Why Words Matter When it Comes to Local Search

Have you been struggling to rank for specific keywords?

Do you know which keywords you want to rank for in a local search? The concept of keywords and SEO can be incredibly confusing if you are trying to handle it yourself. While you know your industry like the back of your hand, understanding search is something entirely different. For example, how people may phrase things in a normal conversation isn’t necessarily what they type in a local search. This is especially true in a mobile search where people are looking for instant information so that they can find a local business or make a buying decision. With that in mind, understanding what keywords you should rank for can make a significant difference in your revenue.

As an example, if you are a dentist, competition is fierce when it comes to who will dominate local search results. In order to demonstrate how important keywords are, consider the number of impressions (views) each one of these keywords receives.

1) “Cosmetic dentist Fort Lauderdale” received 1,162 impressions
2) “Cosmetic dentistry Fort Lauderdale FL” received only 254 impressions
3) “Cosmetic dentistry Fort Lauderdale” received 675 impressions

All three of these keyword phrases convey the exact same thing. If you are a cosmetic dentist located in Fort Lauderdale, you will want to be found under any of these search terms. The problem is that if you aren’t working with a professional SEO company how will you know that simply changing “cosmetic dentist” to “cosmetic dentistry” could reduce your impressions by half? This is one of the greatest challenges with SEO.

If you don’t know which words, or combination thereof, will deliver the best results, you are likely missing out on traffic by optimizing for the wrong phrase. This is incredibly easy to do. For example, when writing the content for your website it would be easy to say “visit our cosmetic dentistry office in Fort Lauderdale” instead of “visit our cosmetic dentist office in Fort Lauderdale.” By repeatedly writing the wrong phrase and optimizing for it, you could miss out on the opportunity to show up in a local search for the phrase that people are most frequently typing into a search. When it comes to words, what you don’t know can hurt you.

This is why we recommend working with a professional. We are experts in the field of SEO and will use our analytical tools to determine which keywords and keyword phrases you need to include in your website. This way you will show up faster in a local or mobile search. Depending on what we find, and the current state of your website, you may need a content overhaul or only a few small changes may be necessary. Once done, you will be in a better position to capture more traffic from a local search.