When someone types "bakery near me" or "accountant in Ixelles" on Google, the top three results capture 75% of clicks. Local SEO is the art of being in those three results.
Google Business Profile: the foundation
If there's only one thing you do for your local SEO, it's creating and optimizing your Google Business Profile. It's free, and it's what gets you on Google Maps and in local results.
Essential elements to fill in:
- Exact business name (no keyword stuffing)
- Complete address and phone number
- Up to date opening hours
- Real photos of your premises, products, team
- Clear description of your services
Client reviews: your secret weapon
Google places enormous importance on reviews. The more positive and recent reviews you have, the higher you rank. It's that simple.
Systematically ask your satisfied clients to leave a review. Send them the direct link after each service. Respond to every review, positive or negative. Google sees you're active and engaged.
Local citations
A local citation is when your business is mentioned on another site with your name, address and phone number. The more consistent citations you have, the more Google trusts you.
Where to get cited: Yellow Pages, Yelp, Belgian local directories, your chamber of commerce, industry specific directories.
The crucial point: your information must be identical everywhere. The slightest variation (abbreviating "Avenue" to "Ave." for example) can dilute your signal.
Local content on your website
Your website needs to mention your geographical area. Reference your city, neighbourhood, neighbouring municipalities. If you're a plumber in Jette, your site should contain "plumber in Jette", "plumbing repair Brussels", etc.
Create specific pages for each area you serve. A hairdresser in Uccle who also targets Ixelles and Saint-Gilles should have content for each of these municipalities.
Concrete results
One of our clients, a restaurant in Brussels, went from page 3 to position 2 on Google in 6 weeks. Result: 40% more reservations. All without paid advertising, solely with well executed local SEO.
Local SEO isn't complicated, but it requires rigour and consistency. And that's exactly what we do at Pixel Noir.