A Simple Guide to Local SEO
Do you know why local SEO is important, whether it’s relevant to your business, and how to improve your chances of success with local customers and clients? This blog is aimed at giving you some clarity on Local SEO — with a bit of hard data thrown in.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is exactly as it sounds. It’s the practice of optimizing your online presence to increase search engine visibility with local users.
So, why is local search important? Because 45% of all Google searches are for local businesses.
A study done by Forbes showed that 95% of people use their mobile devices to perform local searches — out of which 61% called, and 59% visited the business.
Another study showed that 88% of searches for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours.
Google’s ‘Local Pack’ is the holy grail of local search marketing. You’ve seen those three businesses that appear in the box at the top of the search page along with a map and dropped pins… Well, unsurprisingly, they get more clicks and more customers than any links that appear lower down the page.
The big question is: how does a business manage to get into the top three? It’s all part of a robust SEO campaign, and it starts with understanding local SEO — how it works and how to play the game.
If you’re looking for advice and help with improving your Local SEO, We can help you. With over 5 years in the business, We are a Manchester-based SEO agency offering straightforward, no-nonsense guidance and technical know-how to improve your online presence.
Do I need Local SEO?
If your business has a local customer or client base, Local SEO can definitely benefit you.
Some businesses may not realize that they could be drawing in more people from outside their local area using Local SEO. This is particularly relevant for anyone in the catering or hospitality business, where non-local visitors may search from elsewhere before coming to your venue.
Businesses that typically benefit from Local SEO include:
- Hospitality — hotels, restaurants, café, bars, etc
- Medical practices — doctors, dentists, clinics
- Law firms — solicitors, barrister
- Local Services — florists, plumbers, electricians, hair salons, accountants, fitness centers, etc
And you’ll know that you don’t need it if you are:
- Ecommerce companies
- Online-only services
- Private sellers
Why is Local SEO Important?
Local SEO helps your business stand out — even if you don’t have a website — and helps drive more traffic to your premises through online leads.
Since these leads are from people who are specifically searching for products or services that your business offers, they are also likely to give you a high conversion rate.
Searches with local intent are on the rise — with 4 in 5 consumers now using search engines to find local information, and search result information sending a massive 70% of consumers to a physical store.
Local SEO also helps drive people’s decisions in favor of your business. The more information they have about your business before they visit, the more trustworthy you are in their eyes.
5 Key Reasons Why Local SEO Is Important
Here are the top 5 reasons why local SEO is important:
1. It Makes You More Competitive
Even if you’re not investing in local SEO, you can be sure that the other local businesses within your niche are. This means that they’re a step ahead by default, and they’re getting all of your potential customers.
It doesn’t do you any good to be the best and most innovative business in your niche if no one can find you. When all of these other businesses are showing up on the first page of local search engine results, they take control.
To test this, put your business niche into Google alongside your local area. For example, if you run a Los Angeles bakery, look for “bakery in Los Angeles” or “Los Angeles cakes.”
What comes up?
It’s likely that you aren’t even on the front page if you haven’t invested in your local SEO. This means that most people won’t ever see your business unless they’re dissatisfied with the initial results. Many people click one of the first links (if not the first link) that they see.
By investing in your local SEO, you get to rise up and compete with the other local businesses within your niche.
2. You Draw-In Visitors and Newcomers
While local customers are going to be the “bread and butter” of your business, you can also attract people who are visiting your area when you invest in local SEO.
Visitors don’t yet know what kinds of businesses are in your city. Even if you have a great reputation and a strong customer base, they aren’t likely to visit you based on those things alone.
When they arrive, they’ll be looking for shops and restaurants. When you use local SEO, they’ll find you before they find anyone else. They’ll also know that your business is an organic search result instead of a paid one.
This is also true for people who are new to your area. When someone moves in, they don’t know anything about the local businesses. You can put your best foot forward and show off your business to establish a new loyal customer as soon as they arrive in town.
3. People Want to Buy Local
While it’s true that mega corporations tend to be far more successful, even in small towns, than smaller local businesses, that doesn’t mean that people aren’t interested in supporting their local business owners.
More and more people are turning to local businesses to show their support and stimulate their local economy. As people become more critical of big-box stores and online powerhouses, they want to contribute their money where it will make more of a difference.
By establishing yourself as a local business and driving more online traffic your way, you’ll discover how many local customers are interested in lifting you up.
4. Phone Searches Drive Sales
Have you ever been out on a walk and had a sudden desire to visit a bakery, tattoo shop, brewery, or store? What did you do?
If you’re like most people, you pulled out your smartphone and looked up the business type that you were looking for. When someone searches through their mobile device like this, results from the local area immediately come up. Sometimes Google will even display the person’s distance from the business.
When you establish strong local SEO, people will find you when they’re out and about. You’ll get customers who are visiting you on a whim.
5. It’s Inexpensive
Comparatively speaking, local SEO is an inexpensive way to advertise your business.
When you invest in good SEO and digital marketing services, there are costs involved. With that in mind, though, those costs are associated with long-term results.
When your website has good SEO, it doesn’t go away. You will have to maintain that SEO and continue boosting yourself up the ladder, but you’ll always have an SEO-friendly website without any other reoccurring costs aside from the marketing helpers.
With other methods of marketing, this isn’t true. If you want to put ads in the paper or on the radio, you have to pay a large upfront cost. If you choose PPC (pay per click), you’ll have to keep paying if you want to stay on the front page.
SEO gives you organic results for a lower cost than other advertising options.
That’s Why Local SEO Is Important
Understanding why local SEO is important is the first step towards improving your own local SEO. If you want to grow your local customer base, connect with your local community, build brand awareness, and gain a better reputation in your region, taking advantage of the local SEO benefits is the way to go.
Where Do Local Search Results Show?
Local search results show a selection (Snack Pack or Local Pack) of the top three most relevant results. They appear in a boxed area underneath the pay-per-click ads, accompanied by a map with dropped pins.
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