Nearly 80-90% of all customers ‘google’ businesses or check online reviews before making a purchase. How can you ensure your company will be found – in this case, your restaurant?

Today we’re taking a look at local search engine optimization and using a local Thai restaurant, Indochine, as our example. Take a look at the results below when we type in “Thai restaurants in Wilmington NC“:

The first thing you’ll notice is Google’s Carousel along the top of the page. If your business is optimized correctly, you will have a great chance of showing up in this display. Similar to how you can tweak your website to help show up higher in the search rank, there are a few things you can do to rank higher in Google Carousel:

How to Rank Higher in Google Local Carousel

1. Add & verify your business location on Google Maps

2. Build a strong Social Media Google+ strategy

3. Add Google +1 button on your website

4. Build a Google Local review strategy

5. Build a content strategy by including a content structure – optimized for your industry and targeted locations

You’ll also notice that Indochine ranks at number one in this local Google search. Although we don’t specifically know Google’s rank algorithm, we do know the steps you can take to rank higher. One of these steps is to list your restaurant or business in all relevant local directories and review sites. With Google’s new algorithm update,  the Pigeon update — local directory sites (including review sites like Urbanspoon and TripAdvisor) are getting better visibility in Google’s search results. Therefore, the more positive reviews you have, the higher you will rank in a local google search. Review sites like YELP and YellowPages are also providing Google with more signals. Combine those with the user’s location and a very powerful SEO tool is created to increase your rankings in Google!

We can’t stress enough how important it is that you make sure your company is listed in these directories!

While you are optimizing these local directories, make sure to utilize the Google Adwords Keyword Tool to learn how people are searching for your business. Type in some phrases you think would be used to find a restaurant in your category and region. For example, “Thai Restaurants in Wilmington, NC“.  This tool will show you how many times a keyword has been searched for in a month and will give you insight into what other words people are entering to find your business. Use these keywords in all of your copy.

There are many other factors involved in local search engine optimization and all these moving parts have to come together to form your strategy. Here are SayItSocial, we can help! From optimizing your site for mobile, to ensuring your meta tags and url structure are up to speed – we can get your business FOUND!

About Kristin Walker

Kristin is an Account Executive at SISDigital with extensive experience in social media marketing and online community management. Connect with Kristin on Twitter

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