7 local SEO basics every Hickory business should get right
Before you spend a dime on ads, make sure these seven basics are in place. They're the foundation every local ranking is built on.
Key takeaways
- Your name, address and phone must match everywhere online
- Each main service deserves its own page
- Reviews and a complete Google profile matter as much as your website
Start with your Google Business Profile
For most local searches, the map results show up before the regular website results. Those map results come from Google Business Profiles. If yours is incomplete, unverified or in the wrong category, you’re starting the race from behind. Claim it, verify it and fill out every section.
Keep your business info consistent everywhere
Your business name, address and phone number (often called NAP) should be exactly the same on your website, your Google profile, Facebook, Yelp, Bing and every directory you’re listed in. Old addresses and phone numbers confuse customers and search engines alike. Search for your business name and fix anything that’s out of date.
Give every main service its own page
A single “Services” page listing everything you do is hard for Google to understand. If you’re a plumber who does water heaters, drain cleaning and repiping, each of those deserves its own page explaining the service, who it’s for and where you offer it.
Show Google where you work
Mention the towns you serve naturally on your site. If you work across Hickory, Newton, Conover and Morganton, say so. Some businesses benefit from a page for each major area, as long as every page is genuinely useful and not a copy with the town name swapped.
Make reviews part of your routine
Reviews influence both rankings and whether people call. Ask every happy customer, make it easy with a direct link, and reply to every review, good or bad. A steady stream of recent reviews beats a big batch from three years ago.
Make your site fast and easy on a phone
Most local searches happen on phones, often when someone needs help right now. If your site is slow, hard to tap or hides your phone number, they’ll hit the back button and call the next business on the list.
Measure calls and leads, not just rankings
Rankings are a means to an end. Track the calls, form fills and direction requests that come from your website and Google profile, so you know what’s actually bringing in business.
