Imagine walking into your local hair salon and finding it bustling with new clients who discovered it through a simple Google search. This is the power of local SEO and a solid local keyword strategy. In part 2 of my series on Local SEO Heroes, we’re talking about how The Junction Salon & Bar has captured the coveted number one search result spot for "hair salon Raleigh NC," as well as how integrating local keywords into your website's content can dramatically elevate your visibility and connect you with the community you serve.
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Let’s not overcomplicate things– local keywords are just words and phrases that highlight your location, such as your city or state, local landmarks, or even events specific to your area. Including these keywords on your website and blog serves as a direct signal to Google, indicating that your business is a relevant result for searches in your region. These indicators are known as on-page signals. According to the 2023 Local Search Ranking Factors report by WhiteSpark, on-page signals are the foremost factor in how your business ranks in local organic search results and the second most critical factor for your business appearing in the local pack—a set of top three business profiles highlighted at the top of Google's search results for local queries. For more on the Local Pack and its significance, check out the section What is the Local Pack, and why does it matter? from the first article in our Local SEO series. By embedding local keywords in your content, you boost your SEO and enhance your business’s visibility and accessibility to the local community.
The Junction Salon & Bar, a hair salon based in Raleigh, NC, is the number one search result in the Local Pack for “hair salon Raleigh, NC.” This achievement is no small feat in the competitive market of North Carolina’s capital. What strategies have propelled them to the top, and what valuable lessons can other businesses learn from their success?
Your page title is used for your tab name as well as the heading of your search result on Google. The title of your home page (or the page your Google Business Profile is linked to for your website, otherwise known as a Landing Page) should include local keywords such as your city and state. This is the fifth most important factor for appearing in local search results and the 11th most important factor for appearing in the Local Pack for local searches, according to the WhiteSpark report.
The Junction Salon & Bar’s title “Luxury Hair Salon in Raleigh - The Junction Salon and Bar” contains both their primary or target keyword “Luxury Hair Salon” and a local keyword “Raleigh”. This precise use of a local keyword helps the salon show up at the top of the search results when potential customers are specifically looking for hair salons in Raleigh.
Headings on your GBP landing page, especially the H1 and subsequent H2s, serve as a strong signal to search engines about the main topics and relevance of your content. The keywords in your h1 and h2 headings on your landing page are Including local keywords in these headings can dramatically improve your SEO by structuring your content in a way that is not only user-friendly but also search engine-friendly. According to WhiteSpark report, local keywords in landing page headings rank as the 14th most significant factor for local organic search results and the 15th for Local Pack results, emphasizing their critical role in SEO performance.
At The Junction Salon & Bar home page, the h2 (secondary) heading “The friendly, neighborhood hair salon in downtown Raleigh” uses the “Raleigh” local keyword. This strategy enhances their search engine visibility for local queries, directly targeting potential customers searching for hair care services within Raleigh.
Integrating local keywords relevant to your city or neighborhood throughout your website’s content (think body content, blog, page URLs, link anchor text) helps search engines recognize your business as a local authority. This practice increases the likelihood that your site will appear in search results when potential customers are looking for local services or products in your area. According to the Whitespark report, this factor ranks fourth in importance for local organic search results and seventeenth for the Local Pack, underscoring its significant impact on both fronts.
The Junction Salon & Bar effectively incorporates Raleigh-specific keywords throughout its domain content, including mentions of a local landmark, city name, local phone number, and address. This boosts their visibility in search engines when users search for "hair salons near downtown Raleigh" or "best hair care in Raleigh" and enhances their credibility and relevance to the local consumer base.
Getting good at local SEO goes beyond mere online visibility—it's about strategically positioning your business in front of the right local audience. With the stellar example of The Junction Salon & Bar, we've seen how effectively using local keywords in your website titles, headings, and general content, are vital for boosting search rankings in both the Local Pack and local organic search results.
By integrating local keywords and location-specific terms across your website, your business can establish itself as a local authority, enhancing visibility and attracting targeted local traffic. Consistency and relevance are key: ensure that your SEO practices reflect a genuine connection with your local area. Implementing these strategies can help your business stand out in the competitive local market, increase community engagement and drive success.