Local SEO focuses on optimizing through rankings and visibility of a website so that the business is easily found on local search results.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) technique that acts as a catalyst for your business to be found in the local search results of Google. Local SEO benefits businesses with their target audience in a geographical area or a specific location. With so many Google searches happening every minute of the day, it is necessary to have SEO services that drive the local SEO of your company.
What are the benefits of local SEO?
There are plenty of benefits that a business can gain from local SEO. Some benefits can be achieved over time, while others bear results quickly. But, overall, you will see your business proliferate when your business attains the outcomes of local SEO and other SEO services.
The primary benefits that local SEO provides are:
1. Better reach to more people
Local SEO helps your business attain a position in the local search results. These results will enhance your visibility and cause your brand to be easily discoverable by more audiences. The searcher can easily find your SEO company through the Google Business Profile or the official website or visit it in person.
Ranking in the topmost positions in the local searches should be the priority for any business that has its potential customers in the geographical location. Therefore, increasing visibility on Maps and other applications will help in the long run. Local SEO caters to audiences looking for a cafe, restaurant, clothing store, and more while on the move.
2. Drive more conversions
You naturally lead more people to visit your business website by increasing search visibility. As a result, you will have more traffic and conversions online. Depending on your business type, a conversion may occur in the following forms:
- Account signups
- Product sales
- Newsletter subscriptions
- Free trials
- Form submissions, and more.
On the other hand, some searchers can find what they are looking for through your Google Business Profile and not visit your official website. This will impact the ranking value of your Local Pack. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean businesses with low organic search volume aren’t performing well.
3. Strengthen brand reputation
The reputation of any business matters a lot in the long run. Some local SEO services contribute toward building your reputation and establishing your business as a leader in the industry. Your business should have at least one reason to convince customers that you are better than your competitors.
Your website’s feedback and review section is the most crucial aspect of your online reputation. Your customers see your brand’s personality in dealing with negative reviews and unhappy customers. Therefore, local SEO reaps the maximum benefits in the online space, especially for building a brand’s image.
10 Tips to apply to your local SEO strategy
Search engines rely heavily on local content such as social media pages, links, and more to provide relevant results to the user. An SEO company can use local SEO to position its products and services to local prospects searching for the same. You can boost your local SEO game by applying the following tips to your existing strategy:
1. Optimize Google Business Profile
Your Google My Business profile is the creme de la creme of local search. As Google looks for verified content, this profile makes its job more manageable. For optimization of your company’s profile, you can do the following:
- Create and verify the Google My Business page
- Use Google posts within the account
- Encourage customers to share their reviews online
- Respond authentically to each review, mentioning the location.
2. Increase engagement on social media and add posts to your Google My Business profile
The content on your profile is equally important to Google. Therefore, create and engage more on your profile so that local search becomes more effortless. Eventually, more customers will be able to discover your business.
3. Optimize online directories and citations
Check for mistakes and verify all citations regularly. If the information about your business is incorrect, then Google will not be able to verify the same and will eventually not show your business in local search results. Additionally, you must delete all duplicate listings.
4. Conduct a local SEO audit
Search Engine Optimization is a never-ending process. Therefore, it is preferred to conduct comprehensive checkups on your website and check its status when it comes to achieving business goals.
5. Build internal linking
Internal links can also boost your SEO rankings. With internal links, you can simplify website navigation and help with the information architecture on your website. Internal linking also distributes page authority and rankings from other pages.
6. Optimize URL and title tags. Meta descriptions and other content
Every post or blog has a significant impact on SERPs. Therefore, make sure to use high-volume keywords in your content. Make sure that the content is geo-targeted.
7. Add location pages to your website
Location pages provide a user with vast information about your business, such as name, address, testimonials, etc. Furthermore, adding a Google Map to your website has its benefits. Finally, don’t forget to create an “About Us” section on your website describing your brand.
8. Develop local content
Content can now be created focusing on the audience, not the search engine. You can create content that caters to the local community and the industry. This will establish your business as a reputed authority in the readers’ minds.
9. Make website mobile-friendly
Local search and mobile search are complimentary. Many users search for local businesses while on the move on their portable mobile devices. Make your website mobile-friendly so that your customers can reach you easily.
10. Participate in the local community
Participation in events happening in the local community is like doing digital PR. Partnering with an NGO or sponsoring an event are ways in which you can build brand image, create more awareness, and aid local SEO services.
Conclusion
With this brief understanding of how local SEO works, you can optimize your website’s footprint in the local ecosystem. The final goal is to have more people discovering and approaching your business.
