Spending tons of time writing content sucks when it only gets one or two hits.

You could have spent that time doing any number of things to bring in leads. It may have even made you question marketing and whether it's all worth it.

Here's the thing: Lackluster content happens.

About 53% of businesses use content marketing... but that doesn't mean they're doing it well. You need to do more than choosing a topic and writing some words. You need to optimize your blog writing for your local audience.

The What and Why of Geo-Targeting, Online Search, and Location-Based SEO

When many people search online, they use location-based modifiers in our online queries to get better results.

Location modifiers often include:

• Query + "near me"
• City or zipcode
• Around (x) or by (y)

The modifiers make sure we're not getting results from places across the state or out of the country. These are a few examples but there are many more that deliver relevant information.

As a business owner, you'll want to tap into these queries to capture your local market. Let's learn about these modifiers, local SEO, and why it matters.

Google and Geo-Targeting

Google wants to deliver relevant information to its users. To meet the user's needs, results and presentation have changed along with the trends. Today, a lot of the search results display information curated by Google.

You'll notice items like:

• News and announcements
• Business packs and ads
• Local mages and videos
• Maps and directions
• Profiles and overviews

All of this is part of the underlying Knowledge Graph. Or, in other words, Google's way to make sense of information through structured data. Central to making geo-targeting possible is schema and other data formats. These are the formats that help Google and people understand data.

By structuring data, you'll see Google more likely to present your info above those who don't. This is the idea and concept behind location-based SEO.

The Basics of Location-Based SEO

Google has a history of changing the search algorithm and ranking factors. In 2016, they rolled out the "Possum" update that refined local results. And, before that, they released the "Pigeon" update that jumpstarted this stuff you're learning.

You could spend forever digging into the details. So, to save you time, here are some of the major ranking factors for local results:

1. Presence and optimized of your Google My Business listing
2. Links including link quality, backlinks, and authority
3. Reviews and local citations from reputable platforms
4. On-page optimization especially keyword use and NAP
5. Social, search behavior from users, and personalization

GMB (Google My Business) plays heavily in acquiring local search traffic. This is also one of the easiest parts of local SEO. All you need to do with GMB is sign up and set some basic parameters.

A high-rated, reputable business that's optimized for their GMB may become part of the local pack. This pack features the popular/respected businesses in local results for their queries.

So then... what about everything else like links, reviews, citations, and more?

Content.

Content is what you can do to entice more links, reviews, and citations from people and platforms. Content influences the local SEO signals. Content is a top-level SEO effort that benefits all other aspects of your business, too.

How to Add Geo SEO to Your Blog Writing (Plus a Few Extra Tips)

The short answer: start using geo modifiers when writing.

The long answer? Follow the steps below.

These steps will have you targeting the right keywords so you reach the right people. You'll then get how to structure it to do well on a local level. Finally, you'll bring it all together so it helps you rank and drives leads & sales.

Step 1: Geo-Targeted Keyword Research

A good selection of keywords is what gets local SEO starting off right.

There are a few approaches to keyword research for your blog writing:

1. Keyword research tools
2. Looking at the competitors
3. Going with your gut instinct

Tools like Google Ads, Ahrefs, or SEMRush deliver some of the best results. These provide keyword suggestions and the data behind each.

Getting keyword ideas with the tools involve the following:

1. Input a keyword or phrase (try something like your products or services)
2. Get a list of keyword ideas including search volume and difficulty
3. Export and go through the list, picking out which of them you'll target

You could then pair or contrast them to generalized keyword research:

• Look at your competitors, their blog posts, and what they're targeting
• Check out what the news covers and the common, hot topics
• Ask your community what they'd like to read about
• Think of the topics you and the team know about from experience

The Geo part is adding geography to the topic -- like:

• Names of local places
• Personal details
• Town/city/zip
• Event details

...and anything that would make that topic very much about your area.

Step 2: Crafting Location Optimized Blog Content

Keeping it simple is the best approach for content creation. Otherwise, you get too sidetracked and chase tactics that rarely create a major impact. Much like the major local factors, stick to the impactful SEO factors and content efforts.

Cover topics like:

• Local events and media
• Business happenings/news
• Industry/market content
• Answers to local queries
• Interviews and testimonials
• Local, "best of" type guides

Think of your content as the local hub for all things in your industry.

As for the content creation -- try this formula:

1. Include the primary keyword + location in the title, description, URL, and at least a few times throughout the piece
2. Support the main topic with sub-topics and relevant media while also including examples, call-to-actions, and personalization
3. Share your work on local platforms and/or distribute it through the citation channels or the news to get links and exposure

You can craft specific pages, too, like:

• A location-based landing page for a product or service
• A FAQ page answering local, regional, state, and industry-wide questions
• A page just for specials, coupons, and discounts

Look at search results and brainstorm ideas for high-level keywords and topics. Then, make them hyperfocused by localizing content and applying local SEO.

Step 3: Implementing a Geo-Targeting Funnel

Geo-targeting is when you take local SEO, blog writing, and everything, and really turn it up a notch. This is when it becomes a science.

Your efforts (like content) get modified via:

• Language and cultures
• History and community
• Devices and media formats
• Trends and user intent

It's like how businesses reformat ads for different areas of your town/city. You target groups and communities within the local market. In doing so, you further refine the content, experience, and business outcomes.

You could do something like this:

1. Set up a content-heavy page covering a problem in your area where your services act as a legitimate solution (ie. roof repairs after a harsh storm)
2. Set up and target hyperspecific Ad keywords and select the audience by their geography, as focused and refined as you can get
3. Boost engagement by putting a face to the services and partner with local events or peers to make your brand more recognizable
4. Drive people from local queries to your sponsored listings, ads, or promoted content

You can't quite target your neighbor but you can target your neighborhood. See how far and refined you can get with local SEO efforts.

Create Consistent Returns with Geo SEO

Ponder what offers the biggest impact for online growth. If "consistency" popped into your head then you understand what needs to be done.

Long-term returns from SEO require on-going, long-term efforts. If you're fuzzy about how this becomes a reality then seek blog writing services.

Blog writing and professional services fill the content gap. And, in the process, lets you get more from your geo-targeting and content.

Go on and explore iWriter and our expert writing services. Register for an account, let us know what you're looking for, and our experts will get to work crafting great, locally SEO'd content.

You've heard it before--content is king. This statement stills rings true. Nothing will bring in more clients and get you noticed like your content will. However, the wrong content will end up with you feeling burned out with no return for your efforts.

To keep your audience interested and coming back for more, you need to provide high-quality, targeted content.

While working on your content plan, there are certain things you don't want to do.

Here are seven content writing mistakes you don't want to make.

1. Setting Unrealistic Goals

When you start your blog, you're going to be full of ideas. You'll probably be excited to get those ideas out into the world as quickly as possible. But don't hit "publish" just yet.

You don't want to make the mistake of working through these ideas quickly and leaving nothing in the reserve.

To keep yourself organized you're going to need an editorial calendar. Take those great ideas and add them to a brainstorming section in your calendar. One good tactic is to update your calendar each month, with topics and the dates they will be published.

This will give you an idea of how many times you can post a month while still having leftover content for future posts.

2. Not Being Consistent

You've started your blog, have an editorial calendar...fantastic. You're on the right path, but it's important at this point to be consistent. This is where the editorial calendar is going to help you again (see how important it is?).

As you lay out your calendar topics, do so in a way that keeps the posts flowing in an orderly way. For example, you can start off posting once a week. If you have enough content to keep going, increase it to twice a week.

It's okay to add content, what you don't want to do is skip weeks between posts. The point of blogging is to gain an audience who will routinely read your posts.

If you don't give them what they're looking for, when they're used to seeing it, you risk losing some of your valuable audience.

3. Not Using Images

While content is king, nothing grabs your attention like an image. Each post you publish should have a corresponding image that will help stand out.

This serves the purpose of getting more attention to your post, and it will also make it easier for you when you publish your content on social media.

You'll want a header image, as well as images throughout the content to break up your blog posts. Not sure what image to use? There are plenty of places to get images for your web content online.

4. Not Using a Variety of Content

People consume content in different ways. One person may want to read an in-depth blog post, while another prefers simple lists they can scan through. Other people want to listen to a podcast or check out an infographic.

Luckily, it doesn't have to be hard to provide a variety of content to your audience. You can repurpose what you already have.

Look back at your most popular blog posts, and narrate them to turn them into podcasts, or create an infographic.

Both of those options can be shared via social media and serve the purpose of reaching a new audience that you may have missed the first time around.

5. Not Using a Call to Action

If you're running a business and your blog is probably one part of your marketing efforts. If you end your posts without asking your audience to take some sort of action, you're doing yourself a disservice.

Whether it's to visit your website or download your latest white paper or ebook, you should always aim to bring them into your sales funnel, check out the rest of your site, or to get in touch with you for more information.

6. Not Knowing Your Target Audience

Before you start writing content for an audience, you need to know who your audience is. Otherwise, you won't know what topics to focus on and you'll end up all over the place.

For your blog to make an impact it has to be focused.

To find your target audience, you'll need to do some buyer persona research. Buyer personas are representations of your ideal client and will give you a roadmap for the content that will be most successful.

7. Writing for Search Engines Not People

SEO is going to get you seen and get you in front of your target audience if done correctly. What you don't want to do is focus your efforts on writing for search engines, and forget that your content is being read by real people.

When writing content, use relevant keywords but don't keyword stuff, rather use them naturally throughout the text. Engagement is a big part of SEO success and the more people relate to and share your content, the better it will perform.

Take Your Content Writing to the Next Level

By understanding what not to do when it comes to great content writing, you'll be able to focus your efforts on creating successful content for your audience.

The result will be a blog that draws in your target audience, keeps them interested and entices them to share your content with their peers.

Still need help generating content for your business? If you're looking for valuable content for your blog, get in touch with us today and see what we can do for you.