
Did you know that Google search engine is localized? Yes, that means that if you are using the google search engine from different countries then you are likely to get different search results for the same keyword. This is great news if you are offering services within your region, but not so good if you have an international reach.
Localisation for search engines
If your main audience target is restricted to one particular location, for example, most of your services are for clients in your region example Malta, then localisation is a great thing to take advantage of. Focusing your search engine efforts on a particular region will allow you to compete with fewer websites and make your race for the top 3 keyword position an easier goal.
How to localise for search engines
There are various ways how to signal google search engine that you are mainly focusing on a particular region. For example, several of our local clients are based in Malta we often suggest several updates to the site and of the site so that we get better results for google searches when done from Malta.
Some of the most effective tactics include
1. Use a localised specific domain
Even if your main domain is a .com or .org, using a local domain TLD – for example .com.mt for Malta will help you rank better on the local search engine. Domains are a good return on investment when it comes to search engine improvements. As domains are cheap to buy in the region of €20 per year from any domain registrar like name cheap or go daddy.
2. Host the server within the local geographic region when possible
Other not so straightforward option is to have your hosting server located in the same region or at least close. This could be can be difficult to achieve as at webcalibrate we suggest going for a more reliable server than restricting your options to the server location. If you are using Azure hosting it is simple to change server region by changing a simple configuration, but the list of regions is limited
3. Fine-tune content by using “Malta” when creating new blog articles
This is the most effective way as when new content is added to the site it should take into consideration several SEO rules so that you make the best out of your content. At webcalibrate, we offer post SEO review services that will check any blog post for the right keywords, links, and HTML structure.
4. Localisation withing the region by writing content broken down further at regional level
This SEO tactic works when your services are purely regional. For example, one of our clients is in the Real-estate business we further grouped his property pages by region down to towns and villages. We used this grouping for specific region pages which gave us an edge for ranking keywords that were more region specific.
5. Tune your google business profile
Google business profile is a great tool for signaling google certain information about your business. We always suggest having a business profile updated, mainly the business location as this will allow you to signal the search engine that this is your main area of operation.
6. Inbound links
Getting inbound links is critical for any search engine ranking. What we suggest is that you make an extra effort to get links for local sources, this will give you more authority within that area.