On-page SEO for local businesses

Using keywords effectively in website content
13
Jun

For any local business, an online presence that is strong, well branded and memorable can make all the difference in terms of attracting nearby customers. Whether you’re a service provider like a plumber or a dog groomer, or you own a shop, your online presence can be essential for driving sales. On-page SEO is a big part of this, but what is this? And what do you need to know about on-page SEO for local businesses?

What is on-page SEO for local businesses?

So first of all, what exactly is on-page SEO? Well, this refers to the things you can do directly on your website to help it rank higher in search engines like Google. It’s all about making your site clear, helpful, and relevant to both people and search engines.This includes things like:

  • Choosing the right keywords
  • Writing great content
  • Using headings properly
  • Adding meta titles and descriptions
  • Optimising images
  • Making sure your site is fast and mobile-friendly
  • Making sure you site and content is optimised for the local area

Choosing the right local keywords for your business

One of the first things to consider when it comes to on-page SEO are the keywords you want to rank for. These are the words that potential customers or clients will type into Google when they’re looking for your services. This could include:

  • “emergency plumber Preston”
  • “wedding photographer Preston”
  • “Aesthetic clinic near me” (yes, Google uses location data for that)
  • As you can see, these search terms indicate the intent of the potential customer or client, as well as the region. Some factors to consider for any local business when it comes to choosing keywords for your business include:
  • Medium to high search volume
  • Low to medium competition
  • Phrases that clearly show local interest

Once you’ve made a list, choose 1 or 2 main keywords per page and some related variations to sprinkle in naturally.

Optimising your page titles and meta descriptions

Another factor to consider is the titles of your pages and the meta descriptions. Your title tag and meta description will be shown in the search results, and it’s important that these are written in a way that encourages potential customers or clients to click on the link to your website. As such, you can think of these seemingly small details as the front cover of your website. This means that they need to be clear, relevant, and inviting.

For your title tags, you should:

Keep it under 60 characters

Put your keyword near the beginning

Include your location if possible

Example:

“Emergency Plumber in Preston | 24/7 Fast Response”

For your meta description, you should:

Keep it under 160 characters

Highlight benefits or unique selling points

Use a call to action (like “Call now” or “Book online”)

Example:

“Looking for a reliable emergency plumber in Preston? Fast, affordable, and available 24/7. Call now!”

Using headings properly for local SEO

The headings, and the structure of the headings, is an important part of any website’s SEO, including for local businesses. Google loves clear structure, and your customers do too, so it’s important to use headings effectively. This can include dividing content to make it easier to read, and to categorise content. As part of this, you should:

  • Use H1 for the main title of the page (only one per page)
  • Use H2s for main sections
  • Use H3s for sub-sections if needed
  • Include keywords in your headings, but keep them natural, like this example:
  • <h1>Affordable Roof Repairs in Preston</h1>
  • <h2>Why Choose Our Roofing Service?</h2>
  • <h2>Our Services</h2>
  • <h3>Tile Roof Repairs</h3>
  • <h3>Flat Roof Fixes</h3>

Write content for humans first

While creating content is highly effective for your SEO strategy, allowing your business to rank for a wider variety of keywords and driving more traffic to your website, it is essential that you write with human readers in mind first. Your content should be helpful, clear, and written for real people. As part of this, you should consider:

  • Including your main keyword in the first 100 words
  • Naturally using variations and related terms
  • Answering common customer questions (Google loves this)
  • Aim for at least 300–500 words per key page (like your homepage, service pages, etc.)

Emphasise local information throughout

If you are targeting a local audience, it’s essential to make sure your content reflects this. Not only is this helpful for your audience, but Google will also pick up on local signals, which helps with your local rankings. You can include local information in a range of ways, including:

  • Mentioning your city/town in headings and paragraphs
  • Adding directions
  • Highlighting the areas you serve (use a bullet list or a small map)
  • Including customer reviews from your area
  • Optimise your images for local SEO
  • Images won’t just make your website look great, attracting attention and showing off your services or products visually, as these can help your SEO too. To get the most value from your image SEO, you should consider:
  • Resizing images so they don’t slow down your site
  • Using descriptive file names (e.g., preston-plumber.jpg instead of IMG123.jpg)
  • Add alt text that includes your keyword, but only if it makes sense, for example, “Our plumber fixing a leak in a Preston home”. This is also important for accessibility.

Use internal linking effectively

Internal linking is important for helping your website users, and potential customers or clients, find the information they are looking for. Not only does this improve the user experience when done well, but this also helps Google understand how your site is structured. As such, you should:

  • Link from your homepage to service pages
  • Link between related services or blog posts
  • Use anchor text that tells people what the link is about (not just “click here”)
  • Make sure your website and content is mobile-friendly and fast
  • One thing you shouldn’t overlook is that the majority of local searches are made on a phone. This means that if your site doesn’t work well on mobile, you will be missing out on potential customers and clients. To make sure your website is mobile-friendly, you should:
  • Use responsive design which allows your site to adjust to the screen size of the user
  • Make text easy to read without zooming
  • Use buttons that are easy to tap
  • Keep load times under 3 seconds
  • Keep your website fresh for a local SEO boost

Finally, to make sure your website continues to perform well in terms of local SEO, you should update your site regularly. This includes adding new blog posts, refreshing old content, and keeping things current. To keep the emphasis on local SEO, consider creating content about:

  • Local events you’re part of
  • Seasonal tips (like “Winter Boiler Maintenance in Preston”)
  • Common customer questions
  • Behind the scenes at your business
  • Fresh content shows Google your site is active and relevant.

Here at Pumpkin Web Design, we are Preston’s leading web design and web marketing experts. From SEO to content, we are the team you can count on for your businesses online success. Why not get in touch today to find out more?

Pumpkin Web Design Ltd is a small and highly results driven digital agency working for like minded clients in Preston, Chorley, Southport, Blackburn, Burnley, Morecambe,Wigan, Manchester, London, Warrington, Blackpool, Lancaster, Leyland, Lytham St Annes, Bolton, Chester and the UK. Our services include web design, SEO, content marketing, video production, brand design and much more.