Geotargeting for SEO
When it comes to search engine optimization to drive local business, content is key. Among the strategies often applied, many businesses will often include:
- a map/directions page to their location
- descriptions of services/products available to a particular region/community
- testimonials or case studies from prominent people and businesses in the community
- incorporating the region or community name/nicknames within the page title and/or domain name
- inbound and outbound links to regional/community affiliations
- embedding virtual business cards (v-cards)
- including keyhole markup language (kml) to identify office and retail locations to be included in geographical mapping programs, google maps, etc.
- including local news, weather, or advertisements
- including images and photos of local landmarks and properties
Many webmasters don't realize that there is an even stronger method to geotarget images and photos. Besides providing geotargeted alt text or filenames, images can also be geocoded- assigned/associated to a location on a map. Here's a great guide to geocoding images, featured on Search Engine Land.