With the rise of mobile technology in smartphones and tablets, more people than ever before are using mobile devices to search for products and services on-the-go; local SEO results (the results given by Google at the top of a search results page, usually with contact information and links to customer reviews) are quickly becoming the easiest way to predict a business’ success.

Most small business owners know that local SEO strategies are incredibly important, and they understand the basic concept behind using search engine optimization strategies with regional focuses — but the majority of small businesses don’t really know how to optimize their online presence to take advantage of local search results.

If you happen to be in this exact boat, here are just a few quick tips to get you started with your local SEO plan:

• First, it’s important for any business to have a mobile-friendly website. Over half of all online local searches are done on a mobile device, and half of all consumers are more likely to purchase something from a website if the business has made the website mobile-friendly. Appearances count for a lot when it comes to the world of online business — the appearance of web pages, that is — and investing in a good website consulting and development firm can be invaluable for a business.
• Second, it’s important to make sure that your business’ basic information (address, telephone number, etc.) is clearly listed on every page in your website, that it’s easy to read, and that it’s 100% consistent. Google needs easy access to this information in order to provide it in the local SEO results, and it simply won’t consider listing a business in a top spot if the contact information is difficult to find.
• And third, increasing online traffic will definitely help your business fight for a top spot in a Google search. There are a bunch of easy ways that this can be achieved: many businesses start blogs, and others turn to an SEO company that will bolster the pages with a variety of content (written content, pictures, infographics, and videos are all pretty common). Higher web traffic will result in a better ranking for any search result, but having a steady stream of online viewers is absolutely essential for a good local SEO ranking too.

SEO strategies may seem complicated at first, but the majority of online marketers agree that an SEO plan is the most effective way to advertise a business online these days.

Of course, these tips are only the beginnings of a successful SEO strategy — but if you have any additional suggestions of your own, we’d love to read about them in the comments section! Check out this website for more.