Local SEO is all about getting your business in front of people who are searching for what you have to offer in their area. The key is understanding what those searches are looking for and then creating content that matches those search intents. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, it’s important to understand the different factors that go into local SEO and how they can affect your rankings.
At a high level, Local SEO works the same as regular Google search. Google scans through all the relevant content and search results to find the best match for a query. However, the difference between normal organic search and local search is that Google also takes into account a person’s location when deciding what results to show.
The first and most obvious factor is proximity. This is the distance from the searcher to the business being searched. However, proximity isn’t the only factor that determines the closeness of a result, as other factors like reviews, relevance, prominence, and authority also play a role.
Reviews and relevance are a big part of local SEO. Google looks at the reviews and relevance of a business to determine how well it will rank in local search results. This is why it’s so important for businesses to build a strong online reputation by getting listed in local directories, review websites, and working on their brand image.
Prominence is a ranking factor that is slightly different from the others in that it looks at how widely known and popular a business is in a particular region. This is why it’s so important to build brand awareness and get your business mentioned in local publications, on local radio, and other community sources. This can help your business rank higher in local search results, especially if other businesses in the area are not doing the same.
Finally, links are one of the biggest ranking factors for both local and organic SEO. The more links you have, the better. In the case of local SEO, it’s even more important to have these links come from reputable sources within your area. This means local news sites, chambers of commerce, etc.
Another way to improve your link building is by having a local blog. This allows you to create content around the topics that are relevant to your audience and then incorporate links to your website. When done correctly, this can lead to more traffic and sales for your business.
One final tip for local SEO is to make sure your business information is consistent across all of your online properties. This includes your website, Google Business Profile, and other third-party platforms like Yelp and BBB. It’s also a good idea to monitor your position using a local SEO tool like Semrush to see how your rankings change over time.