This article will reveal three key strategies for manufacturers that are doing Local SEO to improve their online presence and increase their total sales.

In our previous posts, we discussed the benefits of professional SEO services to manufacturers and how paid social media advertising can help increase sales of manufacturing businesses.

Besides paid social media ads and SEO, a more recent aspect of digital marketing can pay handsome dividends to manufacturers: Local SEO.

Table of Contents

How Local SEO Helps Manufacturing Companies Become Found

welderLocal SEO is short for Local Search Engine Optimization, and it enables websites of businesses—like your manufacturing company—to be found online by potential customers in your area.

Local SEO helps dramatically boost your online visibility so that your website can rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs) when people search for keywords related to your products or services on any of the search engines.

As with SEO, Local SEO may help you increase your sales by being seen by more of your target market in search results. Keep in mind that the higher you rank on SERPs, the greater the likelihood that people would visit your website and eventually become your customers, compared to companies whose websites are listed further down the results—or worse, anywhere after the first page. In fact, the top 3 results in Google get 54.4% of all clicks!

Local SEO Strategies for Manufacturing Companies

With all of those in mind, here are three key strategies that can help your manufacturing company:

Local SEO for Manufacturers - Key Strategy #1: Make Sure Your Website is Optimized for Local SEO

First and foremost, your website is your primary tool for doing Local SEO. Therefore, it’s a must for you to optimize your website by doing the following:

  • Conduct on-page SEO. On-page SEO refers to optimizing your web pages’ HTML source code and content. You need to make sure that all of your pages’ title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and internal linking structure are optimized.
  • Also, make sure that your content contains relevant keywords that correctly describe your manufacturing company and its geographical location. Doing so will enable search engines like Google to understand your site content and, as a result, help it get a better local search ranking.
  • Make use of schema markup. Schema markup—sometimes called structured data—improves search engines’ understanding of your site content. Using schema markup means providing more details about your manufacturing business to search engines, like your location, contact information, and operating hours. Using schema markup can boost your chances of being shown in the top local search results and improve your current local search rank.
  • Use mobile-friendly and responsive web design. As early as 2016, almost 60 percent of searches were already done on mobile devices. People, on average, spend at least 4 hours daily on their mobile Most people who are seeking to make an immediate purchase are on their mobile devices. All of these make it essential to optimize your website for mobile users. Using a responsive website design goes a step further than just having a mobile-friendly one because the former will automatically change the content and layout of your website based on the user’s screen size, thus ensuring its best appearance and functionality, which translates to the best user experience for your target customers.

Local SEO for Manufacturers - Key Strategy #2: Leverage Your Google Business Profile

Next to your website, your Google Business Profile (GBP)—formerly Google My Business—is your next best asset when it comes to Local SEO.

  • If you still haven’t done so, you must claim your manufacturing company’s GBP listing as soon as possible. Doing this can significantly enhance your site’s online visibility. To claim your Google Business Profile, just search for the name of your manufacturing company on Google and click on “Claim this business.” Alternatively, you may click here to claim your Google Business Profile.
  • After you claim your listing, check if your company information is correct and updated. The most important ones to review and update are your business name, address, and phone number (or NAP). Also, check and update (if needed) your operating hours, website URL, company description, and list of products. To further help with your Local SEO, try to use relevant keywords in those texts whenever possible.
  • Trivia: The likelihood of a user buying a product or service jumps by 270% if your business has at least five online reviews. Replying to feedback and getting reviews in your GBP can be very helpful in your Local SEO efforts. Reviews can boost your search rank while also providing social proof that helps gain the trust of your prospects. Find a way to ask your customers to leave reviews on your GBP listing. For example, you can offer some giveaway or an incentive (like a shopping voucher) to random people who leave you an online review.

    When it comes to feedback, you should acknowledge all of it—whether good, bad, or neutral. Ensure that your customer care team responds to online feedback from your customers professionally and as soon as possible. Doing this not only helps improve your local search rank but also shows other users that you value customers’ opinions and are constantly looking to improve your products.

Local SEO for Manufacturers - Key Strategy #3: Maximize Your Visibility in Local Business Directories and Citations

  • Get listed in local business directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, Better Business Bureau, MapQuest, and FourSquare, which can bring tremendous traffic to your manufacturing company’s website. Just submit accurate and latest details about your manufacturing business to those directories. You may also submit your business info to manufacturing industry-specific directories to improve your local search rank further. Some examples of this are Kompass, com, and MacRaes Bluebook, but you can find more just by searching online.The more business directories your manufacturing company is listed on—and the more popular they are—the better outcomes you can expect for your Local SEO.
  • Make Sure You Have a Uniform NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)
    You must use a uniform NAP in all your online citations: what’s written on your website should match what’s on your social media pages, business directory listings, and so on.

    When you use a uniform NAP in all of your online citations, search engines can more easily index your company information, helping it rank higher in local search results. Even minor discrepancies in your NAP details (for example, spelling your business name as ‘Best California Bed Maker’ on your website and ‘Best California Bedmaker’ on your Facebook page) can disorient search engine algorithms and harm your local search rank.

  • Keep Your Citations Up-to-Date on a Regular Basis
    Lastly, it’s best if you actively maintain a list of your business citations so that you can update them regularly whenever there’s any change in your company information, such as a new phone number or longer operating hours. Do your best to ensure that all of your business’s online info is accurate and consistent on all websites and directories.

    Following this step can be tedious, but fortunately, available citation management tools like Moz Local or SEMrush Listing Management can help automate this task for you.

Do You Need Help in Implementing These 3 Key Local SEO Strategies?

Leveraging your website, Google Business Profile, and other online citations are just three major strategies that can effectively improve your manufacturing website’s rank in local searches. If you need additional assistance in doing these, or more information about other effective Local SEO strategies for your business, we can help.

Book a free call with our friendly Local SEO experts today!