Month 1-2: Audit and Foundation

Website Audit:

• Conduct a comprehensive audit of your website's current SEO status. Identify technical issues, on-page optimization gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

Keyword Research:

• Identify relevant keywords with local intent that potential customers might use to find your business. Focus on long-tail keywords and include location-specific terms.

On-Page Optimization:

• Optimize your website's title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and content with targeted keywords.
• Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly, as these factors are crucial for local SEO.

Google My Business Setup and Optimization:

• Claim or create your GMB profile if you haven't already.
• Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistency across all online platforms.
• Complete all sections of your GMB profile, including business description, categories, hours of operation, and photos.

Month 3-4: Content Creation and Citations

Content Creation:

• Create locally-focused content on your website's blog or resource section. This could include articles, guides, or case studies relevant to your local audience.
• Incorporate local keywords naturally into your content.

Local Citations:

• Identify and submit your business information to relevant local directories, industry-specific platforms, and citation sites.
• Ensure consistency of NAP information across all citations.

Review Management:

• Develop a strategy for soliciting and managing customer reviews on your GMB profile.
• Respond promptly and professionally to all reviews, whether positive or negative.

Month 5-6: Link Building and Ongoing Optimization

Link Building:

• Seek opportunities to earn backlinks from local businesses, industry organizations, and authoritative websites.
• Guest posting on local blogs or collaborating with other businesses can be effective strategies.

Local Schema Markup:

• Implement schema markup on your website to provide search engines with structured data about your business, such as address, phone number, and business hours.

Ongoing GMB Management:

• Regularly update your GMB profile with new photos, posts, and offers to keep it fresh and engaging.
• Monitor insights provided by Google My Business to track the performance of your listing and make data-driven decisions for optimization.

Local Outreach:

• Engage with your local community through events, sponsorships, or partnerships. Participating in local events or sponsoring local organizations can increase your visibility and enhance your local SEO efforts.

Monitoring and Reporting:

• Continuously monitor your website's performance using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
• Track keyword rankings, organic traffic, GMB impressions, clicks, and customer actions to measure the effectiveness of your Local SEO efforts.

By following this structured plan over the course of six months, you'll establish a strong foundation for local search visibility and improve your website's ranking on Google Maps and organic search results.