Local SEO (or search engine optimisation) is a phrase you’ve likely heard if you’ve looked into marketing for your business. It is a tool used by marketers to ensure that your website ranks well on search engines like Google.
There are many ways to go about SEO, but one of the best kinds of SEO for culture and heritage destinations is local SEO.
In this article, we’re going to cover how implementing local SEO will give your culture and heritage destination the boost it needs. Find out more below.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a tool that uses the features of SEO, like targeting keywords and local backlinks, but optimises them for local searches. This might mean simply extending a keyword from ‘rail museum’ to ‘rail museum York.’
This local optimisation has a positive effect on your search ranking when people are searching in the local area. It targets tourists looking for something to do while on holiday in the region or locals looking for activities near them.
It will also decrease your competition in the wider search rankings by targeting a more specific group. For example, rather than competing with all the rail museums everywhere, by extending your keyword, you’re only competing with rail museums in York (and we’re pretty sure there’s only one!)
How Can I Use Local SEO to Boost My Culture and Heritage Business?
So, what can you do to boost your local SEO usage and, in turn, your rankings on Google? Below, we’ve gathered our top tips for including local SEO on your website as a culture and heritage business.
#1 Google My Business
Google My Business (GMB) optimisation is one of the most important aspects of local SEO. The GMB listing is the small box that often appears in a Google search when you search for a specific business. It includes everything from your contact details to your webpage to your opening hours. You can update your listing by going to your Google Business Profile.
To optimise the listing ensure that all information is up to date and as easy to follow as possible. You should also add photos when possible and encourage customer reviews to boost your visibility.
#2 Local Listings
Citations on local business listing sites are crucial for visibility too. While this kind of SEO is happening off your site, it’s still very important.
First and foremost, it gets your name out there. It means that people searching these listings for things to do in your region will find you. But it also means that your website is linked to by other sites.
Backlinks are very important for SEO as they boost your credibility and your standing in the Google rankings. Additionally, it can encourage traffic to your site by referral.
#3 On-Page SEO
The on-page SEO you do for your local SEO is the same as any other kind of SEO. It means implementing keywords that target the people you’re hoping to attract. For a local audience, this means adding location-based keywords.
If you’re located in a big city, don’t hesitate to refine your local area. For example, ‘art gallery, London’ will have far more search results for you to compete with than ‘art gallery, Hackney.’
These keywords need to be in your on-page text, including headers and captions, as well as the ‘off-page’ text, like alt text on images and meta descriptions for each page.
Other ways to increase on-page SEO could be adding location-specific pages. If you’re a culture and heritage business operating across an entire city, then you can target specific audiences through localised pages.
These pages can include all the information on the services that you offer in those specific regions. You can then link to these pages on your wider site to boost internal links on your website as a whole.
#4 Backlinks
Backlinking is when another website links to your site. For local SEO, good places to get backlinks are local blogs, websites, and news sites.
You can encourage this behaviour by creating a PR strategy that ensures updates and events about your culture and heritage site are talked about by bloggers and journalists.
Another way to encourage backlinks is to invite local bloggers and influencers to your business to create content. This can also inform your social media strategy as influencer marketing is an incredibly lucrative marketing technique.
If you’d like to encourage backlinks without using influencers, you might also start a blog with informative content. For example, if you’re a photography gallery, you might create articles on specific movements in photography or how-to guides on getting started with film cameras.
These articles should be optimised with keywords and may then be linked to by others creating blogs or articles where your information is relevant.
#5 NAP Consistency
NAP, or name, address, phone number, consistency is very important. If this information isn’t the same on all pages or links to your website, it will confuse search engines which could hurt your ranking.
Make sure that when you update them, you update across every place you have this information listed.
#6 Mobile Optimisation
Lastly, optimising your site across various devices will have a positive impact on how you perform in the search rankings. Many, many people now access websites on their phones, so if your website doesn’t load or looks odd on a mobile device, people will log back off quickly.
Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. You’re a tourist looking for something to do in a new city on your phone. If your website is welcoming, works on their phone, and gives them all the information that they need, they’re more likely to give your culture and heritage business a chance.
Most people don’t bring their laptops on holiday so make yourself accessible! If you need support with web development, we can help!
Final Thoughts
Local SEO is a hugely beneficial marketing tool for culture and heritage businesses. As local tourist attractions, your audience is tourists and locals looking for things to do in your region. This means that even something as simple as tacking a place name on the end of your keywords can work wonders.
If you’re looking for support with your SEO implementation, or, indeed, any part of your digital strategy, Rokir can help. We have experience across a range of industries, including the tourism industry, so we can support you with a tailored approach to digital marketing and maintenance.
Contact us now for more information on how we can help.
Hi I’m Alex, Blog and PR Copywriter
