Professional Social Promotion

Guest post by Brianna Flierl

If you’re a small business owner with a largely local clientele, I’m sure you’d like to know the answer to this question.

The fact is, local SEO is constantly evolving, and new web development tools and landmark updates to search engine algorithms are the root of this.

The way things are going, there’ll be some definite changes to the way we search for a good restaurant or a top-rated auto mechanic.

Like any entrepreneur, your main goal is to profit from your venture. In this technological era, that means adopting a contemporary marketing strategy.

To make this work, you need to get a feel for the direction local search is heading to.

Are you ready to see some predictions? Read on!

• G+ is becoming more integrated into the overall Google search experience. This year, expect to see all of this company’s products merging, held together by Google authorship. So, start ramping up your engagement on the said social network.
• The value of structured data markup schema for websites will increase. Make sure to “clearly” mark out the following for Google crawlers:
• Business address
•  Featured products
• Consumer reviews
• There will be a wider roll out of Google Carousel on all local categories, which could have a significant effect on rankings for branded keywords.
• There will be more focus on social media integration and diversification. Twitter and Facebook are not the only platforms out there to use in promoting local businesses. Entrepreneurs must learn to broaden their horizon and explore the possibility of marketing on mobile apps.
• In the past, Google has made it clear that users want to see local results for many queries. Both large companies and small businesses should optimise specific elements to obtain better rankings on local SERPS. See the list below:
• Content
• Citations
• Links
• Offline marketing tactics

Do you own a store in Devon or Bristol, or any other local business in England? You might want to consider engaging the services of a company offering local SEO services in the UK.

• With the recent launch of Hummingbird, you’ll also need to start investing in better content for your website. This move will help you become more visible on search results pages.
• Video marketing is also another technique that should be adopted. The web is moving towards a more visual space where videos, images and infographics reign supreme. If you want your brand to remain relevant, take the multimedia route.
• 2014 could very well mean the end of fake reviews. Online users are now a sophisticated bunch; they can see through testimonials masquerading as publicity tools. Offer quality products and great customer service, and the five star ratings will come pouring in.
• The number of mobile searches will continue to grow every day. This means more and more consumers are comfortable with purchasing from their tablets or smartphones. Now is definitely the time to create a mobile-optimised website that’s user-friendly to facilitate more conversions.
• Natural language search will also be big in 2014. Logical queries will take the place of cryptic keywords so it’s important that you consider these when planning your optimisation strategy.

Author Bio:
Brianna Flierl is a freelance writer for Localised Search, a company that offers local SEO services in the UK. With over 25 years of combined experience in the industry, it specialises in creating bespoke local search optimisation strategies for clients.