What is local SEO? How does it work? What benefits does it have? Why is it so important for small and local businesses? Keep reading to find out.
What Is Local SEO?
First, let’s discuss what local SEO is and how it works. Local SEO is a subset of search engine optimisation that deals with the process of optimising the online presence of your business. It helps you reach your target audience that is already looking for a business such as yours through relevant local searches on search engines such as Google and others.
The aim of local SEO is to increase the visibility of your website in search and that applies to businesses that serve customers in person. It includes content, on-site optimisation, reviews, and digital PR. While local SEO is used for brick-and-mortar businesses for majority of the rime, it is often used for online businesses serving specific local areas.
The following are some of the reasons why local SEO is so important for the growth of local and small businesses.
Proximity is Becoming Crucial to Customers
Up to 71% of customers say that the location of business matters to them when they want to make a purchase. As a matter of fact, in the past few years Google searches that include “near me” have drastically increased. On top of that, variations of searches including a phrase “to buy” have increased by 500%. This shows that proximity matters to customers.
With local SEO and hyperlocal targeting strategies you get to attract niche customers from your area. Most customers would rather pick a product or service that is close to them rather than something that is all the way across the world.
When using local SEO strategies remember to:
- Prioritise search engine strategies that include phrases such as “to buy” and “near me”
- Make sure you include the name of your town, city, and states in various pages dedicated to your products and services
- Claim your Google My Business listing to let people find your contact information and location via maps
Local Voice Search is increasing
One of the most efficient factors behind local SEO’s success is voice search. Though it’s very new, the smart speaker market is very successful. Over one billion voice searches occur during just one month. Additionally, up to 75% of customers use voice search when they’re looking up local businesses every week.
To start benefiting from voice searches, try to think about how your business can rank for voice queries. Here’s what you should do:
- Use long-tail keywords that sound like natural speech
- Answer commonly asked questions such as “where can I find…”
- Target the featured snippets on Google
Online Mentions are Becoming Crucial
Ever since brand mentions online have started becoming more and more crucial in business, going local has never been a smarter move like it is now. Essentially, Google uses online brand mentions in their algorithm to find relevant searches for it users.
If you get other local business or individuals to mention your brand online, your chances of earning domain authority and higher online visibility are bigger.
Here’s what you can do to curate mentions of your brand online:
- Encourage your customers to write testimonials ad reviews on social media platforms, your website, and other local forums
- Collaborate with other local businesses
- Work with the press such as local magazines, newspapers, and industry forums
Mobile Search is Essential
Mobile search is of extreme importance in general, but for local businesses especially. People nowadays will use their phones for quick searches online. When they want to find a local store or business where they need to make a quick purchase they will use their phones instead of laptops.
For reason optimising your website for mobile phones and utilising local SEO with mobile searches in mind will help your business grow. Working with trusted and reliable SEO companies can also help you develop an efficient local SEO strategy. For instance, if your business is located on the east coast of Australia, you can look up a professional Sydney SEO company that can help you develop a strong and efficient SEO strategy for mobile searches.
Other than that, here’s what you can do to make your website appeal to the mobile landscape:
- Take into consideration local terms in your keyword strategy
- Make your website mobile-friendly
- Get the right formatting
- Consider making an app for your business
Google is Monetizing Maps Space
Lastly, local search engine optimization has grown in its popularity over the past year due to changes in Google’s algorithm strategy as well. Firstly, Google started monetising spaces in Google Maps and local search spaces. This means that you can now pay for ads not just when they show up in search results.
If you already have a local SEO strategy that you use, a PPC campaign can boost your sales even more. Natural solutions can give amazing results when it comes to driving more long-term traffic to your business website, but paid ads will help you grab that initial attention that your business needs when it is still growing.
So, remember to make the most out of your organic SEO efforts as well as monetised. Don’t forget to manage your Google My Business Account too. Around 64% of online consumers use Google My Business to find a local business and their contact info. To get the most out of this, make sure you:
- List all of your information about your business
- Make the most out of new maps and local ads whenever you find them available
- Answer your customers frequent question on your Google My Business page (use a “Questions and Answers” section)
- Combine your organic and paid SEO strategies to gain more attention and visibility online
Conclusion
Overall, if you utilise local SEO strategies correctly, you can gain a larger audience, boost your online visibility, and help your local business grow. Try following the above-written instructions and you’ll soon see amazing benefits of local SEO for the growth of your business.
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