How does SEO work?

If you have ever found yourself wondering how seo works and why you should be using it, you are not alone. SEO is one of the most misunderstood forms of marketing in used today. This video does a nice job of explaining what seo is and how it can help your business. You can learn even more about seo and marketing over at http://stellarseo.com

3 Local SEO Marketing Mistakes You're Making

Local SEO marketing is a great way for you to connect with local customers who are looking to purchase a product or service. As a matter of fact, local search accounts for up to 90% of all searches conducted on Google, meaning you will most certainly want to have a presence in local search results.Avoiding the following common mistakes can help you to better capitalize on search traffic.

1. Not listing your business in key local directories
 Major directories such as Yelp are a great way to start building local citations to your website, but it is not the only place you should list your business. A quick search will turn up hundreds of local directories, one of the best being your local chamber of commerce. Aside from directories specific to only your town, you need to add your business to the top large local directories. You can visit https://getlisted.org/ to see how you are currently listed and it will also show you were you are not listed. This is a free tool from Moz and I suggest you start by using it to find and correct listings.

2. Not providing accurate NAP (name, address, phone,) 
Your name, address, and phone number are very important in determining where you are located. Include these items on each page of your website. You should also try to use the exact same data every time you make a local listing for your site. Ensuring consistent NAP data will help you avoid duplicate listings and it will make the listings you have more powerful. It will also ensure customers who stumble across your listing on directories can contact your business, the real end goal of any marketing.

3. Focusing on Google + Local Listings Only
Some people believe that making a Google + Local page is the only way to rank locally or the only step you need to take. This is not the case.  A local listing is only one of 100+ factors that effect how you will rank in local results. I do suggest creating a G+ page but use it as part of your overall local strategy, not the end all, be all of local marketing.

By avoiding the 3 very common and simple mistakes above you will be able to capture more of the 90% of local searchers online each day. Remember to be consistent with your data and to spread the word about your business to the local community, you may end up with some amazing links from local news sites in doing so.

Good luck and happy optimizing!