Luckily, it’s not nearly as hard to show up on Google as you may think. Once you understand local SEO strategy, you’ll be set to get your business in front of the right people online. 

What is SEO? (in human terms)

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization” and it’s the process of optimizing your website so your website can talk to search engines like Google. 

Why do they need to be optimized? So search engines can read your content and show it to the right people (through search results). 

Without SEO, you may not show up in search results at all. 

Here’s a hard truth for ya: 70% of users click on the first result that comes up on a results page. #2 and #3 get the other 29%, and the numbers drop WAY down from there. 

Don’t get discouraged yet, okay? 

The likelihood of a small business in the wedding industry ranking #1 for their primary keyword (think: “Atlanta wedding planner”) is slim. That’s because HUGE websites like The Knot, Brides, and Wedding Wire will almost always take that spot. 

But just because you won’t make it to #1 doesn’t mean SEO isn’t worth it. 

One of the best ways to optimize your website without writing 25 blog posts a week is to use Local SEO. 

What is Local SEO? 

Local SEO stands for “Local Search Engine Optimization,” and it’s exactly the same thing as SEO. It just focuses on audiences in a specific location instead of anywhere. 

Google will also occasionally add “near me” to the end of your search, which works similarly but isn’t as specific. 

Local SEO aims to improve your website’s visibility in local search results, such as Google Maps and Google My Business. 

Local SEO is a great tactic to use to optimize your website because it’s a lot easier to rank for a local keyword than a general keyword. 

How increase leads from local SEO: optimization tips

1. Include Local Keywords in your website SEO

Use keyword research tools to find out what keywords people are searching for in your local area (I’ve got some for you in the next section!). 

Go through as many variations of your keyword as possible to find the one that has the most searches with the lowest competition. 

Here’s an example of variations for the keyword “Hamptons makeup artist”: 

• “MUA Hamptons NY”

• “Hair and makeup services Hamptons”

• “Wedding makeup Hamptons NY” 

• “Hamptons New York makeup artist” 

• “Hamptons wedding makeup”

• “Hamptons NY bridal makeup” 

Once you’ve got your keyword picked out, make sure it’s in your heading, title tag, and meta description for that page. Only use a keyword on 1 page! Using the same keyword on multiple pages can confuse search engines. If you need more help with this, I’ve got a blog post breaking it down for you! 

2. Use Local Keywords in Your Content

Once you have identified relevant local keywords, incorporate them naturally into your blogs. Remember– only use your keyword once. Reserve your primary keywords for your main website pages. 

You can create round-up blog posts that use alternative local keywords. I’ll go over some examples in a few sections. 

3. Create Local Landing Pages

If you serve more than one area, you can create local landing pages for each service area. Ensure you optimize them with relevant local keywords. 

For example, if you’re a photographer based in Virginia but regularly travel to DC for weddings, you can create a “Virginia wedding photographer” services page and a “DC wedding photographer” service page. 

Include relevant local information on these pages to diversify the copy. You don’t want to use the same copy on multiple pages! 

4. Get Listed on Local Directories

Local directories and preferred vendor lists are great resources for couples and will boost your local SEO! Just make sure your listing includes a link to Google My Business and your website so couples can find you easily.

My Favorite Local SEO Tools 

There are many local SEO tools that can help you improve your local rankings. Here are my favs:

Google Business Profile: If you don’t have a Google My Business account set up, make that your first priority after reading this blog. This is a free tool from Google that allows you to manage your business information, on Google’s search engine and maps. You know the box that comes up when you search with the business name, reviews, and other info? That’s Google My Business at work. This tool is essential for improving your local SEO and increasing your visibility in local search results.

Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest is my go-to SEO tool. Because I do so much with SEO for my clients, I use the paid version, which does have a few more features than the free version. But for your own website, the free version works well! You can easily search for local keywords, get suggestions, and check keyword data to find the best keywords for your website. 

Ahrefs: Ahrefs has a really nice tool you can use to check where you’re currently ranking for a specific keyword. This is super helpful because if you search for a keyword from your browser, your search history and location may give you inaccurate results. 

These are just a few of the many tools available. You can also tinker with tools like Moz, SEMrush, and Google Keyword Planner. All of these tools offer accurate information. 

My biggest piece of advice? Unless you’re managing multiple websites, you DO NOT need to pay for SEO tools. There are plenty of free tools and resources out there to get your basic SEO done. 

Other local SEO tactics: How to create locally relevant content as a wedding professional

As a wedding professional, creating locally relevant content can help you attract local clients and establish yourself as an expert in your area, which is likely a lot easier than establishing yourself nationally or internationally. 

The 2 best ways to improve your local SEO aside from optimizing your website are blogs and social media. 

Blogs are super helpful because they allow you the opportunity to rank for many more keywords than your main website pages do. You can use additional local keywords in your blogs to bring couples to your website. 

You don’t have to “stay in your lane” when it comes to keywords on your blog. Writing posts like “Best Outdoor Wedding Venues in [Your City]” or “Top Wedding Caterers in [Your Neighborhood]” are great ways to bring couples to your virtual front door who may not have been searching for your job title or service. 

These are a few other local SEO topics: 

Research Local Trends: Stay up-to-date with the latest wedding trends in your local area by following local wedding blogs, seeing what couples in your area are talking about on socials, and connecting with other wedding professionals. 

Showcase Local Vendors: If you have strong working relationships with other wedding pros, feature them on your blog! You can include them in a round-up style post or ask them to guest write a blog with their best advice in their area of expertise. You can also pitch your own guest blogs to other vendors or local venues. 

Create Local Guides: Write up an “everything you need to know” guide for the area(s) you serve. You may want to include: 

• Your favorite local venues 

• Weather patterns throughout the year 

• Local lingo for out-of-town guests 

• Suggestions for food, lodging, and nightlife 

Using Social Media

You can share your locally relevant content on social media to bring more visitors to your website. Asking readers to follow you is a great CTA to use to continue nurturing that relationship! The most important thing you need to do is make sure your blog and social media posts sound like the same person. You may confuse your audience if your blogs are super clinical but your IG is fun and casual. 

How can reviews help local SEO?

Moving onto another favorite local SEO tactic (and one you are likely already utilizing!)– reviews! 

Reviews provide social proof, the most valuable marketing tool at your disposal as a wedding pro. If other people are raving about you, couples will feel more confident and are more likely to reach out!

In terms of SEO, reviews help in a few ways: 

Improve Search Engine Rankings: Reviews can signal to search engines that your business is relevant and trustworthy, which can help improve your search engine rankings. Google’s search algorithm takes into account the number and quality of reviews when determining search rankings. So don’t forget to ask your couples to review! 

Increase Click-Through Rates and Conversions: Positive reviews and high ratings can help increase click-through rates because potential customers are more likely to click on a listing with positive reviews than one without. With that trust already established before they get more information, your conversion rate is likely to be higher, too. 

Provide Local Relevance: Reviews that include location information can help signal to search engines that your business is relevant to a particular location, which can improve your visibility in local search results. 

Generate User-Generated Content: Reviews are a form of user-generated content that are not only useful on Google and your website, but also on social media!

What to do if your business isn’t “local” 

No worries, mine is too! In this case, rather than local SEO, you can focus on finding more specific keyword variations for your main keywords. 

For example, if you type “copywriter” into the search bar, my website doesn’t even show up in the first 10 pages. But if you search for “wedding industry copywriter,” I’m #2!

Without the distinction of my industry, I wouldn’t get very much traffic. Which would suck for me, because 40% of my leads find me on Google (thank you, SEO!). 

Here are some examples:

I get it, dude. If you have the budget to get help with SEO, it can save you a ton of time and effort. 

Good news is, you don’t need to shell out 1000s of dollars to get optimizing. My brand new guide, Crafting Blogs That Sell, has an entire section dedicated to SEO. 

If you have or want to start a blog, but the idea of figuring out how to research, write, and optimize posts is terrifying, this is the perfect resource for you. It can be used over and over and won’t break the bank. 

Blogging could be the marketing strategy that has you booked out YEARS in advance. Check it out!