As we look ahead to 2023, it's important for businesses to understand the latest trends and best practices in local SEO. Here is a list of Local SEO Strategies for 2023. If you're not already doing them... get on it! 

Search engine optimisation tailored to help local businesses get found by customers in their area, is an essential component of any comprehensive digital marketing strategy. With the increased use of mobile devices and the rise aaof voice search, local SEO is more important than ever for businesses looking to attract and retain customers in their local area.

Think Users First

To stay competitive in today's fast-paced digital landscape, enhancing your user experience (UX) is crucial. One key aspect to consider is your website's page loading speed. A lightning-fast load time of 0-4 seconds can significantly boost conversion rates. The first five seconds of a page load are particularly critical, so it's essential to aim for load times below two seconds to keep visitors engaged and increase the likelihood of conversions.

Here are nine other ways to focus on Mobile User Experience:

1. Navigation: Make sure your website is easy to navigate, with a clear and intuitive menu structure that makes it easy for users to find what they're looking for. If you have a lot of content consider using a search bar for added convenience.
2. Speed: Optimize your website for speed by compressing images, minifying code and using a content delivery network (CDN). A slow-loading website can be a significant turn-off for users.
3. Accessibility: Make sure your website is accessible to as many users as possible by incorporating features such as high-contrast mode and keyboard navigation.
4. Content: Provide valuable and relevant content that addresses your target audience's needs and pain points.
5. Interactivity: Incorporating interactive elements such as forms, quizzes, and polls can help keep users engaged and on your website longer.
6. Simplicity: Keep your design simple and uncluttered. Avoid using too many colours, fonts, or elements on a single page.
7. Personalization: Use data to personalise the user experience, tailoring the content and offers to individual users based on their behaviour and preferences.
8. Feedback: Make it easy for users to provide feedback and address any issues they may have with the website. Please just consider using a chatbot, email or contact form for this purpose.
9. Security: Ensure your website is secure with an SSL certificate and that your website's code is regularly updated to patch any security vulnerabilities.

Optimise Your Website's Mobile View

In May 2019, we embraced the shift towards mobile-first indexing, and experts predict it will continue to be a vital local SEO trend in the coming year. As an increasing number of people turn to their mobile devices to access the internet and find local businesses, Google will prioritise the mobile version of your website during indexing. To maximise the benefits of mobile-first indexing, it's essential to ensure your website is optimised for mobile users. Take a quick test drive using your smartphone and ask: Is it designed to respond smoothly to different screen sizes? Does it load quickly? Can you navigate it easily? If you answered 'no' to any of these, it's time to consult your digital marketing team and web developers to elevate your website's mobile experience.

Optimise your Google Business Profile

In 2023, one of the most critical local SEO trends will be ensuring your business details are complete and accurate. A substantial number of consumers - around 64% - currently use Google Business Profiles to find contact information. This means that your Google Business Profile will become increasingly important in 2023. If you still need to set up your GBP or if you want to take your existing profile to the next level, we can help. We offer a range of tips and strategies to optimise your Google Business Profile, including best practices for getting started, and optimising your photos, posts and reviews.

Think of other types of localised SEO content

Audiovisual content has the potential to be incredibly persuasive in driving customer purchases. While traditional forms of text-based content, such as blogs and whitepapers, have their place, videos are particularly popular with audiences. According to some surveys, 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. This highlights the fact that video can be an excellent way to showcase how your products or services can meet the needs of your target audience.

For example, suppose you own an outdoor recreational store. In that case, you could create a YouTube channel that promotes your products and educates your customers on how to use them effectively. Similarly, if you own a Chinese restaurant, you could upload videos about the history and origins of the dishes on your menu, adding value to the dining experience you provide. These videos can be shared on social media, embedded on your website or published on your Google Business Profile via Google Posts as long as they comply with the content policies.

We ran a test in early 2023 on two YouTube videos and came up on the first page of organic search results with the video, position five within 20hrs! The other video displayed 17th position (second page) within one hour. That's the power of video in SEO. If you're interested in finding out how contact us.

The videos were lacking in terms of engagement, audio, and visual quality, however, it's important to note we used local SEO strategies to get them ranked.

If you were looking to build a following on YouTube, you'd need to create a channel that fans will want to watch. That's a whole other blog post.

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For this reason, this is one of my top local SEO strategies for 2023

Don't just rely on one search engine

There are many search engines, and things are shifting with new artificial intelligence (AI) becoming available to the public. If you're only looking at Google Search, I implore you to look at other ways to reach your ideal audience. 

While Google is the most widely used search engine, it's important to remember that it's not the only one. While Google holds a lion's share of the search engine market, others like Bing, Yahoo and Baidu also have a significant user base. Therefore, it's important not to put all your eggs in one basket and rely solely on Google regarding SEO efforts.

Focusing all your SEO efforts on Google could mean missing out on valuable traffic and potential customers who use other search engines. While optimising for Google is important, it's also crucial to consider other search engines' algorithms and best practices. This could include Bing, Yahoo, and Baidu, as well as regional and niche search engines like Yandex in Russia and Naver in South Korea. Optimising your website for multiple search engines can ensure that your website is visible to the largest possible audience and increase your chances of reaching new customers.

This is going to be more critical as the years goes by so make sure you focus on this local SEO strategy for 2023

Local SEO Strategies for 2023

So, there you have it. The most condensed yet essential local SEO strategies for 2023. The 5 MUST DOs for your SEO team. Of course, if you prefer to outsource such tasks, you are most welcome to. We so happen to be experts in this area. 

As always, we're only a contact form away, so if you would like to chat with a local SEO strategist and get some fantastic pointers. Get started here.