For companies that function within the busy urban ecosystem of Kochi, Kerala, one of the more important connections to local customers is often a primary component of your success. At the same time, in a world where almost every consumer purchasing decision is preceded by some kind of online search (especially for local services and products), executing a local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy is crucial to being able to survive and thrive. Local SEO consists of optimizing your online presence to attract more customers from relevant local searches on Google and other search engines. For a Kochi or Ernakulam business owner – whether it’s a seafood restaurant in Fort Kochi, a handicraft store in Mattancherry, a healthcare clinic in Ernakulam or almost any other local business, local SEO is a way to leverage the potential of your immediate market.
Think about the traditional consumer journey in Kochi. When a user thinks “best biryani near me” or “reputable electrician in Vyttila” often the first thing they do is pull out their smart phone and do a local search. This is precisely how local SEO works! If you take the time to optimize your website and online profiles with local, location based keywords, your business will appear in the local search results making it easy when that person is actually in Kochi and looking for your business.
One of the most basic things you can do from a local SEO perspective, is to claim your business on Google My Business (now called Google Business Profile). It is a free tool that helps you control how your business shows up in Google Search and Maps. For businesses in Kochi, your Google Business Profile should be as complete and accurate as possible. Your profile should at minimum have complete and current NAP (name, address and phone number) providing business name, address and phone number, website, hours of operation, customer reviews, photos and posts about new offering or promotions. Maintaining correct and consistent NAP to your various online presences and optimizations are part of critical local search elements.
Local keyword research is another big piece. It is important to know what terms your potential clients are actually searching for in Kochi. Specifically, you want to identify keywords that are related to your products/services and include local qualifiers like “ayurvedic massage kochi” “plumbing services Edappally” “cake delivery near Marine Drive”. You should seamlessly integrate these local keywords into your website content, page titles, meta description, and GMB profile to better let search engines know how to rank your website for relevant local searches.
Building local citations are also an important “mom”(mostly online mentions) of your businesses name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other relevant websites like a local business directory (Like Justdial or Sulekha is really popular in India), review resources (like TripAdvisor for tourism related businesses in Kochi), and industry specific business directories. The more high quality, and consistent citations your business receives, the more trustworthy you appear to the search engines.
Encouraging and managing online reviews is another aspect of local SEO success. Positive reviews can increase the likelihood of how prospective customers will choose. Local businesses in Kochi should consider encouraging and engaging satisfied customers to write reviews of your business on Google Maps, and Facebook or other relevant review sites. Responsiveness is another part of engagement and shows that you care about feedback and are present in your community.
Local content marketing can be a great way to be more relevant to local customers. While it is a part of the local SEO process, it can also help produce organic traffic. Develop blog posts, articles, and/or relevant local guides that have relevance and a vested interest with your local audience in Kochi. For example, a Kochi travel agency could write a blog post titled “Best Weekend Getaways from Kochi.” or restaurant could write a blog post featuring a recipe that includes locally sourced ingredients.
Overall, given Kerala’s level of usage of mobile in Kochi you cannot ignore a mobile responsive site when it comes to local search engine optimisation. Local searches on mobile devices are at an all-time high, so you need your site to load quickly and easily navigated on a small screen.
To bring this to a close, for any business that could tap into Kochi’s local market, using your time and energy on local search engine optimisation is a no brainer. By recognising the reality of the local search landscape online, businesses will be improving the overall customer experience, gain local trust and credibility, and drive more foot traffic or enquiries into your business by leveraging a unique and complex market in Kochi.