Marketing your business in British Columbia’s competitive landscape requires more than just a nice website. From the bustling streets of downtown Vancouver to the industrial parks of Surrey, every business is fighting for digital real estate.
To win, you need a robust Vancouver SEO strategy.
We have compiled 50 actionable tips to help you outrank your competitors. Whether you are a local cafe in Kitsilano or a law firm in the downtown core, these tactics will boost your visibility, drive traffic, and generate leads.
Short on time? Skip the DIY and hire the experts. Check out our professional Vancouver SEO services to get started today.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Mastering Local SEO (The “Map Pack”)
If you are a local business, your #1 goal is to rank in the Google Map Pack. Here is how to do it.
1. Claim Your Google Business Profile (GBP) Your GBP is your digital storefront. If you haven’t claimed it, you don’t exist in local search. Ensure your verification is complete so you show up for “near me” searches.
2. Nail Your NAP Consistency NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. Google needs to see the exact same info on your website, your Facebook, and your YellowPages listing. Inconsistencies (e.g., “St.” vs “Street”) can tank your rankings.
- Read more: The Guide to Local Citations in Vancouver
3. Choose the Right Primary Category Don’t just be a “Lawyer.” Be a “Criminal Justice Attorney” or “Family Law Attorney.” Specificity helps you rank for niche searches.
4. Optimize Your Service Area Don’t just select “Vancouver.” If you serve the suburbs, explicitly add Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, and North Vancouver to your GBP service areas.
5. Get More Google Reviews Reviews are a major ranking factor. Implement a system to ask happy customers for a review immediately after a service.
6. Respond to Every Review Yes, even the bad ones. Responding shows Google (and future customers) that you are active and care about customer service.
7. Add Photos of Your Team and Office Stock photos don’t build trust. Upload real photos of your Vancouver office, your team, and your projects. Geo-tagged photos are even better.
8. Use Google Posts Weekly Treat your GBP like a social feed. Post weekly updates about new offers, blog posts, or local events to keep your profile fresh.
Part 2: Content Strategy for British Columbia
Generic content gets ignored. Localized content gets read and ranked.
9. Target “Neighborhood” Keywords Ranking for “Vancouver Real Estate” is hard. Ranking for “Kitsilano Condos” or “Yaletown Lofts” is easier and often more profitable.
10. Create “Location” Landing Pages If you service the whole Lower Mainland, create specific pages for each city (e.g., yourdomain.com/service-burnaby/, yourdomain.com/service-coquitlam/).
11. Answer Local Questions Write blog posts that answer specific local queries, like “How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Vancouver?” or “Best time to plant a garden in BC.”
12. Use “Vancouver” in H1 and H2 Tags Don’t just write “Our Services.” Write “Our Plumbing Services in Vancouver.” Make it crystal clear to search engines where you operate.
13. Create a Local Resources List Curate a list of other non-competing local businesses you recommend. It builds goodwill and positions you as a community hub.
14. Avoid “Keyword Stuffing” Don’t write “We are the best Vancouver SEO doing SEO in Vancouver.” It reads poorly and Google hates it. Write naturally for humans first.
15. Refresh Old Content Google loves fresh content. Update your old blog posts with new stats, current years (e.g., “Tips for 2025“), and fresh images. Content creation will grow your Vancouver business.
16. Add a Table of Contents Long guides (like this one!) rank better when users can jump to the section they need. It improves user experience.
17. Embed Google Maps on Your Contact Page Help Google connect your website to your physical location by embedding your specific Google Map on your contact page.
18. Showcase Local Case Studies Instead of generic testimonials, write case studies titled “How we helped a Richmond bakery double their traffic.”
Part 3: Technical SEO & Site Speed
A slow site kills conversions. Keep your technical foundation healthy.
19. Optimize for Mobile First Over 60% of searches in Vancouver happen on mobile devices. If your site isn’t responsive, you are losing customers.
20. Improve Page Speed Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, users will bounce.
21. Compress Your Images Giant image files are the #1 cause of slow sites. Use tools like TinyPNG to compress images before uploading them.
22. Fix Broken Links (404s) Clicking a link and seeing “Page Not Found” is frustrating. Use a tool like Screaming Frog to find and fix broken links on your site.
23. Use Descriptive URLs Bad: website.com/p=123 Good: website.com/vancouver-seo-tips/
24. Install an SSL Certificate (HTTPS) Security is a ranking factor. Ensure your site has the little padlock icon in the browser bar.
25. Use Schema Markup Help Google understand your content. Use LocalBusiness Schema to explicitly tell search engines your address, hours, and price range.
- Need help? Our Vancouver SEO services include full technical implementation.
26. Create an XML Sitemap This is a map for search engine robots. Submit it to Google Search Console to ensure all your pages get indexed.
27. Optimize Title Tags Your title tag is the blue link in search results. Keep it under 60 characters and put your main keyword near the front.
28. Write Compelling Meta Descriptions This is your ad copy. Write a description that makes people want to click your result over the competitors.
Part 4: Link Building & Authority
You need “votes” from other websites to establish authority.
29. Focus on Quality Over Quantity One link from a reputable site like Business in Vancouver (BIV) is worth 100 links from random directories.
30. Join Local Business Associations Get links from the Vancouver Board of Trade or your local BIA (Business Improvement Association). These are high-trust signals.
31. Sponsor Local Events Sponsor a charity run in Stanley Park or a tech meetup. Sponsors often get a logo and a backlink on the event website.
32. Use the “Unlinked Mention” Strategy Search for your brand name on Google. If a local blog mentioned you but didn’t link, email them and politely ask for the link.
33. Guest Post on Local Blogs Offer to write an article for a local industry blog (e.g., a “Renovation Tips” article for a Vancouver real estate blog).
34. Create Shareable Infographics Visual data about Vancouver trends (housing market, weather, traffic) is highly shareable and attracts natural links.
35. Be a Podcast Guest Vancouver has a thriving podcast scene. Being a guest usually guarantees a link in the show notes.
36. Monitor Competitor Backlinks Use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to see where your competitors are getting links, and try to get listed there too.
Part 5: User Experience (UX) & Conversion
Ranking #1 is useless if visitors don’t contact you.
37. Put Your Phone Number in the Header Don’t make people dig for it. Make your phone number clickable (tap-to-call) for mobile users.
38. Use Strong Calls to Action (CTAs) Tell visitors what to do. Instead of “Submit,” use “Get My Free Quote” or “Book Your Vancouver Consultation.”
39. Add Trust Badges Show off your awards, certifications, or “As Seen In” logos (BBB, Google Partner, etc.) to build instant credibility.
40. Make Navigation Intuitive Organize your menu logically. Users should be able to find any page on your site within 3 clicks.
41. Use Video Content A video introduction of your team can increase “Time on Page,” a positive user engagement signal to Google.
42. Create an FAQ Section Answer common objections directly on your service pages. This reduces friction and helps with voice search queries.
43. Fix Layout Shifts Ensure your page layout doesn’t “jump” around as it loads. This is a Core Web Vital metric that Google measures.
Part 6: Social & Reputation Management
Your brand extends beyond your website.
44. Be Active on LinkedIn For B2B businesses in Vancouver, LinkedIn is a goldmine. Share your content and engage with local decision-makers.
45. Monitor Social Mentions Use tools to see when people talk about your brand on Twitter or Instagram. Engage with them to build community.
46. Share Local News Don’t just talk about yourself. Share news about Vancouver that affects your industry to show you are plugged in.
47. Use Facebook Ads for Retargeting Bring visitors back to your site. If they visited your “Services” page but didn’t buy, show them an ad on Facebook.
48. Encourage User Generated Content If you are a restaurant or shop, encourage customers to tag you in their photos. It builds social proof.
49. Check Your Directory Listings. Ensure you are listed on Apple Maps, Bing Places, and Yelp. Apple Maps is crucial for iPhone users asking Siri for directions.
50. Hire a Pro SEO is a long-term game that changes daily. If you are busy running your business, the best tip is to hire a dedicated partner.
SEO IN VANCOUVER
Ready to grow your Vancouver business?
Jacob Kettner is the owner and CEO of First Rank Inc., a digital marketing agency based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He currently sits on Manitoba Chamber of Commerce Small Business Advisor Council which assists people grow their small businesses in Manitoba.
