Local SEO Tips for London Based Businesses
While there are plenty of general posts on local SEO, few if any have been written specifically with London in mind, so I’ve covered some local London SEO tips for you below.
- Add your business to Google’s Local Business Listings. The easiest way to do this is to start with step two, below.
- Create a free business listing with Yellow Pages. This helps you to get included in Google’s Local Business Listings as well as being a worthwhile place to advertise for fee in its own right. Google may have just pipped Yellow Pages as the primay source of local listings (by enquiry volume) however it’s still in a very worthwhile second place.
- Add your business to leading local business directories including TrustedPlaces, Qype, Welovelocal, Tipped, Touch London etc.
- Set up a locally targeted AdWords paid search account. OK, so strictly speaking this isn’t SEO, however, being able to target campaigns to a specific region, such as London, is a great way to target your customers while testing out the conversion rates for different keywords to see which ones have both a useful click volume (not just theoretically predicted search counts) and a good conversion rate, as either alone is futile.
- Use your full London address, including street name and postcode, is on your site’s contact page, if not every page of your website.
- Acquire links from related companies in your region. While they don’t all have to be from your town and can come from allied but non-competing companies if you prefer, matching the top level domain (e.g. .co.uk) is recommended.
- Create content to target specific regions. For example, if you run a property website they you could create pages for each area by town (county, country or postcode) that list the properties avialable, the values of previous properties sold in that area and some interesting local information to help prospective purchasers. That way you can have targeted pages appearing for searches for properties in every part of London, a great way to cover the while city one step at a time.
For more advanced techniques for larger sites or a chat as to how we can help you to profit from local SEO contact our Head of Search Anthony Sharot on 07956 990 216 or email marketappeal@gmail.com
Tags: local search engine optimisation, local SEO, London SEO
English Towns for Long Tail Local Search Engine Optimisation
One of the easiest ways to start increasing up traffic and search engine rankings for competitive keywords is to take a local search approach optimising a series of pages for your “keyword in location”.
Many business directories such as my client TrustedPlaces.com do this very well. By building large sites with thousands of pages they can target a popular keyword such as “SEO Services” combined with the name of every town and city in the UK, or indeed the entire world. Many of the lesser known towns will hardly have any competition, so it should be easy to rank well for hundreds of relatively long tail phrases such as “SEO Services in Hendon”.
To save you time I’ve enclosed a list of UK towns below, courtesy of Wikipedia.
For convenience, cities have also been listed and are marked in bold.
A
Abingdon, Abridge, Accrington, Acle, Addlestone, Adlington, Adwick le Street, Alcester, Alcombe, Aldeburgh, Aldershot, Aldridge, Alford, Alfreton, Alnwick, Alsager, Alston, Alton, Altrincham, Amble, Ambleside, Amersham, Amesbury, Ampthill, Andover, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Appledore, Apsley, Arlesey, Arnold, Arundel, Ascot, Ashbourne, Ashburton, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Ashford (Kent), Ashford (Middlesex), Ashington, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ashton-under-Lyne, Askern, Aspatria, Atherstone, Atherton, Attleborough, Audenshaw, Axbridge, Axminster, Aylesbury, Aylsham
B
Bacup, Backworth, Baildon, Bakewell, Baldock, Banbury, Banstead, Barking, Barnard Castle, Barnoldswick, Barnsley, Barnstaple, Barrow-in-Furness, Barton-upon-Humber, Basildon, Basingstoke, Bath, Batley, Battle, Bawtry, Beaconsfield, Beaminster, Bebington, Beccles, Beckenham, Bedale, Bedford, Bedlington, Bedworth, Beer, Beeston, Belper, Berkeley, Berkhamsted, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Beverley, Bewdley, Bexhill-on-Sea, Bicester, Biddulph, Bideford, Biggleswade, Billericay, Billingham, Bilston, Bingham, Bingley, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Bishop Auckland, Bishop’s Castle, Bishop’s Stortford, Bishop’s Waltham, Blackburn, Blackheath, Blackpool, Blackwater, Hampshire, Blandford Forum, Blaydon, Bletchley, Bloxwich, Blyth, Bodmin, Bognor Regis, Bollington, Bolsover, Bolton, Bootle, Bordon, Borehamwood, Boroughbridge, Boston, Bourne, Bournemouth, Bovey Tracey, Bowness-on-Windermere, Brackley, Bracknell, Bradford, Bradford on Avon, Brading, Bradley Stoke, Bradninch, Braintree, Brampton, Brandon, Brentwood, Bridgnorth, Bridgwater, Bridlington, Bridport, Brierfield, Brierley, Brierley Hill, Brigg, Brighouse, Brightlingsea, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Brixham, Broadstairs, Bromborough, Bromsgrove, Bromyard, Broseley, Brough, Broughton, Broughton-in-Furness, Brownhills, Broxbourne, Buckfastleigh, Buckhurst Hill, Buckingham, Bude, Budleigh Salterton, Bullers Green, Bulwell, Bungay, Buntingford, Burford, Burgess Hill, Burgh-le-Marsh, Burnham-on-Crouch, Burnham-on-Sea, Burnley, Burntwood, Burton Latimer, Burton upon Trent, Bury, Bury St Edmunds, Bushey, Buxton
C
Cadishead, Caister-on-Sea, Caistor, Callington, Calne, Camberley, Camborne, Cambridge, Camelford, Cannock, Canterbury, Canvey Island, Carlisle, Carnforth, Carterton, Castle Cary, Castleford, Caterham, Catterick Garrison, Chadderton, Chagford, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Chard, Charlbury, Chatham, Chatteris, Cheadle (Greater Manchester), Cheadle (Staffordshire), Chelmsford, Cheltenham,Chertsey, Chesham, Cheshunt, Chessington, Chester, Chesterfield, Chester-le-Street, Chichester, Chingford, Chippenham, Chipping Campden, Chipping Norton, Chipping Ongar, Chipping Sodbury, Chorley, Chorleywood, Christchurch, Chudleigh, Chulmleigh, Church Stretton, Cinderford, Cirencester, Clacton-on-Sea, Clare, Clayton-le-Moors, Cleator Moor, Cleckheaton, Cleethorpes, Cleobury Mortimer, Clevedon, Cleveleys, Clitheroe, Clun, Coalville, Cobham, Cockermouth, Coggeshall, Colchester, Coleford, Coleshill, Colne, Colyford, Colyton, Congleton, Conisbrough, Consett, Corbridge, Corby, Corringham, Corsham, Coseley, Cotgrave, Coulsdon, Coventry, Cowes, Cradley Heath, Cramlington, Cranbrook, Craven Arms, Crawley, Crayford, Crediton, Crewe, Crewkerne, Cricklade, Cromer, Crook, Crosby, Crowborough, Crowland, Crowle, Crowthorne, Croydon, Cullompton
D
Dagenham, Dalton-in-Furness, Darlaston, Darley Dale, Darlington, Dartford, Dartmouth, Darwen, Daventry, Dawley, Dawlish, Deal, Denholme, Denton, Derby, Dereham, Desborough, Devizes, Dewsbury, Didcot, Dinnington, Diss, Doncaster, Dorchester, Dorking, Dover, Dovercourt, Downham Market, Driffield, Droitwich Spa, Dronfield, Droylsden, Dudley, Dukinfield, Dunstable, Durham, Dursley
E
Eaglescliffe, Ealing, Earby, Earley, Earlswood, Easington, Easington Colliery, Easingwold, East Grinstead, Eastbourne, Eastham, Eastleigh, Eastwood (Essex), Eastwood (Nottinghamshire), Eccles, Eccleshall, Edenbridge, Edlington, Egham, Egremont, Elland, Ellesmere, Ellesmere Port, Ely, Emsworth, Epping, Epsom, Epworth, Esher, Eston, Eton, Evesham, Ewell, Exeter, Exmouth, Eye
F
Failsworth, Fairford, Fakenham, Falmouth, Fareham, Faringdon, Farnborough, Farnham, Farnworth, Faversham, Fazeley, Featherstone, Felixstowe, Feltham, Fenny Stratford, Ferndown, Ferryhill, Filey, Filton, Fleet, Fleetwood, Flitwick, Folkestone, Fordingbridge, Fordwich, Formby, Fowey, Framlingham, Frimley, Frinton-on-Sea, Frodsham, Frome
G
Gainsborough, Garforth, Garstang, Gateshead, Gillingham (Dorset), Gillingham (Kent), Glastonbury, Glossop, Gloucester, Godalming, Godmanchester, Golborne, Goole, Gorleston, Gosport, Grange-over-Sands, Grantham, Gravesend, Grays, Great Dunmow, Great Torrington, Great Yarmouth, Grimsby, Guildford, Guisborough, Guiseley
H
Hadfield, Hadleigh, Hailsham, Halesowen, Halesworth, Halifax, Halstead, Haltwhistle, Hanwell, Harleston, Harlow, Harpenden, Harrington, Harrogate, Harrow, Hartland, Hartlepool, Harwich, Haslemere, Haslingden, Hastings, Hatfield, Hatherleigh, Havant, Haverhill, Hawes, Haxby, Hayle, Hayes, Haywards Heath, Heanor, Heathfield, Hebburn, Hebden Bridge, Hebden Royd, Heckmondwike, Hedge End, Hednesford, Hedon, Helmsley, Helston, Hemel Hempstead, Hemsworth, Henley-in-Arden, Henley-on-Thames, Hereford, Herne Bay, Hersham, Hertford, Hessle, Heswall, Hetton-le-Hole, Hexham, Heywood, High Bentham, Higham Ferrers, Highbridge, Highcliffe, Highworth, High Wycombe, Hinckley, Hindley, Hingham, Hitchin, Hoddesdon, Holbeach, Holmfirth, Holsworthy, Holt, Honiton, Horley, Horncastle, Hornchurch, Hornsea, Horsham, Horwich, Houghton-le-Spring, Houghton Regis, Hounslow, Howden, Hoylake, Hoyland, Hucknall, Huddersfield, Hugh Town, Hungerford, Hunsdon, Hunstanton, Huntingdon, Huyton, Hyde, Hythe
I
Ibstock, Ickenham, Ilfracombe, Ilkeston, Ilkley, Ilminster, Immingham, Ingatestone, Ipswich, Irlam, Irthlingborough, Ivybridge
J
Jarrow
K
Kearsley, Keighley, Kempston, Kendal, Kenilworth, Kensham, Kesgrave, Keswick, Kettering, Keynsham, Kidderminster, Kidsgrove, Killamarsh, Killingworth, Kimberley, Kingsbridge, King’s Lynn, Kingston-upon-Hull, Kingston upon Thames, Kingswood, Kington, Kirkby, Kirkby-In-Ashfield, Kirkby Lonsdale, Kirkby Stephen, Kirkbymoorside, Kirkham, Kirton-in-Lindsey, Knaresborough, Knottingley, Knowle, Knutsford
L
Lancaster, Langport, Laindon, Langdon Hills, Langley Mill, Launceston, Leamington Spa, Leatherhead, Lechlade, Ledbury, Leeds, Leek, Lee-on-the-Solent, Leicester, Leigh, Leighton Buzzard, Leigh-on-Sea, Leiston, Leominster, Letchworth, Lewes, Leyburn, Leyland, Lichfield, Lincoln, Linslade, Liskeard, Littleborough, Littlehampton, Liverpool, Loddon, Loftus, London, Long Eaton, Long Sutton, Longbenton, Longridge, Longtown, Looe, Lostwithiel, Loughborough, Loughton, Louth, Lowestoft, Ludgershall, Ludlow, Luton, Lutterworth, Lydd, Lydney, Lyme Regis, Lymington, Lyndhurst, Lytham St Annes
M
Mablethorpe, Macclesfield, Madeley, Maghull, Maidenhead, Maidstone, Maldon, Malmesbury, Malpas, Maltby, Malton, Malvern, Manchester, Manningtree, Mansfield, Mansfield Woodhouse, Marazion, March, Margate, Market Bosworth, Market Deeping, Market Drayton, Market Harborough, Market Rasen, Market Warsop, Market Weighton, Marlborough, Marlow, Maryport, Masham, Matlock, Melbourne, Melksham, Meltham, Melton Mowbray, Mere, Mexborough, Middleham, Middlesbrough, Middleton, Middlewich, Midhurst, Midsomer Norton, Mildenhall, Millom, Milnrow, Milnthorpe, Milton Keynes, Minchinhampton, Minehead, Minster-in-Sheppey, Mirfield, Mitcheldean, Morden, Morecambe, Moretonhampstead, Moreton, Moreton-in-Marsh, Morley, Morpeth, Mossley, Much Wenlock, Mytholmroyd
N
Nailsea, Nailsworth, Nantwich, Needham Market, Nelson, Neston, Netherfield, Netherton, New Alresford, New Ferry, New Malden, New Mills, New Milton, New Romney, Newark-on-Trent, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Newbury, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newent, Newhaven, Newlyn, Newmarket, Newport (Cornwall), Newport (Isle of Wight), Newport (Shropshire), Newport Pagnell, Newquay, Newton Abbot, Newton Aycliffe, Newton-le-Willows, Normanton, Northallerton, Northam, Northampton, Northfleet, Northleach, North Hykeham, North Kenton, North Petherton, North Shields, North Tawton, North Walsham, Northwich, Norton-on-Derwent, Norwich, Nottingham, Nuneaton
O
Oadby, Oakengates, Oakham, Okehampton, Oldbury, Oldham, Ollerton, Olney, Orford, Ormskirk, Orpington, Ossett, Oswaldtwistle, Oswestry, Otley, Ottery St Mary, Oundle, Oxford, Oxted
P
Paddock Wood, Padiham, Padstow, Paignton, Painswick, Parkeston, Partington, Patchway, Pateley Bridge, Peacehaven, Pendlebury, Penistone, Penkridge, Penrith, Penryn, Penwortham, Penzance, Pershore, Peterborough, Peterlee, Petersfield, Petworth, Pickering, Pitsea, Plymouth, Pocklington, Polegate, Pontefract, Ponteland, Poole, Portishead, Portland, Portsmouth, Potters Bar, Potton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Prescot, Preston, Prestwich, Princes Risborough, Princetown, Prudhoe, Pudsey
Q
Quarry Bank, Queenborough
R
Radcliffe, Radstock, Rainham, Ramsbottom, Ramsgate, Raunds, Rawtenstall, Rayleigh, Reading, Redcar, Redditch, Redhill, Redruth, Reepham, Reeth, Reigate, Retford, Richmond (London), Richmond (North Yorkshire), Rickmansworth, Ringwood, Ripley, Ripon, Rishton, Robin Hood’s Bay, Rochdale, Rochester, Rochford, Romford, Romsey, Ross-on-Wye, Rothbury, Rotherham, Rothwell (Northamptonshire), Rothwell (West Yorkshire), Rowley Regis, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Royston (Hertfordshire), Royston (South Yorkshire), Royton, Rugby, Rugeley, Runcorn, Rushden, Ryde, Rye, Ryton
S
Saffron Walden, St Albans, St Austell, St Blazey, St Columb Major, St Helens, St Ives (Cambridgeshire), St Ives (Cornwall), St Just in Penwith, St Mawes, St Neots, Salcombe, Sale, Salford, Salisbury, Saltash, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Sandbach, Sandhurst, Sandiacre, Sandown, Sandwich, Sandy, Sawbridgeworth, Saxmundham, Scarborough, Scunthorpe, Seaford, Seaham, Seaton, Sedbergh, Sedgley, Selby, Selsey, Settle, Sevenoaks, Shaftesbury, Shanklin, Shaw & Crompton, Sheerness, Sheffield, Shefford, Shepperton, Shepshed, Shepton Mallet, Sherborne, Sheringham, Shifnal, Shildon, Shipley, Shipston-on-Stour, Shirebrook, Shoeburyness, Shoreham-by-Sea, Shrewsbury, Sidmouth, Silloth, Silsden, Sittingbourne, Skegness, Skelmersdale, Skelton-in-Cleveland, Skipton, Sleaford, Slough, Smethwick, Snaith, Snodland, Soham, Solihull, Somerton, Southam, Southampton, Southborough, South Benfleet, South Cave, South Elmsall, South Molton, South Petherton, South Shields, Southend-on-Sea, Southminster, Southport, Southsea, Southwell, Southwick, Southwold, South Woodham Ferrers, Sowerby Bridge, Spalding, Spellbrook, Spennymoor, Spilsby, Stafford, Staines, Stainforth, Stalbridge, Stalham, Stalybridge, Stamford, Stanford-le-Hope, Stanley, Stapleford, Staveley, Stevenage, Steyning, Stockport, Stocksbridge, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Stokesley, Stone, Stony Stratford, Stourbridge, Stourport-on-Severn, Stowmarket, Stow-on-the-Wold, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stratton, Stretford, Strood, Stroud, Sturminster Newton, Sudbury, Sunbury-on-Thames, Sunderland, Sutton, Sutton Coldfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Swadlincote, Swaffham, Swanage, Swanley, Swindon, Swinton (Greater Manchester), Swinton (South Yorkshire), Syston
T
Tadcaster, Tadley, Tamworth, Taunton, Tavistock, Teignmouth, Telford, Telscombe, Tenbury Wells, Tenterden, Tetbury, Tewkesbury, Thame, Thamesmead, Thatcham, Thaxted, Thetford, Thirsk, Thornaby-on-Tees, Thornbury, Thorne, Thornton, Thrapston, Tickhill, Tidworth, Tilbury, Tipton, Tisbury, Tiverton, Todmorden, Tonbridge, Topsham, Torpoint, Torquay, Totland, Totnes, Toton, Totton & Eling, Tow Law, Towcester, Tring, Trowbridge, Truro, Twickenham, Twyford, Tyldesley
U
Uckfield, Ulverston, Upholland, Upminster, Uppingham, Upton-upon-Severn, Urmston, Uttoxeter, Uxbridge
V
Ventnor, Verwood
W
Wadebridge, Wadhurst, Wakefield, Wainfleet All Saints, Walkden, Wallasey, Wallsend, Wallingford, Wallington, Walmer, Walsall, Waltham Abbey, Waltham Cross, Walthamstow, Walton, Walton-on-Thames, Walton-on-the-Naze, Wandsworth, Wantage, Ware, Wareham, Warminster, Warrington, Warwick, Washington, Watchet, Waterlooville, Watford, Wath-upon-Dearne, Watlington, Watton, Wednesbury, Wednesfield, Wellingborough, Wellington (Somerset), Wellington (Shropshire), Wells, Wells-next-the-Sea, Welwyn Garden City, Wem, Wendover, Wesham, West Bridgford, West Bromwich, West Kirby, West Malling, West Mersea, Westbury, Westerham, Westgate-on-Sea, Westhoughton, Westminster, Weston-super-Mare, Westward Ho!, Wetherby, Weybridge, Weymouth, Whaley Bridge, Whickham, Whitby, Whitchurch (Hampshire), Whitchurch (Shropshire), Whitefield, Whitehaven, Whitley Bay, Whitnash, Whitstable, Whittlesey, Whyteleafe, Wickford, Wickham, Wickwar, Widnes, Wigan, Wigston Magna, Wigton, Willenhall, Willington, Wilmslow, Wilton, Wimborne Minster, Wincanton, Winchcombe, Winchelsea, Winchester, Windermere, Windsor, Winsford, Winslow, Winterton, Wirksworth, Wisbech, Witham, Withernsea, Witney, Wiveliscombe, Wivenhoe, Woburn, Woburn Sands, Woking, Wokingham, Wolsingham, Wolverhampton, Wolverton, Wombwell, Woodbridge, Woodley, Woodstock, Wooler, Wootton Bassett, Worcester, Workington, Worksop, Worsley, Worthing, Wotton-under-Edge, Wroxham, Wymondham, Wythall
Y
Yarm, Yarmouth, Yate, Yateley, Yeadon, Yeovil, York