Large enterprises tend to vary a lot from SMBs due to the sheer scale of their operations. The outreach of enterprises is also larger as are there target audiences. Due to these factors, the local SEO strategies of both business types also differ significantly. What works for a small company with single-city outreach is not the best fit for enterprises with widespread reach. To focus on reaching the right audiences, SEO company professionals are taking different proactive measures. The obvious differences in operational models must be paid heed to, in the planning phase itself.

When it comes to enterprise level SEO, there is no one size fits all analogy. Similarly, the needs of enterprises also differ. They are more complex than say, a small business which just wants a bit more exposure. More often than not, strategies meant for small-scale businesses fail to yield the desired results for enterprises. Before we get down to the things that should be done, let us look at the actions that need to be avoided.

Dos and Don’ts for Enterprise Local SEO

This is a list of things that are unlikely to positively impact enterprise-level SEO efforts, and possible countermeasures. Let us take a look –

Using the Homepage as an Universal Anchor –

One of the most common local SEO practices for small businesses is to link all local business listings to one’s website homepage. This can work for smaller businesses which are not focused on capitalizing on many different locations.

What Can Be Done – Ideally for an enterprise though, potential customers should find location-specific landing pages first. It is simply more convenient and improves the customer experience. So, it is a good idea to link appropriate local listings to their specific locations. Many leading SEO companies in India take steps to ensure this is done. Most customers get converted on local landing pages. It also makes your brand more credible.

Not Maintaining Data on Local Listings –

This will definitely cause a lot of issues for an enterprise. Imagine a scenario where your local listings have outdated information, like an older address or currently unavailable phone number. At the same time, you have updated the right information on your website. So, when a person sees the conflicting sets of information, they are confused and likely to report. SMBs are often reluctant to properly update their local listing information, and it backfires.

What Can Be Done – Enterprises must be extra careful in regularly monitoring any information that needs to be. Although it can be a daunting task, systematic monitoring can reduce the risks of losing track of local listings data. If information is promptly updated, the consistency of the customer experience remains intact. Companies that offer s Misleading information can cause serious damage to the reputation of large enterprises.

Blindly Following Latest Trends –

Search engine optimization updates and new features are released from time to time. While implementing them might be useful, such steps might not be necessary. For SMBs, jumping on the bandwagon of a new trend might be easier. Any collateral from such a move will also likely be manageable. But for large enterprises, abrupt and significant strategy changes can mean a lot of tedious work.

What Can Be Done – Proceed with a strategy upgrade only if the rewards outweigh any possible risks heavily. Recognize that for enterprises, any changes might entail several steps like seeking approval, allocating or redistributing workload, large scale implementation, and eventually measuring ROI. If you are working with companies that offer SEO services in India, instruct them to seek approval before proceeding. To successfully implement a proven strategy, a systematic and measured approach is necessary.

Important Things to do for Better Enterprise Local Listing SEO

Knowing the Priorities –

What is an enterprise trying to achieve? Is it sales, online and offline traffic, bookings or calls? This might vary for different organizations. Identifying performance indicators and monitoring them can signify success.

Focus on Website Experience –

An easily navigable website is a key priority for all businesses. Your visitors across all locations, should get a quality browsing experience from all devices and platforms. The main aim should be to make things easier for customers. When they arrive at your page, information should be clear and useful.

Optimizing One’s Website –

A business website must have the right set of SEO tags and search engine optimized image tags. In addition, every enterprise should update accurate information of their different location. Steps should be taken to ensure that search engines can clearly identify your website’s data i.e. JSON-LD or Schema.

Clearly Defined Roles –

Local marketing for enterprises is an expansive task, as there are usually many locations involved. Hence, it is important to have clearly defined roles for those performing SEO tasks. Reputed companies that offer SEO in India have designated individuals for each post. Having a well-set workflow can make the difference for marketing success.

Guidelines for Canonical Data –

There must be clearly defined sets of data for each location has to be finalized. This includes name, phone number, website URL, hours, and address must has to be passed on to those handling online, social and local listing efforts. There should be no discrepancies on the data shared.

Tracking and Analysis –

An enterprise must know where its website traffic is coming from. There is a need to track and analyze all marketing channels, including Google My Business listings, and traffic from socially shared content.

Have a Store Locater Feature –

Every location specific landing page of a website should have a store locater feature, to become more useful to customers at large. In addition, creating an HTML menu consisting of all local landing pages is a good idea. It enables easier indexing of pages by search engines.

Create Better Local Links –

A great way of building brand authority is by earning links from trusted authority websites. This has to be done not only for one location, but all of them. Keep in mind that quality links are always relevant to one’s industry sphere, and specific to locations.

Stopping Spam –

Appropriately reporting spam activities should be the priority of any large enterprise. Keep an eye on listings and reviews, which can be the target of spammers. Measures should be taken to identify spammy competitor efforts like false addresses, spam and fake reviews etc. Keeping such activities under check will help to maintain the integrity of your brand online.

Strategy for Publishing Content –

For enterprises with huge reputations at stake, there simply cannot be any website weak points. Make sure to focus on your most fundamental pages. Your About Us, Home, Contact, Terms, Privacy and Reviews pages should command attention. In addition, each local landing page and product page must be optimized from a content and design viewpoint. But that is not all. Keep posting relevant content on your online resources i.e. blogs, case studies, white papers, articles, social posts etc.

Stick to Google My Business Guidelines –

Following and abiding by the rules and regulations set forth by Google is the only option for any business. Enterprises must ensure that all information listed for each of their locations, is in compliance with Guidelines for Representing Your Business on Google guidelines. It is recommended that businesses list addresses that are actual physical locations. Failure to comply to such guidelines might lead to a suspension.

Reviews are Valuable SEO Currency –

Every enterprise must be proactive in gaining regular reviews from credible review websites. Try to acquire reviews from well-renowned and trustworthy review sites. Make sure that your business complies with the guidelines of review websites. Site based reviews, along with testimonials can also be beneficial too.

Use Appropriate GMB Features –

Google My Business has various powerful features which can come to the aid of enterprises. Some of the standout features that can be used are – Questions & Answers, Booking, Photos, Google Posts, Reviews, Local Service Ads, and Messaging.

Focus on Social Interactions –

Enterprises should always focus on engaging users through their social media channels. Take a closer look at the type of responses you gain from customers i.e. positive or negative. Try to answer any queries and concerns without delay. The days of aggressively pushing products and services are over. Enterprises need to take a social approach with their audiences, to make a good impression.

These are some of the measures that can be taken to facilitate better local listing SEO outcomes for enterprises. To stay updated and never to miss an update from Indian SEO Company, subscribe to our blog here:

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