By: Joanna Ellis-Escobar –

The importance of search engine rankings for modern businesses cannot be overstated. Surveys have shown that at least 80 percent of all consumers use information derived from search engines when making a purchase decision. Finding ways to boost your ranking with major search engines can pay off in higher traffic and increased sales for your business or franchise. But, where do you start? Here are three proven strategies that can increase your search engine rankings and improve your profitability in your local community.
Tip 1: Localize Your Online Presentation
Claiming and completing your business profiles on Google, Yahoo and other search engines is a good first step toward building your rankings with these sites. Providing a local phone number and brick-and-mortar address is especially critical when attempting to make your mark in local SEO. Businesses that provide only toll-free numbers and email addresses rather than localized phone and address information may fail to show up on consumer searches for your area. Once this information is in place with search engines, you can use these profiles as templates for filling out the same information for local directories to extend your reach even further.
Tip 2: Create a Consistent Image
In the marketing field, branding is the process of presenting your company in a consistent light in all its public endeavors. In the local community, this can be accomplished in a number of ways:

• Use similar language and descriptors for your company in local directories, advertising campaigns and other marketing tools. This will allow you to achieve a greater degree of brand recognition and visibility.
• Use a consistent voice for all your online content. Doing so provides a greater continuity for loyal readers and increases brand identity.
• Retain the same corporate logo, fonts and color choices, which are also critical to ongoing branding efforts.
• Work with professional live chat providers to ensure consistently positive interactions with returning customers and first-time guests to your website.

By focusing on brand and image, you can be confident that your franchise presents itself to optimal effect in both the online and traditional advertising venues.
Tip 3: Incorporate Keywords into Content
While Google’s algorithms are continually changing, the value of quality content and appropriate keywords remains constant. Researching the most effective keywords for both your business and your local area can provide you with the information needed to target your key demographics and audiences more accurately. The right combination of well-written content and professionally integrated keywords can have a surprisingly large effect on your company’s local search engine rankings over time. Be wary of content companies’ SEO practices though. Quality content will naturally use keywords—the days of stuffing keywords into your content are over, and doing so will ultimately hurt your SEO efforts.
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