We all rely on Google’s powerful search engine to help us in life. From finding out the name of that TV character or actress from our childhood to confirming if it’s true love that we’re feeling, and to medically diagnosing our cold symptoms or COVID-19 symptoms for that matter, we aren’t so sure where we would be without it. Thus, every business wants to have a website design for local search results.
So, as a business, you need to be visible on Google to survive in these challenging times. It’s no longer enough for websites to rank high; they need to rank well in local search results too. Besides, mobile traffic is steadily increasing on local business websites, web developers & designers are now tasked with a new responsibility as today’s tech-savvy mobile users demand more information about local businesses.
Apart from that, small businesses need to have a website. And your website design needs to be creative in how that data is served to them in search through design. Moreover, local search has become very important in recent years, and this is mainly due to the trends in mobile internet usage. But what exactly is a local search and how can a website owner optimise their website to make the most of local search, read on to find out:
Local search
For the past few years, Google has been developing its Search Engine to bring more relevant results to its users, and one element of this algorithmic development is to prioritise local businesses & services in search results.
For instance, if a person is located in Dublin, Ireland, and they search for a term like “website design Dublin” more than likely, several local web design agencies in Dublin will rank on the first & second pages.
Likewise, if that person were in Cork and put in the same query but with Cork in place of Dublin, web agencies from Cork would get priority in the search results. So how do website owners create a website design for local search results ? Well, read on to know the answer to that question –
On-site Optimisation
Now, what you must understand is that one of the most important things from a local search point of view is to have complete contact details on your website. That includes the company name, phone number, address & email address. This information can be inserted on the contact page or the footer of each page on your website.
Now, this sounds basic. But so many website owners and perhaps website designers fail to get it right. Plus, including a map on your website via a Google Maps API can be very beneficial. However, it may not directly impact local search results; it is helpful for customers trying to locate your business.
Another vital element of local search is ensuring that your website is responsive. In other words, it should be built using responsive techniques so it can be viewed with ease on all mobile devices. Also, it is crucial to ensure that the load speed of your website is optimised correctly. Finally, include some location information on the main website pages; this can be done in a few different positions on the website like the meta-descriptions, the title tags, and the web page headings.
Off-site Optimisation
Google has introduced a single platform called Google My Business. Simply log into Google My Business and fill out the information correctly. Once you do that, it’ll update across all Google Services and will significantly help in your local search results.
How does it all work together?
Everything above contributes to your likelihood of appearing on Google’s Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) in 2020, as well as how you appear in search.
Your business information must be consistent no matter where it appears.
A local SEO (search engine optimisation) strategy works well as part of a larger process – since they are complementary. It all depends on prioritisation – local businesses and startups might not have the time & resources to optimize their existing website but might have a fabulous social media presence (let’s say a Facebook page) with a ton of reviews.
Larger companies might have a strong organic search presence, but they may miss out on some of the basic fundamental local SEO tactics that could contribute to the larger picture. So, prioritisation is essential.
About our Web Design & Development Company
We are a digital marketing firm based in Dublin and provide complete web design & development along with other online marketing services. With every website we build, we optimise them for local search in a correct and Google-friendly way to rank better.
If you would like any advice or want a new website design, stop searching for ‘Website Design Dublin,’ and get in contact with us. Our best in class marketing solutions and CMS (Content Management System) developers will transform your website with ease.
