New York City and the surrounding boroughs are full of constant life. Endless businesses are popping up daily that you must compete with to snag as much local online traffic as possible. Standing out in this crowd requires refined local SEO NYC techniques our team at Griffon Webstudios has spent years developing, evolving, and implementing.
While you want to have a system that adapts to your target audience’s current trends and keyword research, you can use some fundamental tips to get started. First and foremost is using local SEO. Stop trying to capture a larger audience through generalized terms like “corner bookstore” and go for local infusions like “local bookstore in Brooklyn, NY.”
Local SEO- Google My Business
Next, you’ll want to optimize your organization’s Google My Business (GMB) page. Like it or not, Google is the top dog in the search engine world. You must have a business profile that lists your accurate address and contact information and links back to your website and/or social media. It helps if you have your business hours and as many positive user reviews as well.
Now that you’ve established your online presence dig deeper into keyword research. Try to find those niche, local keyword phrases others are not using. For example, while it may not seem the best grammar, using terms like “Manhattan coffee shop near me” goes a long way to increasing local traffic from people on their mobile phones trying to get a cup of Joe.
On-page SEO will also need to be updated. Every single one of your web pages, from your Contact Us page to your FAQ should have a target keyword phrase with primary, secondary, and supportive terms. Be sure these are used throughout your titles, headers, and content (don’t forget the image alt-tags!).
Building High Quality Links
No matter what, link building is going to be one of the best ways to boost your local SEO NYC tactics. However, you can skip the broad directories from international sites and go for more local connections. Reach out to fellow businesses, sponsors, clients, and stakeholders in the NYC area to link back to your site. That collaboration and endorsement go a long way to enhancing your SERP (search engine rank position).
While you’re cultivating those local backlinks, ask for reviews from previous clients. The more UGC (user generated content) you have supporting your business, the more you will establish your organization as an authority in your niche. This is precisely what you need to establish trust in your reputation as an expert or “highly sought after” provider of your goods and services.
A Mobile Responsive Website
Everything must be mobile responsive. A good local SEO NYC website is one that can be quickly looked up from any location throughout the city. There are so many tourists and diverse residents that you want them to be able to reach your site no matter if they are hanging out in their kitchens, riding the subway, or walking around Central Park.
Quality local SEO NYC strategies are going to come down to consistency and adaptability. Do your research and be sure your NAP citations are the same at every customer touchpoint. These are the Name, Address, and Phone Number of your business used on your website, GMB, social media, and anything else.
Finally, don’t be afraid to share some local stories. Tailor your content so that it directly targets your local audience. Use the terms and insights you know they appreciate. This will also lead to more authenticity of your business so when they do land on your site, they know you are NYC proud – through and through.
Give us a call at Griffon Webstudios for more fantastic insights into the local SEO NYC world. We thrive in the endless change of NYC and can help you establish a strong SEO foundation to build upon year after year.
