The term SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has an important role to play in online business and its development activities. Most companies and start-ups are familiar with aspects like keyword planning, Meta tags, keyword placement and others that are essential aspects of SEO. Additionally, even local SEO plays a crucial part in online business growth and expansion.
Most people consider local SEO as one of the core elements of online marketing. But before one forms an opinion about the utility and benefits of local SEO, it is essential to have a clear about the same. Furthermore, marketers also suggest that it’s important to know the significance of SEO in this world and the way in which it has an impact on business. Today, local SEO forms a dominant factor in digital marketing. It has been helping people to expand and fruitfully grow their business.
Understanding local SEO
Simply put, local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) acts in such a way that it helps to increase your business visibility depending on the new age location-based online searches. Many companies consider it to be of the rare SEO initiatives. The primary objective here is to make sure that people can locate your online business online. Also, it helps people to find your business store locally.
Here it comprises online searchers along with specific geo qualifiers, such as state, “near me” searches, zip code, and city. Google is useful in drawing the geo-location of an individual and then offers a search outcome in that region.
Why is local SEO important?
Are you wondering if local SEO is essential or not? The answer is yes. It is more important for people who have a retail or business store in a locality. Based on a study that was conducted by Forbes, approximately 95% of the new age Smartphone users have resorted to their mobile devices to perform local searches as well. From this percentage, 59% visited the local business, and about 61% had simply made a call. Based on another research conducted by SearchEngineWatch, it revealed that about 70% of the mobile users directly call a business via Google search outcomes through their mobile phones.
All these data indicate something! It tells you that certain leads from location oriented searches are the prime stage for probable customers and the words that keep on adding to it. These leads are usually from people who are continually searching for specific products and services online. You can safely declare these leads as safe and come with a high conversion rate.
Getting to know the SEO basics
Once you have a basic understanding of local SEO, it is essential to understand the way to enhance local business SEO. The first and foremost thing to know here is that local SEO denotes all kinds of location-based searches. Hence, the location or physical address of a store is essential for a business to get highlighted in the endless local searchers. However, just in case you haven’t been able to update your business address to Google My Business and several other online directories, it won’t show anyone the tag “near me” when they search for your business locally.
Do you want to generate Google My Business? If yes, you can follow the useful steps listed below:
- Add a unique, long description, format it well and add links to the site
- Make sure you select the apt category for your business
- Go ahead and upload pictures of your service/business/products and share it
- Add in a local contact number details
- Go ahead and add in a business address that’s reliable with the local directories and websites
- You can upload a decent cover photo and profile picture
- Add in the opening and closing time and also the hours/days of operation
- Welcome potential customers to add in their experiences as reviews
Once you complete with this, you need to make sure that your businesses NAP (Name, Address and Phone Number) stays constant in all online directories, where he’s already registered. Are you wondering what to do should you encounter discrepancy? In such a case Google will not be interested in giving you a business listing in the local 3-pack. Alternatively, you can even decide to make use of tools like Synup that seamlessly manages the online listings for your business. Hence, you can steer clear of the habit of updating your directory manually.
Advantages of local SEO
You can call local SEO as a kind of online marketing. It enables the local businesses to keep on promoting their products and service to the local customers that are in search of the same. There are many advantages of local SEO. The best four advantages are as follows:
- Provides you with a local search
Do you want to substitute the Yellow page that remained from yesteryears? If yes, the local SEO is the name to count on. This tool enables you to maximize your online visibility and also attract the right customers to your business. Today, most customers are going to look for services and products online depending on their geographical proximity. When you increase your local SEO, you can also maximize the customer base. Hence, it is essential for you to ensure that the title tags of your online business are stable ad string. Additionally, you also need to make sure that every public link on your site should be worthy of linking.
Last year, i.e., 2017 witnessed a complete focus on the user intent. It means that going forward it will be very easy for customers to search for a few things online and come across the most specific local businesses.
- Google “My Business” listing
In the years to come, Google will optimize all your local searches. Earlier, Google has indicated a minimal biased approach to the new and famous businesses in addition to the small business owners. Furthermore, it had also featured individualized outcome for certain outcome on every search. Presently, about 56% of the local businesses are yet to claim Google “My Business” listing. Do you want to outshine your competitors and other team players? Do you want to leverage local SEO in a way that your existing business grows? If yes, then Google “My Business” is one of the best things that you can count on.
- The benefit of mobile marketing
Research shows that most of the mobile searches conducted by people are on the go! And this automatically makes on-the-go searches for immediate requirements a priority for many businesses. Today, more and more local customers resort to their Smartphone’s so that they can locate the best local business instantly. Local SEO will also assist a brand’s business land based on the proximity of dependant searches.
Hence, the future of online brand visibility and local SEO will depend on a territorially significant nexus of data that local SEO will help the businesses to rule well. So mobile marketing is crucial for brands.
- Good ROI (Return on Investment)
Today you can create a Google “My Business Page” for free. Additionally, you’ll be able to touch base with customers the moment they require you. It indicates that local SEO is beneficial and cost-efficient. You also need to add to this fact that approximately 50% of the customers who can carry out a local search on their phone, has a chance to be there at the store in a day as well. Furthermore, 34% of the customers who carry out their search on a tablet device or computer are also going to do the same.
Along with both the high conversion rates as well as low costs, local SEO is also going to offer you immense ROI (Return on Investment).
If you are still in two minds about local SEO but want to opt in for it, refer to these four advantages that will help you to make an updated decision. Once you let an SEO agency customize a local SEO strategy for you, then you can witness the difference.
There are several ways to enhance the local SEO of business. One such method is citations. Simply put, a citation is a moment when a third party website lists your business from a reference point. And this can also retain the name of your business, contact information and location. It doesn’t need a backlink to your company website. One of the best instances of a citation can be a fashion blog naming your boutique as an excellent place to shop for casual and occasional stylish attires for men and women. And this automatically, alerts Google that your business is a trustworthy one. And this will brighten your scopes to get a local 3-pack.
So, one can conclude that it is essential to integrate Local SEO so that your local business thrives. And all the four benefits discussed above needs to be added to your digital marketing strategy. You can also make use of your expertise and then create from there, to get the visibility in the community you deserve. It will help other customers learn more about your brand and decide to buy your products or opt-in for your services. Once you are locally visible, your customer base is likely to increase.
