Local SEO for Small Businesses: Top 7 Ways to Gain Visibility
Web search is more often than not the starting point of a local consumer’s search for nearby products and services.
In fact, 78% use the Internet to find information about local businesses in their area more than once a week – and 21% search locally every day, according to BrightLocal’s latest local consumer survey.
You must be visible in local organic and Map Pack search results if you want to be found. Then you have a chance to convert these applicants into in-store traffic, ordered appointments or another type of paying customer.
In this column you will find 7 of the most effective ways you can build local visibility by using SEO.
1. Check For Technical Errors That Could Impact Indexing
This is basic SEO. You can not be found if search engines can not index your site.
First, learn the basics of how search engines crawl and index your site. This basic knowledge will help you guide your SEO efforts forward.
You may find that technical SEO issues such as indexing are too complex for you to manage in addition to running your business.
If so, you will at least understand what you are hiring an SEO agency or consultant to do for you.
On the other hand, you can feel confident investigating indexing issues yourself, in which case these resources can help:
2. Create Exceptional Content
Content is the vehicle by which all messages, offers and calls to action will be delivered to your audience.
But your small business does not just compete with other companies like yours in the search results.
You are also up against media publications, information websites, major brands, local review sites and all sorts of other sources that create content that is relevant to your products and services.
The bar is high, which means that your content must be exceptional to stand out.
Before you jump in with both feet and start creating blog posts, take the time to create a local content strategy that is in line with your business goals.
Make sure you incorporate different types of local content, and optimize each piece for search using these proven local SEO best practices.
3. Incorporate Local Link Building Into Your SEO Strategy
Links are the currency of the web. They are an important signal of trust to search engines like Google and suggest that others support your content.
John McAlpin explains, “Local links are designed to show that others relevant to your local area trust or support your business.”
His piece ‘What Is A Local Link & amp; How to find more local linking opportunities’, part of our local SEO guide, is a great starting point for your local link building strategy.
From there, I encourage you to read this column by Kevin Rowe, where he shares 50 types of links and what you need to do to attract each one.
4. Get Your Google Business Profile In Order
No local search strategy is complete without a well-optimized Google Business Profile (GBP).
While Google retrieves local business information from a wide variety of sites, directories and networks around the web, it sees its own profiles as a single source of truth about any local business.
Formerly known as the Google My Business application, these profiles have become richer and more interactive in recent years. And with these updates, they have become more useful for local applicants as well.
Today, GBP not only provides important business information such as position and contact information, but also allows you to:
Sherry Bonelli offers a great guide to GBP optimization here.
5. Ensure Local Listings Are Accurate
Google puts search experience above all else. Inaccurate, outdated information that negatively affects the user experience is therefore a responsibility and can greatly hinder your local visibility.
Wherever a searcher encounters your business listing online – whether on social media, in a local directory, in yellow pages, on review sites like Yelp or Trip Advisor – the information they find there should enable them to convert seamlessly.
Having the wrong phone number, address, opening hours or other important business information can cause an applicant to show up in a closed store, for example.
Or being sent by their GPS system to your previous location.
Looking at different versions of important business data around the web makes it difficult for search engines to know what is true.
Given that Google wants to give each searcher the best possible answer to their query, you do not want the algorithm to question whether your business information is reliable.
Manually tracking listings is time consuming and incredibly difficult, as data collectors and directories can search for business information and update their listings.
This is how misinformation or outdated listings spread, and the wrong address, URL or hours can spread far and wide.
Small businesses can use a local SEO tool like Moz Local or Semrush to automate the process of searching for business listings and monitoring accuracy.
6. Monitor & Respond To Local Reviews
Reviews are a very important part of the local search experience, and in 2021, 77% of local consumers said they always or regularly read reviews when searching for local businesses.
Google’s local ranking algorithms are less of a mystery than their organic counterparts. Google openly tells us that there are three most important local ranking factors: Relevance, Distance and Prominence.
Reviews are part of the prominence factor, and Google states:
“Google review numbers and rating scores play a role in local search rankings. More reviews and positive reviews can improve the company’s local ranking. »
Jeff Riddall offers a comprehensive overview of how Google reviews affect organic and local search rankings here.
Check out Matt Southern’s’ Where & amp; How to get the right reviews for your business »to learn more.
7. Use Relevant Local Schema
Although it is not a ranking factor, form marking is a type of structured data that makes the job of the search engine crawlers easier and helps the search engine better understand the content of your page.
Anything you can do to help Google more effectively match your page to a relevant search is a win.
Form markup can help trigger rich results that highlight additional information such as breadcrumbs, reviews, frequently asked questions, and site links in search results.
It is important to use the form correctly, then test and validate your selection, as errors can disqualify you from achieving these comprehensive results.
Chelsea Alves wrote a fantastic guide to local markup and rich results that can serve as a starting point for adding this tactic to your local SEO strategy.
Bringing It All Together
Taking on local SEO as a small business can seem daunting. You may not have a dedicated marketing department, and it is not uncommon for business owners to feel overwhelmed by the administrative and marketing tasks that come with being an entrepreneur.
I hope this guide gives you enough information and resources to find out what you can handle internally and what you may need to outsource.
Using an agency or consultant to increase your internal skills is fine – but it is important that you have a healthy understanding of what you are asking these professionals to do for you.
Remember that local SEO is not a one-time activity, “put it and forget it” to tick the list.
It is an integral part of your marketing, and often crosses customer service as well.
To learn more, download the Search Engine Journals e-book “Local SEO: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Local Search Rankings.”
Featured image: Shutterstock / Deemka Studio
How does local SEO work? At a high level, local SEO works like “regular” Google search. When someone does a search, Google scans the index to give the best results for that person’s search. What makes local SEO unique is that Google uses a different set of ranking factors to rank the local search results.
What are the best businesses to target for local SEO?
6 business types that reap the most rewards from local SEO
- Medical services. Companies that offer medical services, such as doctor’s offices, dental practices and emergency rooms, are perfect for local SEO. …
- Law firms. …
- Bars and restaurants. …
- Plumbers. …
- Pet services. …
- Property.
How much should I pay local SEO?
How much does local SEO cost on average? For a one-time project focusing on analysis, research, cleanup and optimization, the average cost of a local SEO project will range from $ 300- $ 1500 with an average price around $ 750.
How Much Should an SEO Freelancer Require? Hiring an experienced SEO freelancer or agency per hour usually costs anywhere between $ 50- $ 150 per hour. Of course, you can find people who charge significantly less or more than this hourly rate. For example, this SEO hourly rate breakdown found that 6% of SEO providers charge over $ 200 / hour.
Is it worth it to pay for SEO?
SEO is worthwhile if you have the right strategy in place and work with a partner who knows how to achieve results. About 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine, and the closing rate for SEO clients is much higher than for traditional marketing. So SEO provides an impressive return on investment (ROI).
How much should I spend on SEO per month?
To generalize, most SEO experts will charge a monthly recurring investment of $ 3,000 to $ 10,000 per month. A national or international SEO budget should never be less than $ 5000 per month, and it is possible to start a local SEO campaign in the range of $ 500 to $ 2500.
How much should I pay someone for SEO?
If you hire a top-level SEO company to run a local campaign, expect to pay $ 500.00 per month. A national or international campaign will require a minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month.
Is SEO worth it in 2020?
While some traditional marketing methods may be becoming obsolete, SEO is here to stay in 2020. Whether you have invested in SEO early or are just getting started, it can still be a major driver of traffic and leads to your site. .
Do I really need SEO?
It can help you increase your credibility, earn more traffic and improve your online visibility. In addition, you will achieve all of these results by spending a cent on ad space. Beyond that, SEO is a great way to enhance the overall experience your target audience has with your brand.
How much should you pay for SEO per month?
The cost of SEO services in Australia varies from $ 1400 per month to $ 10,000 per month based on the scope of the project and individual client needs. A one-time SEO setup can cost anywhere from $ 3,500- $ 10,000 depending on the number of pages and keyword keywords.
How much should I spend on SEO per month?
To generalize, most SEO experts will charge a monthly recurring investment of $ 3,000 to $ 10,000 per month. A national or international SEO budget should never be less than $ 5000 per month, and it is possible to start a local SEO campaign in the range of $ 500 to $ 2500.
How much should I pay someone for SEO?
If you hire a top-level SEO company to run a local campaign, expect to pay $ 500.00 per month. A national or international campaign will require a minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month.
How much does Google SEO cost per month?
| Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cheap SEO | $ 500 to $ 3000 per month |
| Middle class SEO | $ 3,000 to $ 15,000 per month |
| High-end SEO | $ 15,000- $ 30,000 per month |
| Enterprise SEO | $ 30,000-1 million per month |
What is local search strategy?
Local search marketing, often called Local SEO (local search engine optimization), is a type of digital marketing service that companies engage in to reach local markets by appearing in the local results when their target customers go online and search for things.
What is the meaning of local search? Local search is an integral part of any SEO strategy targeting clients in a particular region, city or neighborhood. Simply put, local SEO is the place you focus on to improve your rankings and visibility in local search results such as Google’s map package / local package.
What is an example of local search engine?
Google may display business information in Google mobile or computer search results, or / and in Google Maps mobile and computer results. Local search results displayed by google often include a local package, which currently shows three listings.
What is local search in Google?
A “Local Search Query” is a search query that someone enters on Google when searching for a service or store that is in their geographic area. Examples of a local search business could be a plumber, a restaurant, a store or a lawyer.
What are 2 examples of search engines?
Popular examples of search engines are Google, Yahoo! and MSN Search. Search engines use automated software applications (referred to as robots, robots or spiders) that travel along the web, following links from page to page, page to page.
Which is a local search?
Local search is an algorithm at any time: it can return a valid solution even if it is aborted at any time after finding the first valid solution. Local search is usually an approach or an incomplete algorithm, because the search may stop even if the current best solution found is not optimal.
What is local search in marketing?
Local search marketing is all you do online or offline to promote a physical business that makes face-to-face contact with its customers. It applies to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), national company brands and chains.
What are local search results?
When someone searches for a business or a place near their location, they find local results on Google in places like Maps and Search. For example, you can probably find local results if you search for “Italian restaurant” from your mobile device.
What is a local search campaign?
Local search ads can mean you do not miss foot traffic near your location. Get calls. Local search ads may include an option for users to call your locations. They use the telephone number of the relevant business location.
What percentage of Google searches are local?
Almost half (46%) of all Google searches consist of users searching for local information. These local searches consist of people searching for businesses in their local area or within a specific service area.
How many Google searches take place every second? Google does not share its search volume data. However, it is estimated that Google processes approximately 63,000 searches per second, which translates to 5.6 billion searches per day and approximately 2 trillion global searches per year. The average person performs between three and four searches each day.
How many searches on Google are local?
46% of all Google searches include local intent. 46% of all searches will be related to placement – an SEO statistic that highlights the relevance of local search marketing to Google search.
How many local searches does Google get a day?
46% of all Google searches include local intentions With more than 3.5 billion searches received by Google every day, as many as 1.6 billion of them include local intentions.
Where do most Google searches come from?
63 percent of Google’s US organic search traffic comes from mobile devices. Facebook was the most searched keyword on Google. 84 percent of respondents use Google 3 times a day or more. 46 percent of product searches begin on Google.
How many local searches are there?
60% of Americans use smartphones and tablets to search for local products. There are approximately 81.1 billion local searches from mobile phones annually, based on local SEO statistics. Most people use a mobile phone to search for products and gather more information before making a purchase.
Where do most Google searches come from?
63 percent of Google’s US organic search traffic comes from mobile devices. Facebook was the most searched keyword on Google. 84 percent of respondents use Google 3 times a day or more. 46 percent of product searches begin on Google.
Which country Google searches the most?
In the six months ending February 2022, the United States accounted for 26.56 percent of the traffic to the web search site Google.com. India was ranked second, accounting for 4.44 percent of online visits to the platform.
What gets searched the most on Google?
| # | Keywords | Search volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | youtube | 1,225,900,000 |
| 2 | 1 102 800 000 | |
| 3 | whatsapp web | 607 900 000 |
| 4 | 548 200 000 |
Where do Google searches come from?
Review: Google downloads text, images and videos from pages it finds on the internet using automated programs called crawlers. Indexing: Google analyzes the text, images and video files on the page, and stores the information in the Google index, which is a large database.
What percent of people use a search engine when they’re looking for information about local businesses?
97% of search engine users search online to find a local business. If users want to find a local business online, they turn to search engine users first.
How many people use Google Maps for business?
About 86% of people search for a place for a business on Google Maps. Google Business Page plays an important role in controlling your business’ online visibility and improving SEO. Google ranks you based on this page and lets potential customers search for and actually find you.
How many people use a search engine daily?
Although Google does not share exact figures, as reported by SEOTribunal.com, Google handles 3.8 million searches per minute on average worldwide. That comes out to 228 million searches per hour, 5.6 billion searches per day, or 2 trillion searches per year!
What percent of people use search engines?
98% of all internet users use a conventional search engine at least once a month.
