Local SEO Services
This post discusses the benefits of local SEO for small businesses, such as increasing visibility in search results and attracting more customers.
Imagine someone searching for the exact service or product you offer and you show up. How powerful would that be for your business’s top-line revenue? Ranking for local SEO can completely transform your business.
We’re going to discuss the benefits of local SEO and what actually goes into building your local SEO marketing channel. Let’s dive in.
Graphic from Backlinko
What is Local SEO and How is it Different Than General SEO?
Regular SEO (also known as “organic SEO”) is a type of search engine optimization that helps businesses improve their visibility in search results for non-local queries. This can include optimizing for keywords and phrases that are relevant to a business’s industry or product offerings but that are not necessarily tied to a specific location.
For example, if you own an online store that sells outdoor gear, regular SEO might involve optimizing your website and online presence for keywords and phrases such as “outdoor gear,” “hiking equipment,” and “camping supplies.”
Local SEO, on the other hand, is a type of search engine optimization that helps businesses improve their visibility in search results for local queries. Local SEO involves optimizing a website and online presence for keywords and phrases that are relevant to a specific location and industry.
For example, if you own a pizza restaurant in New York City, local SEO would involve optimizing your website and online presence for keywords and phrases such as “pizza restaurant in New York City,” “New York City pizza delivery,” and “best pizza in New York City.”
In summary, the main difference between regular SEO and local SEO is that regular SEO focuses on improving visibility in search results for non-local queries, while local SEO focuses on improving visibility in search results for local queries. Both types of SEO can be important for businesses looking to improve their online presence and attract more targeted traffic to their website.
What Has Local SEO Changed?
In 2015, Google introduced the local pack, which displayed a list of local businesses at the top of search results for local queries. This was a major change for local SEO, as it made it even more important for businesses to optimize for local searches.
Local SEO has since continued to change the digital landscape in several ways. First and foremost, it has made it easier for small businesses with physical locations to be found by potential customers searching for businesses like theirs in their area. In the past, small businesses may have struggled to compete with larger companies in national or global search results, but local SEO allows them to target a specific geographic location and improve their chances of being found by potential customers.
Is Local SEO Worth It?
As a small business owner, you may be wondering whether investing in local SEO is worth the time and effort. You only have so many dollars and hours to put into your marketing; should local SEO really factor into that budget? The short answer is yes – local SEO is an essential component of any small business marketing strategy.
Here are 7 reasons why local SEO is a must for small businesses:
#1 Increases Visibility in Search Results
One of the main benefits of local SEO is that it helps increase the visibility of your business in search results. When potential customers search for businesses like yours in their area, local SEO helps ensure that your business appears at the top of the list.
#2 Attracts More Targeted Traffic
In addition to increasing visibility in search results, local SEO also helps attract more targeted traffic to your website. This is because local SEO focuses on optimizing for specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business and its location. This means that the traffic you receive through local SEO is more likely to be interested in your products or services, increasing the chances of converting that traffic into paying customers.
If your small business has a physical location, increased visibility in search results can help attract more foot traffic to your store or office. When potential customers see your business at the top of search results, they may be more likely to visit in person to learn more about what you offer.
#3 Improves Customer Experience
Local SEO can help small businesses improve their customer service by providing accurate and up-to-date information about their location, hours, and contact details. This can make it easier for customers to find and contact the business, leading to better customer satisfaction.
#4 Builds Credibility and Trust
Consumers today rely heavily on online reviews and ratings when deciding where to do business. Local SEO helps your business build credibility and trust by encouraging customers to leave reviews and ratings on sites like Google and Yelp. These reviews and ratings are then displayed in search results, helping potential customers make informed decisions about whether to visit your business. Even just appearing at the top of search results is often seen as a sign of expertise and authority in your industry.
#5 Helps You Stay Competitive
In today’s digital age, it’s important for small businesses to have an online presence in order to stay competitive. Local SEO helps your business stand out in a crowded market by optimizing your website and online presence for local search terms. This makes it easier for customers to find your business and helps you stand out from your competitors.
#6 Expands Your Reach
Local SEO can help small businesses reach a wider audience beyond their immediate geographic area. For example, a small business in a rural area may be able to attract customers from nearby towns or cities through local SEO. This can help small businesses expand their customer base and grow their business.
#7 It’s Cost-Effective
Local SEO is a relatively low-cost way to market your business compared to other forms of advertising. By investing in local SEO, you can reach a targeted audience of potential customers without breaking the bank. In addition, the return on investment for local SEO can be high, as it helps drive targeted traffic and sales to your business.
How To Do Local SEO: 7 Key Local SEO Techniques
There are several local SEO services that can help improve the online visibility and search engine rankings of a local business.
Some of the best local SEO services include:
- Optimizing your Google Business Profile listing
- Local citation building: This involves creating and optimizing online listings for your business on directories and review sites like Yelp, Google My Business, and Yellow Pages.
- On-page optimization: This requires optimizing the content and meta tags on your website to make it more relevant to local search queries.
- Link building: This involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from other local websites and directories to improve your website’s authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines.
- Content marketing: This necessitates creating and promoting high-quality, relevant content that is targeted toward local customers.
- Reputation management: This involves monitoring and managing your online reputation, including responding to reviews and addressing any negative feedback.
- Implementing mobile responsive design
1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile Listing
Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool provided by Google that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. GMB optimization involves optimizing your business’s GMB listing to improve its visibility and ranking in local search results.
Some of the key components of GMB optimization include:
- Accurate and complete information: Make sure your GMB listing includes accurate, up-to-date information about your business, including your name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation.
2. Photos and videos: Adding high-quality photos and videos to your GMB listing can help it stand out in search results and give potential customers a better sense of what your business is like.
3. Reviews and ratings: Encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings on your GMB listing, as these can influence your ranking in local search results. Respond to both positive and negative reviews to show that you value customer feedback.
4. Keywords and categories: Use relevant keywords and categories to describe your business and its services, as this will help it show up in relevant local search queries.
By optimizing your GMB listing, you can increase the chances that your business will appear at the top of local search results, which can help you attract more customers and drive sales. For more information on how you can optimize your Google Business Profile listing, check out our helpful blog post.
2. Local Citation Building
Local citation building is the process of creating and optimizing online listings for a local business on directories and review websites. These listings typically include the business’s name, address, phone number, and website.
Graphic from Backlinko
Citation building is an important part of local SEO because it helps search engines understand the online presence of a local business and its relevance to specific search queries. When a business’s information is consistently listed on high-quality and authoritative websites, it can improve the credibility and trustworthiness of the business in the eyes of search engines. This, in turn, can help the business rank higher in local search results and attract more customers.
Some examples of websites and directories where you can build local citations include Google My Business, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and the local Chamber of Commerce website. It’s important to make sure that the information included in your citations is consistent and accurate, as inconsistencies can confuse search engines and harm your local SEO efforts.
3. On-page Optimization
On-page optimization refers to the process of optimizing the content and HTML source code of a webpage to improve its ranking in search engine results and make it more relevant, user-friendly, and accessible to search engines.
Some key elements of on-page optimization include:
- Title tags: The title tag is the text that appears in the title bar of a browser and is used by search engines as the title of a search result. It should include relevant keywords and be descriptive and concise.
- Meta descriptions: The meta description is a short summary of a webpage’s content that appears in search engine results. It should include relevant keywords and be written in a way that entices users to click on the result.
- Headings and subheadings: Using descriptive and relevant headings and subheadings helps organize the content of a webpage and makes it easier for users to scan and understand. It also helps search engines understand the main topics of the page.
- Images and alt tags: Using relevant images and adding alt tags (short descriptions of the image) can help search engines understand the content of a webpage and improve its ranking in image search results.
- Internal linking: Linking to other pages on your website from within the content of a webpage can help search engines understand the relationship between pages and improve the crawling and indexing of your site.
By optimizing these and other elements of a webpage, you can improve its ranking in search results and make it more attractive and user-friendly for visitors.
4. Link Building for Local SEO
Link building is the process of acquiring backlinks from other websites to your own. In the context of local SEO, link building refers to acquiring backlinks from other local websites and directories.
Backlinks are an important factor in determining the ranking of a website in search engine results, as they signal to search engines that the linked-to website is credible and authoritative. As such, acquiring high-quality backlinks from local websites and directories can help improve the ranking of a local business’s website in local search results.
There are several strategies for building local backlinks, including:
- Partnering with other local businesses and organizations: This can involve exchanging links, co-authoring blog posts, or collaborating on other content.
- Participating in local events and sponsorships: This can involve sponsoring a local event or organization and receiving a link on their website as a result.
- Submitting your business to local directories and review sites: This can include websites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Google My Business, as well as local Chamber of Commerce and industry-specific directories.
- Creating high-quality, locally relevant content: This can include blog posts, articles, infographics, and other types of content that are likely to be shared and linked to by other local websites.
By building a strong network of local backlinks, you can improve the credibility and authority of your business’s website in the eyes of search engines and attract more local customers.
5. Reputation Management
Reputation management refers to the process of monitoring and managing the online reputation of a business. In the context of local SEO, reputation management involves monitoring and managing the online reputation of a local business to improve its ranking in local search results.
There are several strategies for managing the online reputation of a local business, including:
- Monitoring online reviews and ratings: This involves regularly checking review sites like Yelp, Google My Business, and other industry-specific directories for reviews and ratings about your business. Responding to both positive and negative reviews can help show that you value customer feedback and can improve the overall perception of your business.
- Managing negative reviews and feedback: If you receive a negative review or feedback, it’s important to respond professionally and try to address the issue. This can help show potential customers that you care about customer satisfaction and are willing to resolve problems.
- Encouraging positive reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on review sites and social media platforms. This can help improve the overall perception of your business and increase the likelihood that potential customers will choose to do business with you.
By effectively managing your online reputation, you can improve the credibility and trustworthiness of your business in the eyes of potential customers, which can lead to increased sales and revenue.
Conclusion
Overall, the best local SEO services will be those that are tailored to the specific needs and goals of your business, and that are able to deliver measurable results. It may be helpful to work with a local SEO expert or agency to develop a customized local SEO strategy for your business.
In conclusion, local SEO is a must for small businesses looking to increase their visibility, attract targeted traffic, build credibility and trust, stay competitive, and achieve a high return on investment. By investing in local SEO, you can give your business the boost it needs to succeed in today’s digital landscape.
