Rank tracking from where customers search
I check rankings on a grid of points across the town, because local rankings change from one street to the next and a single figure hides that.
Local SEO in Swansea: are you in the map pack?
Searching from your own phone, in your own shop, shows you results that nobody else sees. Checked from where your customers are, plenty of good businesses in Swansea don't appear in the map pack at all for their main service.
Why the map pack matters
For most local searches, three map listings sit above the normal results, and they get most of the calls. Fourth place gets far fewer.
Google ranks the pack mainly on how relevant you are, how close you are to the person searching, and how prominent your business is. You can't change where you are, so the work goes into relevance and prominence.
Relevance comes from your categories, services and the words on your site, and whether they match what people type. Prominence comes from reviews, directory listings, local links and whether the rest of the web backs up what you say you do. Neither is quick, but neither is complicated.
What the monthly work is
The same few things every month, tracked and reported so you can see what's changed.
A steady flow of reviews
The number of reviews and how recent they are both count. The aim is a steady flow from real customers, with every customer asked once the job's done. A sudden burst looks unnatural, to Google and to customers.
Citations and consistency
Making sure your name, address and phone number are the same everywhere that matters, and getting you listed where you're missing. It's dull work, but it makes a real difference.
Local links worth having
Chambers of commerce, suppliers, trade bodies, sponsorships and the local press when there's a real story. Round here the list of links worth having is fairly short, so it's manageable.
The pages behind the profile
Service and area pages that give Google something to rank and give visitors something useful to read, without stuffing in place names.
What it costs
£400 to £750 a month
No minimum term. If it isn't working after six months, you should stop.
Where you fall in that range depends on how competitive your trade is locally and how much needs fixing first. Trades are competitive in Swansea, while some professional services have very little competition.
What you get every month
- Ranking changes for your searches, with the dates they were checked
- What I did, and what it should affect
- Reviews gained, and where
- Enquiries from local search, counted as people rather than clicks
- Anything that didn't work
Common questions
How long until I see something?
Profile and category changes can show within weeks. Reviews, directory listings and links take three to six months. If your trade is competitive in Swansea, give it six months.
Do I have to sign up for twelve months?
No. There's no minimum term and no notice period beyond the month you're in.
Can you guarantee I'll be number one?
No, and nobody can. Distance from the searcher is a big part of local ranking, and neither of us can move your premises. What I can tell you is whether the gap between you and the businesses above you can be closed.
What if I only need the profile sorting?
Then take the one-off profile work and leave it there. Plenty of businesses don't need monthly work, and I'll tell you if yours is one of them.
How do you count an enquiry?
By visits where someone got in touch, not by clicks. The same person clicking your email address four times is one enquiry, not four.
Find out where you rank
The check is free and you'll get the findings in writing.