Local SEO, which can be referred to as local search engine optimization, is a highly important aspect of digital marketing that is based on improving the local organic rankings of a business in the SERPs. Engaging in local SEO is a great way of improving online visibility and sales.
In this article, I’ll be discussing why you need local SEO.
Local SEO is about optimizing the site for local search results, especially for those searching for products or services “near me”. Its goal is to bring the businesses to the customer’s attention within their local area which is to gain traffic and online sales to generate and increase revenue of business.
This is an example of a local search result on Google:
Google’s local search algorithms incorporate three primary factors alongside its usual ranking criteria to ensure the most relevant results:
Relevance: This factor evaluates how similar a Google Business Profile is with the keyword consumers enter in their search query.
Distance: Google will first estimate the distance between the user and the business when they conduct a search, tending to deliver results that are conveniently located.
Prominence: The greater prominence of a business, as perceived by Google, also is critical in deciding its perceived importance to that business’ customers. Factors like online reviews, citations, and overall visibility amongst various search results are viewed as important driving factors of prominence.
Once Google evaluates these factors, it presents two types of search results for local queries:
Local Pack Results: They are referred to as Google Maps and Business Profiles as well. The local pack is with a map on display and contains the top local business listings.
Organic Results: These are the standardized blue links that users see in the Search Engine Results Page of Google.
Analyzing the workings of this combination is important for businesses, who are optimizing their online appearance and want to rank higher in local search results.
Local SEO increases a business’s presence on systems like Google Maps, making them very easily searchable by probable customers who are interested in the business information such as address, phone number and also opening times.
Through optimization for local keywords and also targeting location-based searches, companies can augment the attraction of more qualified traffic to their websites, leading to higher conversion rates.
A well-structured local SEO strategy can lead to more and more people coming into your store, getting calls for inquiries or ordering online, and as a result of this growing your revenue.
Those businesses, which are focused on the local SEO, take the leading positions in the comparison to their competitors and stand out within their industries being the local market leaders and trusted experts in their niches.
By doing the local SEO, businesses deliver the truthful information to their prospective customers, users might have a good experience and this way, strong relationships are built.
For a successful local SEO performance, keyword optimization of a GMB profile is crucial; complete business information and good quality images are also important.
When defining the target audience, it is necessary to prioritize finding keywords and phrases that are frequently used in the search queries of local searchers.
In local optimization, website title and meta tags, headers and body of content with local keywords indicate business-local queries relationships to search engines.
Reputation building as well as business visibility heavily depends on having consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) data across online listings and local directories.
Positive reviews from happy customers enhance the reputation of the businesses as fast feedback responses do so too.
Finally, local SEO is vital that enables businesses to reach the target local customers and scale up the performance. Through its multiple strategies – local SEO approach that incorporates GMB optimization, local keyword research, on-page SEO, citation management, and reputation management, businesses can optimize their visibility, draw more relevant leads, and then grow their revenue.