Local SEO is a strategy to direct users to the right solution for their needs.
If you run a small business such as a bakery, or pharmacy, you need to know about local SEO optimization. According to a study, 81% of consumers search for information online before entering a store, up 20% from last year. The results also show that they spend an average of 79 days gathering information before making a major purchase.
Local SEO optimization is a great and effective way to promote your local business online. Local SEO can help you promote your products and services to local customers who are searching online for services and products similar to yours. This is made possible through a variety of methods. The most important thing for business owners is to choose the best method for their business.
As search engines become smarter and the data they collect from users become more sophisticated, you need to adapt your strategies and revise your entire communication process.
With this in mind, local SEO can be an investment opportunity with great benefits and amazing results for businesses with stores, physical points and branch offices.
Want to learn more about the local SEO strategy and how to apply it in your company? Keep reading!
What is Local SEO?
SEO, or search engine optimization, is a digital marketing strategy that works on a website’s domain and pages to make them appear at the top of search engines like Google
.
Many companies have started using this strategy, especially considering content marketing, which is also included in this ranking. Therefore, local SEO is a strategy that takes into account the location of the user and works on this positioning.
For example, if a user searches for “hair salon”, Google will prioritize results that are closer to the user for a quick and easy solution to their problem.
Local SEO also allows you to search for a location using terms that describe it. In this example, if a user searches for “salon in Santa Monica”, the results will show up within that location of their choice.
Why do you need local SEO?
If your business depends on local people, you need to appeal to them. Some businesses don’t mind vague content, but companies that offer local services or products need to be more specific.
For example, if you offer online services globally, it doesn’t matter if you’re targeting a certain geographic area. However, if you are a cafe that only serves inbound customers, be sure to optimize your platform locally for your location.
If you don’t target your website and online platform locally, you won’t appear where you want to be. You may get a match in the search results for “best coffee shop”, but people searching for “best coffee shop in NYC” won’t know you exist there. For this reason, you need to optimize your content properly. If you are targeting the right audience, your business will go from 0 to 10 in no time.
What are the benefits of local SEO?
Local SEO can impact the bottom line of your business in a number of ways. With targeted searches, if there is interest, your name will appear in the search results, thus increasing the number of customers and revenue for your business.
Increased Sales
The first major impact is an increase in sales. It goes without saying that many people are now using their smartphones to search for places.
If your business appears on the mechanisms used by your audience, you can increase your reach and sales.
Increase Brand Awareness
Local SEO specifically works by introducing your business to users who are close to your store.
This way, you can attract more and more potential customers who are looking for the products and services your business sells.
Increase The Credibility Of Your Business
One thing is for sure, if you invest well in local SEO, you can increase the credibility of your business. This strategy will get your business more attention among more people, and in some cases even higher, so that users will make your business one of their first choices when searching for it.
Increase The Number Of New Customers
Many people who have never heard of your business before can now find it through a Google search. Therefore, if you invest in local SEO, you can increase your customer map. If your strategy is effective, more people will be able to learn about your brand.
With this benefit, you now need to make sure that the quality of your services and products are relevant to your customers and increase their satisfaction and loyalty to both new and existing customers.
Which Entrepreneurs Are The Target Customers For Local SEO?
Café and restaurant owners
Ophthalmologists
Auto mechanics
Hairdressers
Lawyers
Artisans
Doctors
Bakers
Painter
In short, anyone who runs a local business, runs a regional business, or provides services to local consumers uses local SEO. And why? It’s simple.
Because about 57% of users use their smartphones directly to conduct local searches. They want to know addresses, products, hours of operation, and get directions to nearby stores and service providers. These potential customers are also directed to your store and get relevant information and thus don’t go to a competitor’s store.
What Are The Ranking Factors For Local SEO?
For local search, the most important ranking factors are:
Use Of Keywords:
Keywords and their meta tags in the HTML document should be descriptive of the business, activity or location. Using the right keywords plays an important role in local SEO and is especially important for maintaining the image of Google My Business.
Create And Maintain A Google My Business Profile:
Here you need to enter the business name, address (city, zip code), phone number and other details (similar to On-Page optimization). The official company website should be linked and verified through the profile and follow the Google My Business quality guidelines.
Use Consistent Data:
Key data attributes are often referred to as “NAP”. This acronym is short for name, address and phone number and means that you should use this data consistently across all listings on your website.
Ratings AndReviews:
Ratings, reviews and positive comments can have a significant impact on your ranking in local search results. This is because the opinions of users who have visited the site and written reviews also appear in the SERP listings. These reviews can affect your ranking in local searches.
Backlinks From Local Websites:Links from local businesses to your website can increase the visibility of other local businesses.
Local links in website content and meta information Website content should contain explicit local links. For example, mentioning a city or region in the title, description or content can increase your relevance to local searches in that area.
Supporting Tools:
Some software (even free) is a must and very useful for people who want to use local SEO.
SEMrush: It’s interesting to know the most searched terms by users and the terms your competitors use.
Keyword Tool: also very useful for additional keywords.
Google Analytics: A powerful tool to determine where your customers are coming from.
Do you understand how much of an impact investing in local SEO can have on your business? Now that you know more about local SEO, you can use the tips we’ve given you to attract new customers and build credibility in the area where you operate. Not only will this increase your sales, but it will also make it easier for you to retain customers.
FAQ:
Why Is Local SEO So Important?
If you are running a business or a website, you want your audience to visit you. Local SEO is important because it is specifically designed to increase your website’s presence and traffic.
Local SEO allows you to increase your presence in your city or region. Your (potential) customers will find you when they are actively looking for the products and services you offer, or the resources and information you provide.
How Do You Get Started?
Now that you know the importance of local SEO, it’s time to put it into practice. To do so, first open and set up a Google My Business account.
Use backlinks in your content and don’t forget to use traditional SEO techniques (proper titles, tags, meta tags, hyperlinks, link building, keywords, etc.). Also, use Google Posts to update new content and encourage users to comment.
If you are a Google star, don’t forget to respond to customer feedback, have a responsive website, and focus your content marketing on areas relevant to your business.
How Does This Strategy Work?
Through search engines such as Google Maps, tools on social sites, GPS navigation apps, etc., you can target consumers who are looking for specific products or services related to your business.
For example, a stranger who has just arrived in your city and is looking for a place to have lunch will find your restaurant if you use a good local SEO strategy.
How To Differentiate Local SEO From Traditional SEO?
SEO, is the process of maximizing your website’s Google ranking in terms related to your business. However, with local SEO, Google is not only looking at your website, but also your Google My Business profile page. This is because when Google searches for location-related terms, it shows not only your business page, but also a map of where your business is located.
How Can I Get Involved In Cities And Towns Other Than My Own?
In local SEO, the location of your office or business is an important factor in the ranking algorithm.
Again, think about the people you are looking for. If someone is looking for a coffee shop in New York City, they are not going to be interested in showing you a coffee shop in Los Angeles.
Google knows this. Therefore, comparing your search engine rankings to the actual location of your business is an important part of local SEO optimization.
This will ensure that you get the best results and benefits when potential customers search near your business.
Are You Following The Legitimacy And Quality Guidelines Of Google And Other Search Engines?
Of course, we stay up to date and strictly adhere to all legal requirements and the best practices promoted by all major search engines, especially Google.
How Do I Implement Local SEO?
As with any other marketing strategy, implementing local SEO that incorporates service hours and reviews in addition to location requires a lot of planning.
This can include creating local content and optimizing your website, especially when accessed from mobile devices, creating tools like Google My Business so that your business appears on maps, and Create other tools like Foursquare, TripAdvisor, and Facebook itself, etc. You need to pay attention to every detail. This can be used for location-based advertising campaigns.
Therefore, it is very important to seek the advice of a professional agency when using local SEO. The right combination of these elements and tools will determine the success of your strategy.
If you are interested in improving your business performance with local SEO services and getting more consumers to visit your physical store, please contact us for more information.