Local SEO is the process of optimizing your business’s website and online listings to appear higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for searches conducted in your service area. It’s a crucial part of any marketing strategy for businesses with physical locations or those that serve a geographic region, like a restaurant, retail shop, or hair salon.
People use local search when looking for specific services or products, such as Italian delivery or a dentist near me. According to Google, 89 percent of mobile searches have local intent and 72 percent of people who look for a local business on their phone visit that business within a day.
A local business may also be searched for via voice, a trend driven by the coronavirus pandemic that has made many people prefer staying home and using their phones to find what they need. The growing number of people relying on their smartphones means that it’s more important than ever to make sure your business is visible to those who are searching for you.
This means ensuring your listings are accurate, complete, and up to date. It also means making sure your NAP (name, address, phone number) is consistently used across the web—on your own site, social media, and other directories such as Yelp.
Another key aspect of local SEO is getting reviews. People are much more likely to trust a business with good reviews than one with no reviews at all, and this has a direct impact on your ranking in local search. This is why it’s important to ask your customers for reviews, and encourage them to do so on your website and on third-party review sites.
Creating relevant and useful content on your website is another way to rank higher in local search. This can be done by writing blog posts about local events, highlighting your employees’ accomplishments in the community, or including a map of your service area on your homepage. By adding this information to your site, you’re showing Google that your business is an authority in the field.
Finally, it’s essential that you have a strong local SEO strategy in place when it comes to linking to other websites. This is the best way to increase your visibility and help search engines find your site. You should only link to high-quality, trusted sources—and it’s even better if those sites are related to your industry or niche.
The most effective local SEO strategies are those that focus on a variety of different factors. This includes keyword research, citations, website optimization, and mobile-friendly design. It’s also important to consider the unique needs of your audience and what type of content they’re most likely to be searching for. This will help you tailor your approach and maximize the effectiveness of your campaign. For example, if your target audience is primarily B2B, you might want to prioritize leveraging local keywords in content for trade shows and other industry events.