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ToggleWhat Is Local SEO and Why Is It Important?
Have you tried looking for a restaurant near your workplace online? Or have you recently used Google to find a dentist, law firm, or plumbing service near you? These pretty much sum up what local SEO entails.
According to recent statistics, 86% of consumers use the Internet to find local products or services.
- In addition, 76% of smartphone users search for nearby businesses and visit them within a day. More importantly, 28% of them make a purchase.
- These findings imply that you must understand what local SEO is. This concept is especially important for new business owners who are trying to stay ahead of the competition.
As a result, in this walkthrough, we’ll go over this optimization technique and its advantages in depth. Let’s also discuss how you can seamlessly integrate it into your operations.
What exactly is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a strategy for optimizing your website in order to increase your ranking and business presence within a specific geographical region.
The practice and goals are similar to those of traditional SEO, but the local counterpart is more focused. Specifically, the keywords you use or the articles you write are intended to connect you with potential customers in your area. While general SEO benefits businesses of all sizes and types, local SEO is most effective for those with a local customer base and physical locations.
Why Does Local SEO Matter for Businesses?
Local SEO is critical for businesses because, unlike paid searches, it is free! It also assists small and medium-sized businesses in breaking through the noise and gaining loyal customers.
Here are some more reasons to boost your local SEO efforts.
- It improves your online visibility.
- Increasing the online visibility of your products or services is most likely the first effect of implementing local SEO in your business.
- One method is to include geo-targeted keywords or content on your website. These can help your pages stand out from the crowd of sites selling similar products.
- As a result, search engines are more likely to find your company’s website and display it in response to a relevant search query.
- Better online visibility increases your chances of gaining new customers, making a sale, or outperforming competitors.
- It increases your website traffic.
When your website is locally optimized, it has a better chance of ranking high in search results. This is due to the fact that local SEO allows you to reduce the number of competing sites or businesses from other locations.
With fewer competitors, your website is more likely to appear on the first page and be clicked on by Internet users.
- Increasing organic traffic to your website naturally expands your business opportunities. For example, more people will become aware of your products or services and will spread the word about them.
- People are more likely to bookmark your site, subscribe to your newsletters, or participate in your promotions.
Finally, this level of engagement can help to build loyalty, attract new customers, and increase profit. It increases the credibility of your brand.
Which of the search results do you click on first?
The majority of us will most likely select the top links on the first page. Only a few will make it all the way to the third or fourth page.
- This isn’t just because we tend to click on the first links we see. It’s also because we associate first-page results with a certain level of trust.
- Users believe that the sites that appear first are more established and have more useful website information. In some ways, this is correct, because search engines such as Google prioritize pages that directly answer user queries.
- And, with local SEO, you can gradually increase traffic and credibility in order to achieve higher rankings.
- It broadens your understanding of your customers.
Some local SEO tactics, such as keyword research, can assist you in identifying the phrases or terms that your customers search for online.
As a result, you will have a better understanding of your target audience. Increased customer knowledge also leads to other advantages such as redesigned marketing campaigns and more effective public relations strategies.
Remember that meeting the demands or expectations of the local market is critical to your success. It keeps your customers satisfied, involved, and loyal.
- It lowers your marketing expenses.
- Local SEO can help businesses with a limited marketing budget control expenses in a variety of ways.
- A locally optimized website, for example, attracts local customers or visitors with high purchasing intent. Most are actively looking for the products or services you provide.
- It is then a more cost-effective technique for acquiring buy-ready customers and profiting without having to spend a lot of money on advertising.
- Furthermore, web traffic will continue if your company’s website has gained enough traction to earn a high-ranking position. That means you won’t have to spend as much money on advertisements, flyers, or commercials to keep customers coming back.
- It keeps you competitive and relevant.
- Local SEO connects you to relevant businesses as well as your customers.
- This link opens up new possibilities such as product cross-promotion, business referrals, and coordinated marketing campaigns in your neighborhood.
- Forming alliances with other local operators can help you strengthen your business and expand your market reach.
Of course, you need to know who your competitors are, and local SEO can help with that as well. You can conduct competitor research or analysis to gain insight into their customer base, content, links, and other aspects. You can take advantage of all of this information. For example, you could develop a new product or service based on the customer reviews of your competitors. You could also replicate or create a better version of their content if you have a high level of customer engagement.
How to Boost Your Local SEO?
Local optimisation is a subset of general SEO, making it relatively simple to implement, even for new businesses. However, convincing search engines that your website is the most relevant result requires technical knowledge and creativity. So, here’s a checklist you can use to make sure your local SEO campaign is on track.
- Create a precise and optimized Google My Business Page (GBP)
GBP is a free listing that allows you to enter basic business information to appear on Google Maps and search result pages.
Your name, address, and phone number are essential business details (NAP). You can also include URLs, photos, products or services, operating hours, and other pertinent information.
- If you haven’t already done so, here’s how:
- Go to your Google Business Profile and select “Manage Now.”
- Then, follow the prompts and enter the required information.
- After that, decide how you want Google to verify your company. Google will send you a postcard with a code to activate your GBP account after verification.
- Following that, you must claim your business. The claiming process is used to demonstrate to Google that you are the owner of the business.
- You can claim your location using the Google Maps app. Enter your company’s name into the search bar and select the correct name.
- Select “Claim this business,” then “I own or manage this business” in the Business Profile.
- Choose your preferred verification method, then proceed with the remaining on-screen instructions. The claiming step is required in order to edit your business account information.
With your GBP appearing on the results page, searchers will be able to find your company even if they do not visit your website. Have a look at our SEO services HERE.
That is why it is critical to creating an accurate business listing. You don’t want a potential customer to go to the wrong address or call an out-of-date phone number. Provide consistent citations, regardless of where they appear, for credibility. Also, to entice customers, provide as much useful information as possible. Include photos or videos, write a compelling business description, and use localized keywords or phrases whenever possible.
- Invest time in acquiring local backlinks.
- Obtaining high-quality links to your website is critical to SEO success. These backlinks can broaden your market reach and increase your company’s credibility.
- Local directories and websites can also be used for local optimization.
- You can begin by looking for online directories in your city and listing yourself there. Facebook, Yelp, LinkedIn, and Yellow Pages are a few examples.
- Next, build local backlinks by making friends with local businesses that complement yours but are not direct competitors. This can be accomplished by leaving a helpful comment on their website.
- Another option is to use an SEO tool to assess your competitors’ backlinks. Contact the sites that link back to them and explain why your product or service is superior.
Backlink building takes time, and success is not guaranteed. Earning even a few backlinks, on the other hand, can significantly improve your local SEO.
- Create a landing page and content for each location.
Do you provide interior design services to residents of Melbourne? Do you also run a chiropractic clinic in Brisbane? If this is the case, your website, particularly your landing page, should inform your visitors. This allows you to easily attract and convert potential clients in your industry. If you have multiple business locations, make sure to apply this strategy to individual landing pages.
On-page elements such as page titles and meta descriptions can also be optimized for local search. Naturally, publishing localized content will improve your local SEO.
- Here are some suggestions:
- Conduct a keyword search before using short and long-tail keywords for your blogs.
- Include the name of your company’s town or city, as well as the surrounding areas, in your content.
- In your blog, highlight recent community events.
- Participate in or sponsor local events, such as sports or cultural activities.
- Invite local experts to share their knowledge via blog posts, videos, or social media posts.
- Enhance your website for a better user experience.
Local SEO is more than just attracting visitors and increasing traffic to your website. You must entice visitors to stay longer in order for them to learn more about your company or make a purchase.
The most effective way to accomplish this is to conduct a site audit and address problem areas. You can begin by making the following website enhancements:
- Make a product or service page. To make your website easier to navigate, create individual pages for each service. This technique allows you to effectively explain your product. It also makes it simple to include as many local keywords as possible for higher rankings.
- Increase the speed of your website. Nobody wants a website that takes forever to load. So, use the Google Page Speed tool to ensure that you aren’t losing customers due to slow site performance. Check for responsiveness and make sure there are no unnecessary redirects.
- Create a mobile-friendly website. According to a 2021 survey, global online users spend more than half of their time browsing the web on their phones. As a result, to increase your chances of attracting customers, make sure your website is accessible on any device.
- Improve your contact page. Make this section of your landing page easy to find. Then, make clickable location maps, phone numbers, and email addresses. Your company name, location, and contact information can also be displayed on your pages.
- Keep an eye on your customer feedback.
- One of the benefits of creating a Google Business Profile is that customers can leave ratings and online reviews.
- Businesses rely heavily on customer feedback and first-hand experience with a product or service. These factors can either attract or repel new customers.
- The more positive reviews you receive, the better your brand’s image and search engine rankings will be.
- Take note of what customers say about your product or service. Respond to all types of feedback, whether positive or negative.
- Also, respond to customer inquiries as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Local SEO may differ from traditional SEO. However, both approaches necessitate best practices in order to increase your web traffic, customer base, and sales. Remember that either optimisation technique is an ongoing process. So, constantly research your market and competitors, check for errors and updates, and improve your website. More importantly, use metrics to track the success of your local SEO efforts. Hire a good SEO agency to assist you in avoiding local optimisation mistakes and keeping your efforts up to date. To learn more about our SEO service, click here