Google’s ultimate goal is to deliver the best and most relevant results to its users. Its algorithms are updated daily to ensure they are providing high quality answers to search queries. Using geolocation technology, Google is able to deliver location-based results to its users. Now, when a user in your city is searching for apartments, it is vital to make sure you have implemented a comprehensive local SEO strategy for your apartment community with the goal to appear in that user’s search results based on their location and/or the location-based words they use to perform the search.
A comprehensive local SEO strategy should include developing a local content marketing plan, listing accurate business information consistently across the Internet, a verified Google business page, up-to-date citations of your apartment community on other websites, a plan to earn positive reviews, and a strategic relationship/link building campaign.
Create Valuable Local Content
The more valuable local content you offer on your site, the more Google crawls (visits) your apartment community website, allowing you optimal opportunities to appear in its search engine results pages. Creating useful, local content not only creates the best environment for improved visibility in search results, but it also makes your site more engaging for users. You should provide your residents and potential residents with information about events that are going on in and around your community, details about your floor plans and amenities, as well as lifestyle-enhancing tips. It is important to utilize a blog that integrates to your apartment community website and social media channels.
NAPW Consistency
In the field of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), your collective name, address, phone number, and web address is abbreviated as NAPW. Your NAPW data must be consistent across your website, social profiles, and everywhere your business is mentioned online. Be sure to include your NAPW data on your website’s header or footer to ensure that it will show up on every page of your site. If you have any business listings around the web, your information must be up-to-date. If you hope to gain any traction with your local SEO strategy, do not use post office boxes or 800 numbers. Always use your local physical address and local phone number.
Google My Business
The most important thing you can do to improve your visibility in Google’s local search results is to claim your business with Google My Business. This is Google’s business dashboard, which connects your apartment community directly to residents whether they are searching via Google Search, Google Maps, or Google+. To help guarantee that you are eligible to show in local search results, go to google.com/business to setup and verify your apartment community as soon as possible. Be prepared to confirm the location of your business through an automated phone call or postcard.
Claim Your Listings
To help Google decide how much it can trust your site to appear in its search results, it looks to citations or mentions of your website on other websites. It measures the quality and quantity of these citations as a factor in determining where your website appears in its search results. Remember, if you have mentions of your website on other sites, make sure your NAPW data is accurate and up-to-date.
Earn Positive Reviews
SEO professionals agree that businesses with more positive reviews tend to outrank businesses with less. The more positive reviews you have on Google and other relevant reviews sites, the more likely you are to appear in search results. The most organic thing you can do to increase positive reviews of your apartment community is to provide excellent customer service. When you do this, you will raise the chance for residents to sing your praises via word of mouth and through online reviews. To boost reviews, consider adding a page to your website where you provide information about your favorite review sites and instructions for leaving reviews on those sites.
Get Votes Through Link Building
Link Building is the practice of earning backlinks to your site from other websites. Essentially, backlinks are votes for your site in Google. Quality backlinks from reputable sites prove to Google that your website can be trusted. However, you need a plan to build relationships and earn quality backlinks. One idea is to sponsor an event or contest and promote it by sending press releases to local news sources and local influencers with high-traffic websites. Backlinks to your website from popular and authoritative local websites will help to increase your visibility in local search results.
Choose the Best Platform
Improve your apartment community’s visibility in search results by choosing a website platform that streamlines your SEO efforts and makes it simple to manage on-page SEO and technical SEO efforts. An ideal website platform should include features such as blog integration, syndication tools, and digital sharing capabilities to distribute content to social platforms. Whether your prospective residents are accessing your website from their mobile phones, tablets, laptops, or desktops, it should be mobile-friendly with the ability to deliver a consistent user experience.
Now that you are aware of some of the most important methods used to improve visibility in local search results, start applying them in your apartment community’s marketing plan. Always make certain that you keep your apartment community website as the hub of all activity, as that is where you want to build local SEO.