As a business owner, you know that appearing in search engine results is important for driving traffic to your website. But what you may not know is that local SEO is just as important, if not more so. Here’s why:
When people search for businesses online, they are usually looking for something nearby. In fact, 78% of people use online search engines to find local business information (source). This means that if your business doesn’t show up in local search results, you could be missing out on a lot of potential customers.
What is Local SEO?
As a business owner, you know that SEO is important to bring people to your website. But what about Local SEO? Just as the name suggests, Local SEO is a type of optimization that helps your website rank higher in search engine results for local searches.
If you have a brick-and-mortar business, or even if you just serve a local area, it’s important to make sure your website is optimized for local search.
To execute SEO for a local firm, you will carry out a sequence of measures aimed at increasing local search exposure. Among the best practices are:
Take control of and improve your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)
Management of one’s reputation
Website enhancement
Creating citations
Changing Google search results
Creating local links
Spam combat
Benefits of Local SEO
As a business owner, you know that SEO is important to help customers find your website online. But did you know that Local SEO is just as important?
Here are three benefits of Local SEO:
Improved online visibility:
As a business owner, you know that online visibility is important. You need potential customers to be able to find you easily when they’re searching for products or services like the ones you offer. That’s why local SEO is so important.
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence to make it easier for people who are searching for businesses like yours in their local area to find you. When you invest in local SEO, you’re more likely to show up in search results when someone near you is looking for what you have to offer.
There are a few things you can do to improve your local SEO and get better online visibility. First, make sure your website is optimised for local search. Include your city or region in your titles and tags, and list your business on directories like Google My Business and Yelp.
Increased in-store foot traffic:
Local SEO is more important than ever for businesses who want to increase foot traffic in their stores. Here are a few reasons why:
1. People are searching for local businesses online more than ever before. According to a 2018 study by BrightLocal, 97% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses.
2. Local SEO helps you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which means more people will see your business when they search for something related to it online.
3. People are more likely to visit a store if it’s close by, and local SEO can help you target those nearby customers.
4. Mobile devices make it easy for people to find and visit local stores while they’re on the go.
Take advantage of the local shopping boom:
Following the implementation of COVID, more than half of consumers now prefer to shop locally and support local companies or smaller brands. Local SEO puts you in the running for new business prospects.
As the online world continues to grow, so does the importance of Local SEO. By making sure your business appears in local search results, you can take advantage of the shopping boom that is happening in cities all over the world.
Local SEO is important for a number of reasons. First, it helps potential customers find your business when they are searching for products or services that you offer. Secondly, it allows you to compete with larger businesses that may have a more national or global reach. And finally, it gives you an opportunity to connect with customers on a more personal level.
By appearing in local search results, you are giving your business the best chance to succeed. So if you haven’t already started optimizing for Local SEO, now is the time!
More calls:
Optimizing your Google Business Profile (previously known as Google My Business) can lead to improved Google Maps visibility. This may result in increased phone calls and in-person visits.
If you’re not using Local SEO, you’re missing out on potential customers who could be interested in what you have to offer. Not only that, but you’re also at a disadvantage compared to businesses that are using Local SEO.
Luckily, it’s not too late to start using Local SEO for your business.
Increased trust:
Local SEO is important for several reasons, but one of the most important is that it increases trust. When potential customers see that a business is appearing in search results for their city or region, they’re more likely to trust that the business is legitimate and worth their time.
This becomes even more important when you consider that people are increasingly turning to online reviews and recommendations when making purchasing decisions. If your business isn’t ranking high in search results, you could be missing out on valuable customers and revenue.
So if you’re not already investing in Local SEO, now is the time to start.
More sales:
It’s no secret that SEO can be a major boost for businesses. In fact, a recent study by HubSpot found that organic traffic is the primary source of closed deals for small businesses.
Local SEO is especially important for businesses that rely on foot traffic, such as stores or restaurants. By optimizing their website for local search, they can increase their visibility in search results and attract more customers.
There are a few things businesses can do to optimize their website for local SEO. First, they should make sure their site is listed on Google My Business.
Then, they should ensure their business name, address, phone number, and website are listed in the metadata of their website. If they have an SEO Agency do it, make sure they don’t use keyword stuffing or other black-hat tactics.
Improved conversion rate:
One of the main benefits of local SEO is that it can help improve your conversion rate. When potential customers search for businesses in their area, they are more likely to convert into paying customers.
It can help increase your visibility on search engine results pages. This is important because it allows potential customers to find your business when they are searching for products or services that you offer.
At least, it can provide a greater return on investment than other marketing strategies.
More competitive:
It is especially important for small businesses that may not have the budget for a large-scale marketing campaign. By appearing in local search results, these businesses can reach a larger audience without spending a lot of money.
As the competition among businesses continues to increase, those with a strong local SEO strategy will be better positioned to succeed. Investing in local SEO now can help your business stay ahead of the curve and attract more customers in the future.
Local search is an essential component of any SEO strategy that targets customers in a particular region, city, or neighborhood.
Simply said, local SEO is where you should concentrate your efforts in order to increase your ranks and visibility in local search results such as Google’s Map Pack/Local Pack.
Organic SEO is the process of improving webpage rankings in organic search results. How your website ranks in those organic results might also have an impact on your Local Pack rankings.
When Google judges that the query has local intent, organic listings are another wonderful opportunity for your local business to appear in front of eager searchers.
So, while local and organic SEO are linked in these ways, each requires a distinct strategy with distinct optimization tactics.
Local searches now account for nearly half of all Google queries. Even when someone conducts a routine everyday search, the likelihood of Google displaying local companies nearby remains high.
What is the significance of this for small businesses? Google reported a 900% rise in searches with the keyword “near me today/tonight” from 2017 to 2019.
Google’s Local Ranking Methodology
Google’s local ranking methodology is one of the most important factors in local SEO. In order to improve your business’s chances of being found in a search, you need to understand how Google’s algorithm works and what factors influence your ranking.
There are three main factors that Google considers when ranking a business in a local search: relevance, distance, and prominence.
Relevance refers to how well your business matches the searcher’s query. If you sell women’s shoes and the searcher is looking for men’s shoes, you probably won’t be very relevant. But if the searcher is looking for women’s shoes and you sell women’s shoes, you’re much more likely to be relevant.
How Can Local SEO Help Businesses?
The steps your small business can take to improve its exposure in local SERPs are less complicated than you would assume. Here are some of the most straightforward techniques to boost your local SEO efforts.
Create Reliable and Consistent Local Citations
Creating reliable and consistent local citations can be a challenge, but it’s worth the effort. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
1. Make sure your NAP (name, address, and phone number) is accurate and up-to-date.
2. Create listings on major directories and review sites, such as Google My Business, Yelp, and Angie’s List.
3. Make sure your website is optimized for local keywords and phrases.
4. Build citations on other local sites, including niche directories and industry-specific websites.
5. Monitor your listings for accuracy and consistency.
Include Your Company in Online Local Directories
As a business owner, you know that word-of-mouth is still the best form of marketing. As customers search for local businesses online, it’s important to make sure your company comes up in the search results. One way to do this is by including your company in online local directories.
When customers search for businesses in their area, they are more likely to find companies that are listed in online directories. By including your company in these directories, you can increase your chances of being found by potential customers.
Including your company in online directories is a simple and effective way to improve your local SEO. It’s an easy way to get started with improving your online visibility and reaching new customers who are looking for businesses like yours.
Create and manage a Google My Business Profile
Creating and managing a Google My Business profile is a great way to improve SEO. This profile includes your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and category. You can also add photos, videos, and other information about your business.
Claimed and verified Google My Business listings appear more prominently in search results, which can help increase click-through rates and drive more traffic to your website.
If you haven’t already claimed and verified your Google My Business listing, now is the time to do it. It’s quick and easy, and it can really pay off for your business.
Regularly respond to reviews (Both Good & Bad)
One of the best ways to improve your local SEO is to regularly respond to reviews, both good and bad. This shows potential customers that you care about your online reputation and are willing to engage with customers.
When responding to positive reviews, thank the customer for their feedback and let them know you’re happy to have them as a customer. For negative reviews, apologize for any inconvenience caused and see if there’s anything you can do to make up for it.
By taking the time to respond to reviews, you can improve your local SEO and show potential customers that you value their feedback.
Make Hyperlocal Content Available on Your Website
When people search for businesses online, they are usually looking for something nearby. And if your business doesn’t show up in the search results, you’re missing out on potential customers.
One way to make sure your business shows up in local search results is to create hyperlocal content. This is content that is specifically targeted to people in your area. For example, if you have a blog on your website, you could write a post about the best places to eat in town or the top attractions in the area. If you have a product or service that is only available in certain locations, you can mention that in your content as well.
Conclusion
Local SEO saves you money on initiatives, methods, and plans that will not produce real results. This means that, rather than focusing on artificial competition and promoting your products to a broad market, it is more time- and cost-effective to focus on the local community, which will help you make great impressions where they are required. That being stated, after studying why local SEO is vital and how to maximize your marketing strategy with it, pay attention to the problems that local SEO may bring to your firm and devise tactics to combat these concerns.
You can use SEO auditing services to acquire an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of your local SEO approach.
You can find more details about Local SEO in What is B2B Local SEO and How does it work.