You have a business in the UAE, a website with the required number of pages, and in some cases a Google listing also. But even with all these features, your phone is not ringing as expected. Customers are approaching your competitors instead of you.
This isn’t a traffic problem. It’s a visibility issue. And the most optimum fix is focussing more on local SEO, the kind of service which brings your business in front of people near you who are interested in your products or services at that instant of time.
What is Local SEO and Why Does It Matter for Businesses in the UAE?
By local SEO, we simply mean making it easier for people living nearby to find your company on Google when they search for your products/services. When you type “best restaurant in Sharjah” on google, it pulls up a map with three business listings. That little box is called the Local Pack, and just getting a position of yours into it can change the number of calls and walk-ins you receive.
For the UAE, this is even more important as people here use Google Maps and mobile searches to decide which shops they should visit and buy goods from. If your business is not among those results, then you are definitely losing a large number of ready-to-buy customers.
SEO for local business is not that hard. It just has to be done right and done consistently.
Your Google Business Profile is the Real Game Changer
If you have not yet claimed and completed your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), do it now. It is free, and the most important step towards boosting your Google Map Ranking.
Here are the things in your profile that must be correct:
- The business name, address, and phone number
- High-quality photos of your shop, team, or product
- The right business category
- Your operating hours and Holiday Schedule
- Regular posts and offers
Businesses that manage to keep their Google profile active and up-to-date enjoys consistently higher ranking in local searches. This tells Google that you are a real and reliable person operating a business.
Your Reviews Act As A Silent Salesperson
For UAE-based businesses, trust is the most non-negotiable thing. Before a customer calls or drops in, he or she will always check your reviews. Websites having 5 stars with 200+ reviews can easily beat another beautiful website with no social proof.
Ensure that your happy customers leave a Google review or send them a direct link on whatsapp to do so. Provide responses to every review, either good or bad. These actions directly enhance your Google Maps ranking and tell Google that people are interacting with your business.
The same logic works for online stores also. In fact, this is one of the reasons why the best SEO services in UAE will always include review management as a part of their local strategy.
Your Business Name, Address, and Phone Must Be Consistent
This is one of the most common slip-ups in local SEO. When your business address appears differently on different sites, maybe one says Street but another St, one with comma while another without a comma, this will eventually confuse Google and result in decreased rankings.
Ensure that your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) is the same everywhere including your website, Google profile, social networking sites, and any local directories. This consistency is a core part of any proven SEO strategy for local businesses in the UAE.
Local Keywords Still Matter
When a person in Abu Dhabi types “web design company Abu Dhabi” or a shopper looks up “ladies abaya shop JLT,” the key words in these searches are location-based.
Your web site content, page titles and image descriptions should include the areas you serve.
You do not need to stuff keywords anywhere and everywhere. Just write naturally and mention your city or neighbourhood at relevant places. This is how Google can connect your business with local searches and is an important aspect of local SEO packages in the UAE.
Local keywords are equally important for online stores. Companies in UAE providing SEO services for ecommerce website should include location-specific landing pages especially if your products are delivered directly to specific emirates or else offered as in-store pick up.
How to Actually Increase Local Customers
The businesses that consistently increase local customers through SEO are not doing any magic. They are just following the basic requirements but in a proper manner:
- Their Google profile is complete and active.
- Their website has fast loading speed on all devices.
- They receive genuine reviews on a regular basis.
- They have clearly mentioned their services and local areas in the website content.
- They fix the technical bugs as soon as possible to avoid future problems.
Speed matters especially in the UAE. Nowadays most of the searches are done on mobile phones or tablets. If your website takes over three seconds to load, people leave your site. And Google considers this as well.
Is Your Business Stuck? Common Problems That Kill Local Rankings
There are some cases where businesses are doing things right but still not able to rank higher in the search results. There are specific technical as well as listing issues that could be a reason for this like duplicate listings, wrong map pins and suspended Google profiles. A proper SEO audit is required to detect and fix these Google Maps ranking issues that require a comprehensive audit to resolve.
Work With Experts Familiar With the UAE Market
Local SEO is not a one-time job. It requires constant monitoring and updating along with top-notch strategies. If you want more phone calls, visits and sales from nearby customers, then you should work with a team of professionals who understand the way the UAE market behaves over the web.
Digital Upward helps businesses all over the UAE to improve their local presence in order to achieve real results. So if you have got tired of being invisible, let’s have a chat and craft a suitable strategy to attain desirable results.