that can be improved on your website, and to optimise your website SEO ranking.

What is Local SEO?

by Steve OBrien | 3 Jul 2017 | SEO

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Local SEO is simply the most effective way to promote your business online where you are based. It provides promotion exactly at the right time; when a local customer is looking to buy your product or services.

Also known as local search marketing, to be successful we maximise various strategies to get ranked online locally. These methods include listing on business directories. Yelp, Foursquare, Bing Places, Google My Business Listing, online reviews, along with other less known platforms. Consistency in these directories is the key to our success…

Local SEO is an extremely targeted marketing strategy that enables companies to position themselves on search engines and other business directories. This massively increases visibility and generates awareness within a niche market and locality.

Are you looking to increase your local sales? Then maximise your potential via customers performing local searches. Every day that customers are searching your locality and finding your competitors is lost business that you are giving away. Leveraging Local SEO will increase the chances of being found in your town.

How Can Local SEO Help Attract New Customers?

Local searches have substantially increased in recent years, especially on mobile phones. According to recent statistics, 96% of desktop users conduct local searches. Almost 40% of all searches on Google are now focused locally.

Here’s why locality based small and medium sized businesses should opt to include Local SEO in their marketing strategy:

Local Search Marketing – Google Maps

In the UK, your business and website need to appear in Google Maps. All you need for this is to have a physical location in the town where you are looking to be found. This will make a difference to your local positioning and it’s free. https://www.google.com/business/

If you are listed, make sure your details are correct. Address discrepancies count against you, so check as the information is often pulled from other sources.

Produces Improved Results

The ideal time to connect with a customer is when they are in need of your product or service. With Local SEO, businesses can position themselves exactly when needed. When a need is searched, the businesses appear at the top of the search list.

Conversion Rates Are Higher

As you see in the above image. Google Places or Maps listings display the name, address and phone number of the business. In contrast to other traditional advertising, local search has a high (and measurable) rate of conversion. This means, if your business is positioned correctly, you are best placed to convert interest into customers.

Mobile Internet Usage is Still Growing

Increasing numbers of potential customers are searching via Google on mobile phones to buy products or services on the go. Even from their sofa! In 2015 Google announced that more searches are made on mobiles than PC’s. Make sure your website is mobile friendly and be visible in your locality.

Gives Improved Return on Investment

Unlike traditional advertising, with Local SEO there is little wasted exposure. You only reach a potential customer when they need you. Enticing a customer when they are interested in you is a cost efficient and effective option, offering greater ROI.

Enhanced Credibility

Most online directories allow users to rate and review local business and services. Having a good reputation online can really help you in attracting customers, so keep checking so you can respond to comments.

Local SEO vs. Organic SEO

Both Organic and Local SEO helps bolster your organic ranking on search engines. This helps you reach as many potential customers as possible. However, if you are contemplating between choosing between local and organic SEO, you should take your niche audience and nature of business into consideration.

With Local SEO, your business gets ranked for a specific location. This is ideal for a local business as you can target customers within a particular geographical area. Through this, you will always reach the right customers who might be looking for your service. For example, if you are a plumber in Chichester, ranking top in Google search in London could be a waste of time for everyone.

The Importance of Local SEO

The importance of Local SEO has increased in recent years with the expansion of Google Places, Google Maps, Apple Maps and the mobile web. This has encouraged many companies to make it an important part of their inbound marketing strategy. The targeted results, improved ROI and the high lead to sales conversion ratio indicate that it is an essential element of any company marketing strategy.

Make sure that the directory listings for your business locations are perfect, accurate and consistent. Remember that the main search engines and maps use multiple sources for their data. Including Yelp, Foursquare, Bing Places, Google Business Listing, online reviews, Yell, TomTom among many more.

Work with a partner who understands the importance of Local SEO in the UK. This will provide a real boost to your presence and help you be found online. Woya Digital offer excellent packages paid monthly for SEO without commitment.

Woya Digital can assist companies of all sizes, anywhere, promote themselves through the internet. Our fixed price offering is straightforward and yields results! We are fantastic at social media management, website design and SEO, all paid monthly, with no upfront investment.

Why Your Mobile Website Needs to be Mobile Friendly

by Steve OBrien | 28 Apr 2017 | Pay Monthly Websites, Top tips, Webdesign

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Gone are the days where all web traffic was received as a result of a user browsing on a desktop computer. Today, mobile devices (excluding tablets) are responsible for over 58% of all internet traffic, according to Statista. It’s now very much the norm for web users to access online content on their smartphone, and for many, they don’t need a bigger device for their needs.

However, we’ve all had the experience of accessing a website from a mobile or smaller device and finding that it isn’t mobile friendly, so doesn’t display or load properly. It’s frustrating, and in most cases, a user will just exit the site and find an alternative site to meet their needs.

This is why being mobile friendly is critical to a business’ success – because if it’s not managed properly, 58% of the audience online will head off to their competitors.

Traffic Levels from Mobile Devices

There are more than 5 billion internet users around the world, which equates to over 63% of the entire global population. Of this, some 4.7 billion (59% of the population) are social media users.

The fast adoption of mobile devices and smartphones globally has transformed the public’s internet browsing habits. Traffic from mobile devices (excluding tablets) has accounted for 50% of overall traffic since 2017 but has surpassed that figure consistently since 2020 – and looks set only to rise further.

Google and Ipsos found in a 2019 survey that 50% of smartphone users admitted they were more likely to use a company or brand’s mobile friendly website to shop from than an app, because they felt downloading one was an additional step they didn’t need or want to take. That said, web traffic can come direct or through an app – depending on what’s suited best to the business. According to Top Design Firms, 32% of small businesses already have a brand-specific mobile app developed and 42% plan to build one in the future.

The evidence is clear: businesses need to at least have a mobile responsive website in order to create a fantastic UX and encourage conversions.

Mobile Responsiveness

A website built with mobile friendly design will detect the device data of a user when they visit and present a format that fits the screen size, loads correctly and has the relevant security protocol in place. You’ll likely have seen a mobile friendly website in action – noticing that the photos and content are formatted in a more streamline manner when you visit the site on a mobile device compared to on a laptop or desktop PC.

When websites were first being created as a digital marketing tool, they were all built with a set screen width; to cater for visits from a desktop computer. However, now, there are generally four screen sizes focused on with mobile friendly design: desktop monitors (as before, although sometimes bigger), smaller desktop monitors (ie. laptop screens), tablets (ie. iPads) and mobile phones (ie. iPhones).

Most recent responsive design practices allow for almost all of the page elements to be flexible – so they shift to fit but also so that unnecessary images or elements are hidden. Overall, this provides a better UX (User Experience) and allows for the optimisation of conversions or other call to actions on-site from users.

Behind-the-scenes on the site, the same HTML code is sent to all devices and then additional CSS code alters the page rendering to fit the device from which its being visited.

SEO Impact of Mobile Responsiveness

When businesses think of SEO, there tends to be a natural focus on keyword usage; and while this is an important part of digital marketing, it is no longer the ‘be all and end all’. Instead, Google’s most recent algorithm updates have drawn away focus from curated content creation and instead focus on UX (User Experience). This means that factors in a website’s usability are now key to its organic search ranking.

Google’s algorithm automatically detects the HTML with interchangeable CSS code that indicates mobile responsiveness and favours such websites in its SEO rankings. Having a mobile friendly website can also help Google crawl your site quicker, as a user agent only needs to crawl it once rather than several times to retrieve all different versions of the content.

This allows for enhanced crawling efficiency to allow for faster and more regular fresh indexing. Several on-page factors linked to mobile responsiveness also contribute toward a website’s SEO; including loading time and site security certificates.

It is now near impossible to reach a high-ranking position on Google without having a mobile responsive website and so it’s imperative that businesses invest in a thorough all-round SEO strategy in order to cover off all bases to give the highest possible chance of ranking on page one.

Where there are two websites with similar content in the same niche, Google will always rank one that is mobile friendly and loads quickly above one that does not.

How To Make A Start On Mobile Responsive Web Design

A common pitfall that businesses fall into is buying a web design package that’s one-size-fits-all and doesn’t necessarily work to the organisation’s idiosyncrasies. It is critical that businesses select web design that works best for them and their audience, in order to best present the content and layout that’s most likely to encourage conversion.

Woya Digital includes mobile friendly and bespoke creative design as standard, alongside speedy hosting for the quickest possible loading times. We understand the need to be up, running and optimised fast, so our expert team can turn around an initial design for you in just a few days. Get in touch to talk through our options and make your brand stand out online!

Be Found Online – with Search Engine Optimisation – SEO

by Steve OBrien | 10 Mar 2017 | SEO, Top tips

Reading Time: 3 minutes

If you’ve researched creating a website or have set one up already, you’ve no doubt come across search engine optimisation, or SEO.

Effectively using SEO can make your website easier to find online, driving up traffic and business sales but if you’ve not used the technique before, it can leave you perplexed and overwhelmed by terminology.

SEO is basically a technique used to improve a website’s search engine rankings. With so many websites and competing businesses now online, having a robust SEO strategy in place can make a huge difference. After all when was the last time you went to the second or third page of Google’s results? Making your website easier to find can lead to more traffic and more sales, therefore improving your revenue.

Before you start SEO activity on your business’ website make sure it is functional and appeals to your target audience. If it’s not, potential customers will quickly click off it despite finding it. Ensure your content is clear and website is well maintained, not only will broken and invalid links frustrate customers they can affect SEO too.

Regular Updates

Updating regularly is one of the key things a business can do to improve their SEO. Aim to add new content every few days. A simple way to do this is to include a business blog, where you can share business updates, industry news and other content your customers will find interesting and useful. Make sure all your titles, headers and pieces of text are clear and use your keywords in a natural manner. Content should be unique and aim to provide at least 300 words. Mix this up and publish longer pieces sometimes too.

Link Building

Building links can improve SEO as well by establishing your business as trustworthy and a voice of authority. While it can be tempting to spam sites with links to your business go for quality over quantity. The important thing is relevance – a link from your local newspaper or an industry website is more valuable than a 10 free links from general online directories.

A huge amount of online research and business is now done on mobile devices and this isn’t only useful for increasing your sales, it helps with SEO too. Google’s algorithm for instance will consider if your website can be viewed on mobile phones or tablets.

Finally, use analytical tools to see where most of your traffic is coming from. There are lots of free tools online, such as Google Analytics, that can provide you with valuable insight as to what is working and what needs improvement.

Top tips for improving SEO:

Use keywords throughout your website. Your keywords should reflect what people would search to find a business like yours.
Create a plan for when you will update your website and publish new content and stick to it. How frequently your website is updated has a large impact on its search engine rankings.
Monitor your success and make sure you keep an eye on what is working. The internet is constantly evolving and your SEO strategy should too, check out how search engines are changing their algorithms and reflect this in your techniques

Woya digital is a social media marketing agency in Chichester, that can assist companies of all sizes, anywhere, promote themselves through the internet. Our fixed price offering is straightforward and yields results! We are fantastic at social media management, website design and SEO, all paid monthly, with no upfront investment.