Why local SEO is key to business success

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While globalization has significantly changed the market, many companies are starting to build their success by selling to local customers. Yellow pages might once have been a business necessity, but search engines have taken over. This is why local search engine optimization (SEO) has become one of the most important keys to business success, regardless of the location or scale of the company.

What is local SEO?

Search Engine Optimization has become an integral part of marketing for businesses that rely on website traffic. Optimizing your content from search engines like Google helps your website rank high in search results, increasing the likelihood of consumers visiting your site and interacting with your brand.

Local SEO is simply an SEO strategy designed to improve search engine results in a specific geographic area. If your business relies on online and offline customers in a specific geographic area, local SEO can be the difference between surviving and growing your business.

Related: Having Problems With Local Search? Here’s what your local SEO strategy needs to compete in 2022.

The value of local SEO

Google itself processes an impressive 8 billion searches daily, but more importantly, nearly 50% of all Google searches are made by people looking for local products and services. If you don’t have a local SEO strategy for your business, you’ll lose valuable online traffic. Local business owners simply cannot ignore this opportunity.

Local SEO is important for online businesses and businesses looking to attract foot traffic. Decades ago, consumers could look for local businesses in the yellow pages or on the map. They currently use search engines to find contact information, location, hours of operation, and other business details.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, roughly one in two searches for “nearby” companies led to a visit to the store. If the search was done on a mobile device, the numbers were even more compelling. Almost 90% of these inquiries came after a phone call or a one-day visit to the company.

Any business that relies on local customers cannot afford to miss the opportunities that local SEO provides.

Related: 7 Disadvantages Of Local Businesses Online (And How To Overcome Them)

Utilize local SEO and work with Google to improve rankings

Marketers and business owners have a number of options to increase their visibility with local SEO. Does your brand want to improve rankings or improve conversions and sales?

It’s fair to argue that conversions matter more than rankings, but if your business isn’t listed on the first page of results, conversions will be naturally low. For most companies, rankings and conversions are closely related.

Improving local SEO results starts with improving relevancy, distance, and visibility. These are the three criteria that Google’s algorithm uses to determine local search results. Your company’s Google company profile should also be updated to attract more local customers.

Relevance is a measure of how accurately your business matches your online search query. The search engine tries to determine if your company offers what the user is looking for. Providing clear and complete information on your website and company profile is critical to meeting these criteria and improving relevance.

Proximity is the distance your business is from the exact location of the searcher. If a user does not specify a specific location in their search, Google will use their location based on their IP address to prioritize nearby entries. Adding “near me” to your search will lead to similar results. To be included in these listings, your business needs to optimize the location information for your website and Google listings.

Prominence is a Google term that describes how well-known a company is both online and offline. The search engine determines your position based on offline business information as well as using online measures such as site reviews and popularity. Increasing the number of quality ratings for your business will improve the ratings. Interacting and responding to online ratings also increases your visibility.

Algorithms change regularly and without notice. Like any SEO business, successful local SEO depends on consistent effort. Many companies use the help of experts in local SEO management.

Related: Why Local SEO Will Become Even More Important

Covid-19’s impact on local SEO practices

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed almost every aspect of consumer lives. It certainly changed shopping habits as traffic locks and restrictions became the norm. At this point, it is too early to say whether the pandemic has affected long-term consumer habits.

Online searches for products and services increased in 2020 and 2021, partly out of necessity. Consumers needed online alternatives to meet their needs. Evidence now supports both the continued popularity of online consumerism and the growing demand for a personal purchasing experience.

An undisputed fact is the incredible hardship the pandemic has created for many small businesses. Many people have faced closures, layoffs and customer losses. Carefully thought out and well-managed marketing is essential for a successful reboot. The right local SEO could be the difference in this reboot.

Local SEO is one of the most cost effective ways to increase your visibility to your key audience in no time. It may seem like a small part of SEO, but given the sheer volume of local intention searches, business owners and marketers must make this a priority.

Search engines are the new yellow pages – with much more potential to transform the future of small businesses.

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Simply put, Local SEO is where you focus on improving your ranking and visibility in local search results like Google Map Pack / Local Pack. Organic positioning is a way to improve the ranking of websites in organic search results. Your website’s ranking in these organic results can also positively impact your rankings for local packages.

What type of business benefits most from local SEO strategies?

The 6 Activities That Benefit Most From Local SEO

• Medical services. Healthcare companies such as doctor’s offices, dentists, and urgent care clinics are ideal for local SEO. …
• Law firms. …
• Bars and restaurants. …
• Plumbers. …
• Services for animals. …
• Property.

What’s the most effective local SEO strategy? Local SEO Tips. Optimize for Google My Business. Engage on social media and post to Google My Business. Make sure your name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web.

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that helps your business be more visible in local Google search results. Any business that has a physical location or serves a geographic area can benefit from local SEO.

What is local SEO and how do you do it? What is Local SEO? Search Engine Optimization is the process of improving search engine visibility for local businesses, mainly those with traditional locations. By following local SEO best practices, businesses can improve organic traffic from customer searches in nearby areas.

What means local SEO?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a website for a specific local area. If you have a local business, such as a store, restaurant, or agency, you want your websites to rank for specific search queries from local audiences.

What is local SEO and why is it so important?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an online strategy that can make your website appear at the top of search result pages. If you want to attract and engage customers in your area, you definitely need local SEO. This is where you optimize your site for local search results.

What is the difference between SEO and local SEO?

Here’s the difference. While traditional SEO focuses on improving your website’s visibility nationally or globally, Local SEO allows you to capture local search territory to connect with search engines in your area.

What are local SEO listings?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing search engines for local search results. On Google, this means that your listing in a local / mapping package is ranked higher and is more likely to appear in response to more relevant queries.

What does a local SEO company do?

Local SEO or search engine optimization is the use of a combination of strategies to help local businesses increase their search engine visibility. Local SEO can help companies find more clients in their area with the aim of increasing revenues.

What is local SEO blog?

Local SEO is the practice of improving your internet presence to get more customers through local searches. These searches take place across multiple search engines, but Local SEO focuses on optimization for Google users.

What is the difference between SEO and local SEO?

Here’s the difference. While traditional SEO focuses on improving your website’s visibility nationally or globally, Local SEO allows you to capture local search territory to connect with search engines in your area.

What is local SEO and why is it so important?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an online strategy that can make your website appear at the top of search result pages. If you want to attract and engage customers in your area, you definitely need local SEO. This is where you optimize your site for local search results.

Who benefits from local SEO & Why?

Local SEO gives your business more visibility because it is found by the right people who are interested in your product at the right time. When your business is more visible, it means more profits, more sales, and even relevance.

Why local SEO is important for local businesses?

A successful local SEO campaign will help your business because: Local SEO increases your website’s ranking in search results and in the local package. Receives the highest conversion levels of any local advertising channel. Increases visibility on the Internet, especially to neighboring customers.

What is local SEO & Why local search is important?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence to increase search engine visibility among local users and potential customers in your area. So why is local search important? Because 45% of all Google searches are for local businesses.

What is local SEO for small business?

What is Local SEO for Small Business? Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website to increase the chances of it getting noticed when people search for terms related to your business. Local SEO is a similar endeavor, but with an emphasis on local keywords.

Is SEO worth it for small businesses? Even if you choose to invest money in SEO, your ROI can double if your marketing campaign is well organized. So the simple answer is yes, SEO is worth it for any small business, even one that doesn’t work online.

Why local ranking is important?

Local SEO supports your website’s ability to rank in the local search area. There is often an audience gap between the two. Local SEO often affects searchers who are looking for a product or service in their immediate geographic area.