Content curation is defined as gathering and sharing existing information that is relevant, high-quality and valuable. For curation, you don’t create the content yourself, unlike content creation, where it’s ultimately your original work. As you include bits of other information, the main content you distribute to your audience differs from the original one.  

Before you create and share your content, you have to consider several things for your audience to consume your curated content rather than someone else’s content. A well-implemented strategy of your local curated content will add value for your audience, resulting in social media shares, links and, eventually, high ranks in your local SEO or search engine optimization.

Below are excellent content curation tips that’ll put you on the proper track and improve your local SEO.

1. Research Keywords

Find local questions your readers or audience use while searching for your kind of business. Most local searches include the town’s name when looking for something. Although people might not use a local word or term in their search, Google will most likely identify it as a local search.

Keyword research might be complex, but enlisting help from local SEO services, especially for product or service campaigns, takes the burden off your shoulders. These firms have vast experience in all local consumption patterns and can advise you on what keywords to include in your curated content for higher ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs).  

You may also want to ask your frequent customers what they searched for initially when they got to see your website or what they’d search for if they’re looking for your business type. Again, this would be critical information to factor into your curated content.

2. Optimize For Voice Search

Nowadays, voice search has been trending as many people find typing boring or time-consuming. When you properly optimize your curated content for voice search, you’ll significantly improve your ranking on search engines. Ideally, include long-tail keywords in your content and answer typical questions customers are likely to ask regarding your product and brand. Incorporating relevant local keywords and phrases throughout your content will increase traffic to your website and social media pages.  

In addition to that, consider using a familiar and conversational tone typical of everyday conversation.

3. Include Local Places

Specifying your location is crucial when optimizing your curated content for local SEO. Remember, most people consider the business’s location when searching for products or services. For instance, a customer would want a nearby restaurant to deliver food or a salon just around the corner. They’ll probably click on that search result if it shows you’re located in their town or area. Thus, the title snippet of your post or content must be clear about the location of your business. Search engines also use complex algorithms to determine where web users are searching. If your content indicates your location, your site will reach the right audience.

4. Know Your Audience

Creating good content and an effective marketing strategy majorly depends on your audience. In either case, you must recognize the needs and preferences of the people you’re targeting to produce and curate content appropriately for SEO.   

Audience personalities and characters help you know what content interests them most, so you can curate content that resonates with them, thus satisfying their needs. Avoid posting any article or video just casually and for the sake of it. It won’t help your SEO in any way. Moreover, it may decrease your credibility as a content creator and lower local SEO ranks.

Besides, assess how the curated content you create and share meets your audience’s needs and upgrades your SEO. Tracking your post’s performance will help determine whether your followers found your content valuable. Diligence in this type of analysis will improve your local ranks in the long run.  

5. Credit Your Sources

Given that you’re getting content from other original creators, it’s courteous to give the source. However, not crediting the source is illegal and exhibits unprofessionalism.

Share links on your articles or tag the original authors on your social media posts. Then, share a review of the content and redirect your audience to the source to gain access to the original work. Content curation is a fantastic way to build new relationships and networks, and being respectful is the best way to do this.

6. Use the Right Type of Content Curation

The tricky part of content curation is deciding on the proper techniques for the task. Sometimes, you may want to take a couple of trials with different content curation strategies to see whether they work for you. Below are typical content curation tactics you may want to try:  

• Aggregation: This is the most convenient way of curating content, and it’s at the top base for many of the content curation services offered online. It involves curating the most relatable content about a subject matter in a particular location or website.
• Distillation: This aims at filtering noise about a topic to the most relevant and essential idea. Most social media-curated content falls under this category.
• Elevation: It happens when content creators design a common trend or perception from general reflections.
• Mashups: Involve blending different content about a single topic and coming up with a fresh opinion about a similar issue.
• Chronology: It involves creating content about a topic based on history. Also, it presents a time frame of curated content to demonstrate the development of a specific topic.

Choosing the right content curation strategy for your local audience is paramount.

7. Add Value

Your followers can also access the primary sources of your curated content. People follow you to get your opinion about a specific topic. Therefore, any post you share wouldn’t be interesting without your point of view linked to it.

Your opinions should be precise and straightforward, describing why your fans should read the content and how it’s valuable to them. Your insights will give them a new perspective.

8. Schedule Curated Content in Advance

Knowing when to post your curated content is critical. Since you’re targeting a local audience, publishing your posts when they’re available to read is essential. For instance, it may not be logical to release a post about your cleaning business at midnight. All your potential customers are probably asleep at this time. Publishing such content early in the morning would work. Also, for breaking news, you have to be punctual. It beats logic to publish your post several hours after an incident. People would already have heard about it numerous times, and it won’t be impactful when you post your content.   

Having a schedule for your daily posts will also give you extra time to do other things rather than staying at your desk at all times. Fortunately, there are reliable content curation tools you can use for scheduling posts. Schedules can make your work easy because you can instantly plan for any critical post from your browser.   

9. Offer the Right Content Mix

Mixing images, slide share presentations, written text and videos into your curated content for your website or social media pages enhances your content’s visibility. Although some followers or audiences may prefer text or video, people will acknowledge the wide range of high-standard content. Also, supposing you incorporate infographics, make sure they’re valuable and relevant for your content to qualify for local SEO ranks.

10. Fact Check

It’s commonplace to stumble across fake information on the internet, especially with massive access to the internet. Don’t be part of the fake news. You must always be cautious about what you share and believe in because your brand image is at stake if you spread lies. Ensure you fully comprehend what you want to post and authenticate it from a credible source. You don’t want to misinform anyone, which can decrease your credibility.

11. Utilize Content Curation Software and Tools

Content curation software will notify you of the latest trends and news that might fascinate your local followers. Several sites can help you find the best content. These platforms are powerful and help your brand put together a stimulating yet friendly mixture of shared and original content to spot trends and boost your local SEO ranks.

12. Be Consistent

Maintaining a continuous flow of new content to your website or blog is undoubtedly crucial, given the high competition in all business sectors. If you don’t post every other day, your followers may soon forget that you exist, especially since other businesses are bombarding the same people with posts. Also, regularly update your curations with local content daily. It’s a smart move for your local SEO, guaranteed to bring you more traffic.  

13. Develop a Sharing Ecosystem

Great curated content is intended to interest your target audience. Your audience won’t hesitate to share your content with their friends if they find it worthwhile. So, make sharing easy by integrating sharing buttons within your content. It’d be best to allow sharing to all mainstream social networks like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. By and by, this type of word-of-mouth marketing will blow up your traffic.

Conclusion

Content curation is one of the best ways for your local SEO. It works better when you make it significant and valuable to your target audience. For guaranteed results, you may want to team up with local SEO services that have a profound knowledge of the local business dynamics.