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What is the Importance of Backlinks for SEO & Keyword Rankings?

Discover how backlinks can be the cornerstone of your SEO strategy. Learn about the different types of backlinks, their impact on search engine rankings, and essential tips for building a strong backlink profile. By understanding the importance of backlinks for SEO, you can elevate your website's online presence and attract more targeted traffic. Read the full article

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Dominate Your Niche with Parasite SEO: Friend or Foe?

I have been constantly working on this fascinating SEO strategy called parasite SEO. As the name itself specifies, It's nothing but leveraging the trust & authority of an existing established website to give your content a ranking boost for the target keywords. [Read More] Read the full article

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Best Free Business Directories & Listings in India [Citations]

Do you know the hidden power of local citations? Business listings? As someone who has been doing SEO for quite some time now, I have come across numerous businesses & situations where local citations have proven to be quite useful for online businesses. It won't be wrong to say these online listings, like business directories, are the cornerstones of a successful local SEO strategy. Take, for instance, a thriving Mumbai florist named "Ohana Floral Gallery." Their floral arrangements are exquisite, but their online presence? not so much. Still, they are getting customers from Google searches, how?? Local citations! Let's take a breather. How does it happen? - Local Citations Help Ranking: Primarily, citations are like trust signals for search engines like Google. The more consistent, informational & numerous your business listings are, the better your local search ranking will be. Think of potential customers searching for "florist near me" – with strong citations, "Petal Power" will be among the top results they see! - Builds Local Authority: A strong local citation profile portrays your business as a legitimate & reliable business. Simply put, think of it as your reputation. Potential customers searching for florists will be more likely to trust "Petal Power" to handle their floral needs. - Helps With Local Visibility: You could consider citations as neon signs illuminating your business online. Everybody can see your sign even in the hustle of the market. The more directories you're listed in, the greater the visibility. Now, how did Ohana Floral Gallery benefit? They built a GBP & were very active over there with consistent updates. Additionally, they built their NAP syndication & business listings on prominent local business directories. Results? By being consistent with their efforts, they turned the tide in the Mumbai floral market.

List of Free Business Listings & Directories in India for Local Citation

[Read More: Free Business Directories & Listings in India]Here you gooo! Take your time & let us know if you need more. This list of business directories for local citations will help you elevate your local search rankings. Read the full article

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A Guide to Local SEO: Checklist for Growth

You will not believe it, today, nearly half of all online searches have local intent. You know what that means, right? If you're a local business, you must prioritize local SEO to attract more customers & most importantly, relevant customers. With the help of this guide, let me walk you through everything you need to do to succeed when it comes to local search rankings, doesn’t matter if you are a rookie or a seasoned SEO expert.[Read More: Local SEO Checklist]Ready to take your local SEO to the next level? Subscribe to Brandbhasha for expert advice, actionable strategies, and the latest local SEO trends - delivered straight to your inbox Read the full article

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Google Search Console: Your Website's Best Friend

Do you know how Important Google Search Console (GSC) is for your website? No? Let me help you. Imagine a blind person who relies on a help dog to travel around the market. Now, you know how important that dog is for that blind person, right? Now, what that dog is to the blind man, Google Search Console is, for a website. Still, having trouble? Imagine Google as a giant library. Enticing? Now, Google Search Console is your pass to understanding how Google sees your website within this huge library. How does this pass benefit you tho? It's like having a direct line to the librarian who can tell you what books (web pages) are on the shelves, where they're placed, and if there are any issues preventing readers (searchers) from finding them. In essence, Google Search Console empowers you to monitor, optimize, and troubleshoot your website's search engine performance. While optional, I recommend, everybody who wishes to top the search rankings, head there, like IMMEDIATELY!!!

What are the Advantages of Using Google Search Console?

What are the Limitations of Using Google Search Console?

How to Set Up Google Search Console?

A Deep Dive into Google Search Console Sections & Features

How does Google Search Console boost SEO?

A point just came up over here, "Backlink Analysis", & reading about Parasite SEO; a link-building strategy might help you understand the intricacies of backlinks in a better way. By effectively utilizing Google Search Console, SEO professionals can gain valuable insights, optimize website performance, and improve search engine visibility in no time. RUN! NOW!!

FAQs About Google Search Console

What is the role of Google Search Console in international SEO? GSC helps you monitor performance across different countries & languages. Additionally, It helps identify hreflang issues & implement corrections as well. Based on geographical targeting analysis, you can make adjustments as needed. How can Google Search Console help with voice search optimization? It can help you analyze search queries to identify conversational language & optimize content for featured snippets & answer boxes. How can Google Search Console be used to monitor local SEO performance? GSC is not a dedicated local SEO tool, however, GSC offers a search query report that can reveal local search terms & the performance report can show how well local listings are doing. Is Google Search Console free to use? Yes, Google Search Console is a completely free tool available to any website owner. You only need a Google account to access and use it.

Final Words

You are here! What does that mean? You now know almost everything about GSC & why I call Google Search Console, a website's best friend. GSC is not just another tool, but a powerhouse of insights, knowledge & data that, when used effectively, can ramp up your website traffic in the direction of your choosing. Right from website performance to core web vitals, it presents almost everything an SEO expert would need to plan an effective SEO strategy. You tell us more about Google Search Console & brownie points for those who bring something nobody knows. Hit the comments section & bring it on. PS: Do not forget to subscribe to Brandbhasha. Read the full article

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How To Use "Near Me" Keywords in Your Local SEO Strategy?

Do you often use "Near Me" keywords in your local SEO strategy? If yes, I have some shocking revelations for you. Do you know what usually happens? When we do the keyword research, we go ahead & choose the "near me" keywords with good search volume & intent, as if, we will use them effectively & Google will rank us without any hassle. (Google be like 'Joke's on you buddy') Let me break the bubble, Google doesn't give a flying finger about it. Let me tell you why & how you can optimize your websites & profiles to rank for those keywords in the local searches. Before answering how to do that, let's answer why it won't work. Let's begin with what happens when we search for "near me" keywords.

What Happens When Someone Searches a "Near Me" Keyword?

When a user types a "near me" keyword into a search engine, a domino effect takes place & a series of events unfolds, let's check them out. First, Location Detection - Device-Based: The search engine puts the device's GPS or IP address to work & to pinpoint the user's approximate location/vicinity. - Search History: Chances are that the location services are turned off, then, the search engine relies on previous search history to estimate the approximate location of the search. Next, Query Analysis - Keyword Extraction: Once the location is intact, the search engine will identify the core "near me" keyword and any additional search terms. (for example in "Gemstone engagement ring near me"; "Gemstone engagement ring" will be the core keyword) - Intent Understanding: This helps the search engine determine the user's intent of search (e.g., finding a product, service, or place). Showdown with Local Search Results - Dominance of Google My Business (GMB): Businesses who have optimized their GMB profiles will then appear prominently in the map pack at the top of search results. - Organic Listings: Then relevant local businesses with strong fundamentals in on-page SEO and good local citations may appear below the map pack. - Distance & Relevance: Search engines then show results based on businesses closest to the user's search location & those most relevant to the core search query. Poooooofff...I can now see the "near me" keywords taking a turn for good. Wait, Wait, There's More - Reviews & Ratings: If your business profile has positive reviews, it can significantly impact the business's ranking & click-through rate. - Mobile Optimization: Now we all know most "near me" searches occur on mobile devices, right? So, having a mobile-friendly website is crucial. - Business Hours & Availability: Apart from all this, it comes down to who's serving & open, at the time of the search. Let's take an example: If you search "burger near me," you'll most likely see a map with nearby burger joints, along with a list of optimized organic search results & possibly local business listings. What Did We Just Learn? - "Near me" searches are almost completely location-dependent. - Optimizing for local SEO using GMB & website both is essential for businesses targeting nearby customers. - Hands down, Google My Business is a cornerstone of local search visibility. Now, we are all up to speed on What happens & why it happens. Let's deep dive into How.

How To Rank for "Near Me" Keywords?

Optimizing your website for local SEO & "near me" keywords is simpler than you might think. Let me show you: Create & Optimize Your Google My Business Profile To rank for “near me” keywords, you have to have a Google Business Profile, kind of mandatory. Having a GMB profile makes your business look more prominent in search results. Let's see how to optimize it: - Create your Profile: Head over to business.google.com & start creating your business profile on Google and follow the steps to verify it. - Update Information: Ensure all your business details are accurate and complete. - Expand with Content: Put your creativity to use & add relevant content like posts about your products, services, & events. - Enable CTAs: Add a clickable phone number, website, and E-Mail ID & do not forget to turn on your messages feature. - Use Bookings Feature: Google business profile allows you to add a booking link. Use a contact form to gather hot leads directly. Hot Tip: The key to a highly relevant & successful Google Business Profile is an optimized Business title & by optimized, I mean, infused with targeted keywords. Take Care of NAP Data Ensuring consistency in your business name, address, & phone number (NAP) across the web is crucial for local SEO. - Choose a Universal Format: Work only on a consistent format for your NAP. - Update Listings: You can use tools like Moz Local to find & correct any discrepancies. Local Citations Always Help Try to build your presence in local directories by creating citations that include your NAP data: - Find Directories: Find key local directories for your city and industry. - Create Profiles: Add your NAP information to these directories. Examples: YELP, Crunchbase, TrustPilot, SiteJabber, Thrillopedia, Yellow Pages, TripAdvisor, & Many More. Target Local Keywords Choose keywords that are relevant & make sense to your business, services, products and location, and embed them into your website content, meta tags, and heading tags & create dedicated landing pages for them: - Use Keyword-City Combos: Use phrases like “Authentic Jamaican Food in New Delhi” in your content, URLs, titles, headlines, and image data of the target page. Let me show you an example: - Target Keyword: Authentic Jamaican Food in New Delhi - URL: "/authentic-jamaican-food-new-delhi" or "/new-delhi-jamaican-cuisine" - Meta Description: Craving authentic Jamaican flavors in New Delhi? Discover the best spots for jerk chicken, curry goat, and more! Savor the Caribbean taste in the heart of India. - Title: Authentic Jamaican Food in New Delhi | Best Restaurants - Headline: Discover the Best Jamaican Restaurants in New Delhi - Image Data - Image File Name: authentic-jamaican-food-new-delhi.jpg - Alt Text: Authentic Jamaican jerk chicken with rice and peas served in a New Delhi restaurant - Image Description: A mouthwatering image of a traditional Jamaican jerk chicken dish served with rice and peas, showcasing the vibrant colors and flavors of Caribbean cuisine. - Add a Google Map: Include a map on your landing page to highlight your location. Mobile-Friendly Website is a Must Since many “near me” searches are done on mobile devices, you already know this, you being one of them, ensure your website is mobile-friendly to cater to this audience. Build Local Links Acquire backlinks from local websites/publications/magazines/news sites to boost your local SEO: - Link Building: Ask local businesses, news, magazines, listings, industry blogs, and event sites to link to your website. - Sponsorship & Awards: Sponsor local events, & apply for awards Building backlinks is good for website & rankings & traffic but you have to avoid any & all black-hat SEO practices. Take a look at this detailed article that briefs you about Parasite SEO. Schema Markup Goes a Long Way Schema markup helps search engines understand your content better & provide rich results: - Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper: Select your data type, mark up your elements, create the HTML, and add it to your site. Once done, test your schema to ensure it’s correctly implemented. Business Reviews - The Gamechanger You won't believe but the impact of online reviews is directly proportional to local SEO rankings. Actively managing your reviews not only boosts your reputation but also builds credibility & boosts your search rankings: - Encourage Customer Reviews: Take reviews on business listing sites like YELP, Google Business Profile, Apple Maps & Bing Maps as well. - Manage Your Reputation: Do not forget to respond to all your reviews and maintain a positive rating. Quick Tip: Ask your customers to add a couple of keywords here & there to give local search rankings a push. Interesting, Right? By following these steps, you can easily & effectively optimize your website for local “near me” keywords, driving more local traffic & business to your site than ever.

To Wrap the Local SEO Saga

From the experience that I hold, I believe that effectively using "near me" keywords is crucial for local dominance on the internet. By optimizing your digital presence, you not only increase your chances of ranking higher in local search results, but you also attract more potential customers & build a healthy relationship within your community as well. Bidding goodbye, I would say one thing, local SEO is an ongoing & never-ending process. Monitor your search rankings daily, track your organic website traffic, and keep a close watch on your competitors to stay ahead of the trend. Now, it's your turn. Tell me the biggest setback you have encountered while doing Local SEO for yourself or your clients in the comments below. Read the full article