“Plumber in Liège”, “florist open on Sunday”, “hairdresser near me”. For the most part local activities, all referencing depends on a few dozen searches for this guy. The good news: they can be worked with simple means.
Start with the establishment file
This is the first thing to do, even before refining your site. The establishment sheet Google feeds the map and the block that appears to the right of the results. It is free.
What matters, in order:
- The main category. Choose the most precise one that describes your profession, not the most wide. “Artisan bakery” is better than “food store”.
- Exact timetables, kept up to date, including exceptional closures. Google observes whether the information is reliable.
- Photos. Add some regularly, taken by you. Files with recent photos are much more consulted.
- The link to your site, pointing to the home page or to the agency page concerned if you have several.
- Opinions, which will be discussed below.
Coordinate consistency
Your business name, address and telephone number must be written exactly same way on your site, your profile and the directories where you appear. An abbreviated street here and written in full is enough to jam the signal.
One page per service, one page per city
This is the most profitable and most often neglected principle. A single “Our services” page which lists eight services does not position itself on any. Eight pages, one per service, position each one on its research.
The same reasoning applies to zones: if you operate in three cities, one page per city, with truly different content (districts served, deadlines, local references). Copying the same page while changing the name of the city produces the opposite effect to that sought. Writing these pages without repeating yourself is easier starting from what you already answer on the phone.
Each page needs four elements:
- a page title which contains the service and the location;
- a main title at the top of the page which says the same thing, in natural French;
- two or three hundred words minimum of content specific to this service;
- a way to contact you without going up the page.
Our file on the pages of a showcase site details what each should contain.
Customer reviews
The number of reviews, their freshness and your responses weigh heavily in the local ranking, and even more more in the customer's decision.
A method that works: ask for feedback when the customer thanks you, never by group message a week later. A short link, sent immediately, obtains several times more responses.
Never pay for reviews or write them yourself. Fake reviews can be spotted, report, and the sanction affects the entire file.
Reply to everyone, including positive reviews, in two lines. This shows continued activity.
What your site must technically respect
Nothing esoteric, but nothing optional either:
- Readable on phone. The majority of local searches are done on mobile, and Google evaluates your site in its mobile version.
- Fast. A page that takes more than three seconds to display loses a significant portion of its visitors even before being seen.
- In HTTPS. The “unsecure site” warning scares you away, and the absence of a certificate is a negative signal.
- With a different title and description for each page. Two pages that carry the in the same way compete with each other.
- Present in a sitemap, declared to Google via Search Console.
These points are produced automatically by our editor: plan of site, titles, descriptions and certificate are generated with each publication.
If your site remains invisible, don't change everything randomly: start by determining why it doesn't appear on Google, then use the checklist to do an SEO audit.
The mistakes that cost the most
- The showcase site in a single page. Impossible to position yourself on several searches with a single address.
- The text replaced by an image. A photo restaurant menu is not read by anyone other than your visitors already present.
- False opening times. This is the number one reason for negative reviews in businesses.
- Expecting results in one week. Allow one to three months to see the results move positions, and meanwhile work on your reviews and pages.
Where to start tomorrow morning
If you only have one hour: create or complete your establishment file, correct your hours, add five recent photos and ask for three reviews from loyal customers. It's the best effort/result ratio of all local referencing.
Two sheets complete this one: choose your domain name , because the address that you remember follows you for years, and sell online when you already have a store, if your local searches should also trigger orders.
Frequently asked questions
How long before appearing in Google?
Allow a few days to be indexed, and four to twelve weeks to get back to local searches with little competition. A well-completed establishment profile gives results faster than a website, because it feeds directly into the map.
Do you have to pay to be well referenced?
No. Natural results cannot be bought. You can buy advertising to appear above, but this does not improve your natural position. For a local activity, a careful establishment profile and a few precise pages are often enough.
What to do with a negative review?
Respond calmly, publicly and without justifying yourself at length. An isolated negative review, followed by a calm response, is more reassuring than a page of perfect reviews. What customers read is how you respond.
Do you need a blog to be well referenced?
Not for local SEO. One page per service and per city of intervention brings in more than a series of general articles. The blog becomes useful when you are looking for information, before purchasing.
