Local B2B SEO: The Complete Guide to Local Business

When we hear the term local SEO, we often think of the strategies and tactics used by local or B2C retail businesses to optimize their online visibility and to drive traffic to their physical store front.

However, there are also B2B businesses, which may or may not operate from a specific location, e.g. commercial.

These types of businesses, although slightly different, face similar challenges in finding and engaging their customers through organic search.

The overarching goal of a deliberate local B2B SEO strategy (similar to their B2C counterparts) is to establish itself as the most trusted authority for all matters related to the products and / or services within a geographic service area specific.

Therefore, businesses need to present themselves as trusted active community participants who create real value for their customers and the general public.

You can still apply local SEO tactics to improve visibility in local map packages and organic results.

Below are some best practices for B2B-specific consideration.

Start With The Basics

Every SEO project, locally oriented or otherwise, must start with a solid foundation.

This means conducting a thorough web presence audit or SWOT analysis to identify where on-site and off-site optimization efforts should be focused, whether the business is new or established.

A comprehensive strategy will include:

The output of each of these exercises should be a priority checklist of items that will form the basis of fundamental optimization efforts.

Leverage Schema

One important SEO local tactic is to use local business schema or HTML markup to standardize the structure of search engine optimization information.

According to schema.org, which governs schema usage,

“Bookmarking enables search engines to understand the information on web pages and provide richer search results to make it easier for users to find relevant information on the web.”

A business schema can be used to structure a business address, hours, departments, and reviews, and translate it into a similar structured display within the organic and mapped search results.

Here is an example of how to structure a local business address and other information:

Screenshot of the search for [Barrie commercial real estate], Google, April 2022

Another possible use of a schema is to tag questions and answers in the FAQ section of a business website, highlighting the area of ​​business expertise.

Questions and answers tagged in this way may be displayed as rich collections of greedy text in search results.

Screenshot of the search for [what is commercial real estate], Google, April 2022

A schema can be a powerful and often overlooked tool and can raise business visibility and content to the top of search results.

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile (formerly GBP or Google My Business page) is a vital component of local SEO. It allows Google to validate that a firm is within the domain it serves.

Every business can claim and verify its location, which must be a physical address, even if its business with customers is not formally conducted at the address.

The GBP enables a business to provide all relevant data, including business hours, website links, categories, products, services, logos, images and / or videos.

Profiles should be as complete as possible.

Google recognizes that not all business is done in fixed locations and provides some B2B categories under which such businesses can operate.

Screenshot of the search for [Barrie commercial real estate], Google, April 2022

The GBP also provides an important place for customers to provide business reviews, the importance of which is discussed below.

Rather than first configuring your GBP, it can be a channel and should be a channel through which you connect with your local customers.

Ideally, stop posting relevant content at least once a week.

Regular posting of events, promotions or general information helps improve local search visibility as Google is naturally in favor of active businesses.

Don’t Nap On Your NAP

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number, which represents the unique identifier of each business and is also important from a local SEO perspective.

Specifically, pay attention to the accuracy of the PGN wherever it appears across the Internet, from the corporate website to the GBP and within local directories or other business-referenced sites.

Google and the other search engines cross-reference all these events of the NAP and reward those businesses with a consistent and accurate profile.

Pro Tip: A quick and inexpensive way to manage your NAP is to search for your company name and review search engine results for all references to your business and its NAP.

Manage Your Local Listings

Another important hallmark of a business district is its appearance within relevant local listing sites.

There is a wide range of free and paid, locally targeted, categorized directory sites that businesses can maintain listings.

Here, too, it is important to maintain consistent NAP information.

However, many directories enable enhanced listings, including product or service information, images, promotions, or other features aimed at lead generation.

As with your GBP, the more detailed and complete your listings will be.

Many of these directories also allow consumers to provide reviews, which should be noted and monitored accordingly.

Use the pro hint above to identify directories. Many paid list management solutions will get all your business listings and update them automatically and enable you to monitor and manage them on an ongoing basis.

In-depth analysis should include referencing search engine results pages for key target keywords for any relevant directories.

Those that rank well should be of particular interest because they are, by definition, considered relevant and authoritative in the eyes of search engines.

Ask For And Respond Promptly To Reviews

Online customer reviews are a standard and reliable resource within the journey of the modern B2B buyer.

Depending on the study, consumers consult reviews before purchasing anywhere from 70% to 95% of the time.

I’m sure we’ve all done it in our personal or professional lives.

These reviews, in turn, have a decisive impact on the visibility of a local search and business map package.

Therefore, it is crucial to encourage customers to provide reviews through the platform of their choice, although you can and should direct them to your GBP first, as it will naturally weigh significantly when it comes to Google rank.

In addition, it is important to respond to any reviews quickly, especially when negative reviews are considered.

Demonstrates the ability of a business to respond to its organization, its customer service, and the overall strength of the business.

Some studies have shown that consumers are more confident and likely to work with businesses that have effectively addressed issues.

Become The Local Expert

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Content is king,” and this is no more true than in B2B THIS. As mentioned, a key goal is to convince Google that your business is the authority on topical areas related to your products and services.

Google rewards existing authority with higher organic visibility, a key advantage of content marketing.

While not easy, at a local level, there is a significant opportunity to become an expert by consistently producing high quality relevant content that meets the needs of your customers at every stage of the purchasing cycle.

Set up your website, blog or other content such as tutorial or promotional videos, as a resource for customer questions and answers in your service area.

Therefore, the keywords you use within content should include local identifiers, eg, “commercial real estate trends in [location]” or “leasing office space in [location].”

The same content should then link back to your main product and service pages, where appropriate, to further enhance their overall authority.

All of the content should work together to guide customers from their first search for a purchase solution.

Engage With The Community

Another way to establish authority within a community or service area is to become an active participant.

Some of the ways in which a business can engage with its community include:

In all cases, publish and promote your participation in these activities through your business and / or social media property website.

Where possible, also look for opportunities to get inbound links from any partner organizations to relevant pages of your website.

These links are valuable signals to the search engines as they help to further validate your local presence.

Mind Your Competition

Before you can analyze your competitors, you need to identify them properly, which can sometimes be exciting for online competition.

Once you have established the top keywords, use them to understand the competing domains that appear consistently in the search results, especially the ones you are ranking over.

You can do website and content technical audits to understand how these competing sites can outperform you.

You can also look at your competitor’s backlink profiles to see if there are websites that have received high-authority relevant links that they don’t.

Lastly, pay attention to the content they create and the frequency to guide your own content marketing cadence.

As mentioned, the goal is to establish your business as a local expert, and this may take some effort if others are on the same path.

B2B Requires H2H (Human To Human)

The final analysis falls on your local authority and customer validation visibility on your business through their search, visit, consumption, sharing and review behavior.

It is ultimately the responsibility of your business to ensure that you provide your human customers with content, answers, products and a level of service that will keep them coming back for longer and telling your friends and colleagues about you.

Search engines identify and rank positively for local businesses that deliver exceptional experiences and establish a loyal, trusted human audience.

Featured Image: Kachka / Shutterstock

How do I choose SEO for my business?

How to choose a good SEO company

• Look at the performance of the SEO agency in the past. Performance applies not only to SEO agencies but also to businesses like yours. …
• Ask past or current clients about their experiences. Then you want to connect with past or current clients. …
• Get to know the SEO company and ask questions.

Is THIS right for my business? SEO has great benefits for websites and can lead to long-term exponential growth. Brands that invest in SEO can build credibility and trust with audiences, making it an integral part of digital marketing strategy.

Is SEO good for small business?

SEO helps small business owners create fast, robust and manageable websites that rank higher in search engines, which helps bring more qualified potential customers to their sites and ultimately increases conversion rates.

How is SEO can benefit small business?

SEO directs traffic for the benefit of both small businesses and potential customers. Optimizing a business website makes it easier for potential customers to find what they want. This could outperform your business over a competitor, or at least some irrelevant search results.

How much should a small business spend on SEO?

How much does SEO cost small businesses? The average SEO cost for small businesses is $ 750 to $ 2000 per month or $ 5000 to $ 30,000 for one-off projects. Smaller companies that invest in SEO consulting services may expect to pay $ 80 to $ 200 per hour.

What is local SEO and why it is important for SEO?

Simply put, local SEO is where you are targeted to improve your rankings and visibility in local search results such as Google Maps / Local Package. Organic SEO is how you improve web page rankings in organic search. How your website is ranked in those organic results can positively influence your Local Package rankings, as well.

Why is local search optimization important? Local SEO Can Help You Get Reviews From Nearby Clients Before you try a new product or service, many people look online for reviews. If your business has no reviews, potential consumers may be reluctant to give you their money. Local SEO is an effective way to get quality reviews from previous customers.

Why is local SEO important factor for Google?

In fact, Google has confirmed that your rankings in the organic SERPs influence your local rankings: “Your position in web results is also a factor, so SEO practices are also related to local search optimization.” This means: the higher you rank in the organic fruit, the higher you will be in the Map Pack.

How does local SEO work?

How Does Local SEO Work? At a high level Local SEO works like a “normal” Google search. When a person searches, Google scans through their index to provide the best results for that person’s query. What makes Local SEO unique is that Google uses a different set of ranking factors to rank the local search results.

What is the most important factor involved in local search?

Spread the word of the survey, NAP presence page links and links, keywords in titles, anchor texts (in), inbound authority, quantity of domain linking are the most important factors that affect the local search.

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that helps your business become more visible in local search results on Google. Any business that has a physical location or serves a geographic area can take advantage of local SEO.

What means local SEO?

What is local SEO? Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving search engine visibility for local businesses, primarily those with brick and mortar sites. By following local SEO best practices, businesses can improve organic traffic from customer searches in nearby areas.

What is local SEO vs SEO?

Here’s the difference. While traditional SEO focuses on improving the visibility of your site on a national or global scale, local SEO allows you to capture local search territory to connect with searchers in your area. SEO and local SEO use many of the same strategies.

What does SEO cost in 2021?

In fact, small businesses spend anywhere between $ 100 and $ 5,000 a month on SEO services. But again, the average is about $ 500 a month. As you might expect, agencies and volunteers who charge higher monthly custody tend to have better results.

How much is in SEO 2021? This survey also found that the median cost per month for SEO was between $ 2,500 and $ 5,000 per month for SEO services. Thirty-one percent paid above this range, up to $ 50,000, and only 18% paid less than $ 1,000.

How much does SEO cost in 2022?

Most SEO projects in 2022 cost between $ 1500- $ 5,000 per month based on project scope. A one-off project will cost between $ 5,000- $ 30,000 and hourly rates for consultants will fall between $ 100- $ 300 per hour.

How SEO will change in 2022?

By 2022, expect to become more competitive SEO ranking and provide quality content that will help internet users. Content that simply tries to fish for its audience by linking unnecessary sourcing will not be as effective as it is today.

Is it worth to learn SEO in 2021?

So, is THIS still a good investment in 2021, and beyond ?! Short answer: YES! THIS is more important than ever! It remains one of the most powerful digital marketing strategies that drives long – term results.

How much does basic SEO cost?

How much can you expect to spend on SEO? If you are hiring a high level SEO company to run a local campaign, expect to pay $ 500.00 per month. A minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month is required for a national or international campaign. Some businesses offer a “trial package” at a lower price, with no contract.

How much does SEO cost monthly?

Average SEO costs are $ 100- $ 250 per hour for US SEO agencies. SEO costs often range from $ 2,500 – $ 10,000 per month for US agencies. The average SEO plan costs $ 2819 per month (per Ahrefs) Overseas SEO companies can charge $ 10- $ 50 per hour.

How much does it cost to pay for SEO?

The average cost for project-based SEO services is between $ 1,000 and $ 1 million and above. Smaller companies that use local SEO could spend about $ 1,000 per month per project. Larger enterprise-level companies can expect to pay millions of dollars a month.

How much should I pay someone for SEO?

If you are hiring a high level SEO company to run a local campaign, expect to pay $ 500.00 per month. A minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month is required for a national or international campaign.

How much does SEO cost in 2020?

A typical SEO budget can drop anywhere between $ 400 and $ 10,000 per month. Of course, this depends on the size of your business, the level of competition you have, and the level of service you choose. But there should never be a flat price point for SEO services.

How much does it cost to hire a SEO?

PRICING MODEL	COSTS THIS
monthly	$ 1500 – $ 5000 per month
Fixed price	$ 1500 – $ 25,000 / contract

Is it worth it to pay someone for SEO?

The short answer is SEO is very effective – not only for generating traffic but also a guide and sales. Do not be worried. The long answer includes research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs also get caught up in search-specific metrics like SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.

Is SEO worth it 2021?

The short answer is SEO is very effective – not only for generating traffic but also a guide and sales. Do not be worried. The long answer includes research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs also get caught up in search-specific metrics like SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.

How SEO will change in 2021?

4. Desktop Page Experience (UX Driven SEO) and Core Web Vitals. Google gradually implemented the Page Experience Algorithm in 2021. This algorithm update includes a number of user experience indicators, such as the Core Web Vitals, that basically assesses the overall experience with the web page.

Does SEO Still Work 2021?

Don’t get me wrong: SEO is not dying, but it is evolving far more than it did years ago. If you’re debating whether or not to invest in SEO for your business, read on to find out why SEO is not dying – but is flourishing – in 2021.

Are keywords still important for SEO 2021?

In 2021, keywords are still important and useful in SEO, but they are not the most important factor. This is because SEO is much more complicated than putting keywords on a page. Also, because SEO is constantly changing with search engines constantly updating algorithms, marketers need to change how they are using keywords.

Why is SEO so important in 2021?

SEO research allows you to understand users’ interest and intent and build content that addresses and accepts that intention. Content Distribution. Focusing on SEO and building legitimate links develops relevant, useful content that people want to share and that provides digital word of mouth.

Can you pay Google for SEO?

Google does not offer SEO services. Remember, Google is a search engine and they have created their own algorithm for ranking websites.

Can you pay for better SEO? If your content is crap no matter how much you pay for SEO, it will not help you. With this in mind, you would have a higher ROI if you paid for someone to create high quality blog posts, videos, or other valuable content that is worth reading or viewing.

Can you pay Google to rank higher?

Tip: There is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google. We do our best to keep the details of the search algorithm confidential, in order to make the ranking system as fair as possible for everyone.

How much does it cost to be at the top of a Google search?

The average cost per click in Google Ads is $ 1 and $ 2 on the Search Network. The average cost per click on the Demonstration Network is less than $ 1. The most expensive keywords in Google Ads and Bing Ads cost $ 50 or more per click.

How much does Google SEO cost?

This option allows for more customization. The average cost for project-based SEO services is between $ 1,000 and $ 1 million and above. Smaller companies that use local SEO could spend about $ 1,000 per month per project. Larger enterprise-level companies can expect to pay millions of dollars a month.

How much does SEO cost in 2020?

A typical SEO budget can drop anywhere between $ 400 and $ 10,000 per month. Of course, this depends on the size of your business, the level of competition you have, and the level of service you choose. But there should never be a flat price point for SEO services.

How much does it cost for SEO?

If you are hiring a high level SEO company to run a local campaign, expect to pay $ 500.00 per month. A minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month is required for a national or international campaign. Some businesses offer a “trial package” at a lower price, with no contract.

Does Google SEO cost money?

Organic search results like Google cost nothing, and making changes to improve your website’s SEO can have a huge impact on your search rankings over time. Learn more about how Google organic search works and get tips to get started here.