Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about optimising your website and organically enhancing your presence and ranking on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). However, local SEO is different from general SEO because it requires a well-planned and coordinated approach. Google search is going more local every year and today it has become essential to your business. Local searchers are more enthusiastic and more likely to shop at the store or answer and make phone calls. General SEO can rank your business nationally by keyword.
Local SEO can generate leads and increase sales by targeting specific audiences in your area. It helps to present your products and brand to local customers. Local SEO works with a local search using keywords like finding products “near me”, thus search engines will direct such consumers to you. Searches are primarily location-based and the keywords you choose can improve your Google My Business page, and create “NAP” citations, and therefore, it is more likely to appear in SERP.
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Relevance of Local SEO
- 97% of all Google queries learn more about a business than any other source
- 50% of shoppers come to the store within a day after searching for something nearby on their mobile phone.
- 28% of local Google searches lead to purchases
- Local intents make up 46% of all searches, with 97 billion monthly local searches
- Locations are included in 30% of all smartphone queries
From these statistics, you can see the power of local search engine optimization. Even with a regular search, Google will show your local businesses in the area. They provide additional suggestions for region-related searches and show your business in front of searchers. They can translate into your outlook and quality leads. As a result, there is no doubt that SMEs will grow exponentially. That’s why local SEO is so important.
How Can SMEs Take Advantage of Local SEO?
Onsite SEO
Website structure and integrity is how Google reads the content of your website’s pages. Search engines are very smart, but they are designed to read HTML code. If your website doesn’t have the right HTML or isn’t structured properly, other search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo will misinterpret your website’s content and index your pages. You must consider:
- Schema markup is a business-specific HTML format. If your website doesn’t contain schema markup, search engines like Google are missing out on a great opportunity to improve your ranking.
- Mobile optimization is one of the top three most important aspects of SEO, including local SEO. If you are not mobile-friendly, Google will penalize your website. This is because most search queries are run through your smartphone.
Content Marketing
Content is by far the king and is an interface that suggests your website to consumers based on their search queries. Websites with high domain privileges are ranked high in related searches. When you create high-quality content that users want to read, they stay on the page longer and Google tracks it to rank your site’s relevance. The more actively your customers are involved in your content, the more likely you are to share it on social media and link to it from blogs, websites, social accounts, and more. Content marketing is a key factor in local SEO and business success.
Link Building
Once you’ve created great content, you can start a link-building campaign which means connecting other websites to your website. The more backlinks with websites that have higher domain privileges, the higher the rank of your website. Building a link is all about building relationships with other website owners and is a very time-consuming and arduous task.
Business listings, citations, offers, and quotes
Google needs to review your business before ranking you well on its search engine. You can be listed in the relevant business directory by using the accurate NAP (name, address, phone number) for each list so that Google can refer to your business information from these directories. If you see business information from all directories, the reason is very important for your NAP integrity.
Reviews and Customer Testimonials
If you can increase the review on all platforms, there is a considerable amount of work built into the local SEO strategy. Customer testimonials, positive reviews, ratings, and good feedback provide a strong starting point for building a successful local SEO strategy. This makes it possible for you to grow your business. You can also take help from a professional local SEO company for your local SEO strategy.
What Are The Benefits Of Local SEO?
Local SEO works like a charm to grab the attention of local customers. Let us not forget, your popularity and customer reach on the local ground are of paramount importance if you are seeking global or international attention for your brand and business. Local SEO works on the same lines. Let us look at some advantages of applying local SEO to your webpage:
Everybody is Doing a Local Search
If you want to find small businesses online, local SEO is essential. Local SEO is the answer to your search for an accelerating society where people are now seeking answers. One of the results is improved voice search immediacy wherein more people are increasingly using voice search for local search. 56% of people use smartphones for local voice search. 26% of people perform a local voice search using a tablet 18% of people have used smart speakers for local voice search
Local SEO already accounts for 46% of searches. Local SEO continues to grow exponentially, and Statista is expected to be a trillion-dollar industry by 2025.
Informative
With Local SEO, you can get the most out of your marketing budget. Your website should be using keywords that are immediate answers to questions posted by consumers. For example, if you are dealing with clothes, and a consumer punch is “the best apparel store near me”, your site should pop up. Long-tail keywords are very important because they are less competitive and easier to rank. After all, local SEO is affected by voice search. Write a blog post built around long-tail keywords or optimise your website for long-tail keywords. You can also get your customers to do it through product or service reviews. These reviews add new and unique content to small business websites.
Customers Searching Locally are More Likely to Buy
Local searchers aren’t just looking for answers to search queries. They are ready to buy and turn their interests into intentions. 88% of people visit a local search after they have searched for their desired products online. 72% of shoppers doing local searches visit businesses within 5 miles. More than 50% of “nearby” searches are for customers to visit the store. What your small business needs to know about these customers is that you can optimise your prices and ads to attract them.
Present an offer
Dynamic prices, offers, customised deals, and discounts are tactics that your company uses flexible prices to impose on your competitor and enhance customer demand. This tactic was a characteristic of business strategy for many years. If a local competitor drops prices significantly, you can get the real-time insights you need to stay competitive and respond in a market dominated by local searchers.
You can emphasise and promote your company’s offerings by investing in local SEO. This means that by default, you are one step ahead and reach all potential customers.
Increased Traffic
To increase traffic, simply paste the website link into your business profile and on the content that you post on social media platforms. This is one of the main benefits of local SEO. Local website traffic can increase website visibility, augment sales, and enhance product identity. This is beneficial for SMEs considering applying within a limited geographic area. You can appeal to both mobile and desktop customers.
Within Your Budget
By comparison, local SEO comes with competitive prices and the least amount of effort to promote your business. It could get a little expensive to apply SEO and digital marketing services, but these costs have long-term consequences. If you traditionally market your products by placing your ad in the newspaper or radio, you have to pay a high fee. If you choose PPC (pay-per-click) and want to stay on the top page, you’ll have to keep paying. SEO provides organic search results at a lower cost than other advertising options.
Attract New Leads
Local customers play an important role in your business, thus investing in local SEO can also attract visitors to your area. Despite having hoardings across the city and having a strong reputation in the market, you may not get as many new visitors or footfall as compared to a shop that indulges in local SEO. If you use local SEO, they will find you before they find anyone else.
Better Mobile Searches
The majority of people simply take out their smartphones, search for their preferred products by typing near me stores, and simply buy online or visit the local store to make the purchase. When someone searches on a mobile device like this, the results in the immediate vicinity are immediately displayed. If you establish strong local SEO, people will find you when they are out. You will get customers to visit you on a whim.
Enhanced ROI and Sales
67% of customers say they search most products online before making a physical purchase. 75% of searchers do not go to the next page of search results. Pages ranked 1-3 in SERP receive 36% of clicks. 91% of websites aren’t getting traffic. It’s no wonder that the first local businesses are profiting. With Local SEO, you can make your business visible to all customers searching for local articles related to you. If you want to increase your local market share, join your local community, increase your brand awareness and increase your presence in the community, local SEO benefits are the right solution.
Conclusion
If you want to expand your local customer base, enhance your ROI and sales, connect with your local community, increase your brand awareness, and augment your reputation in your area, it’s best to take advantage of local SEO. Connect with a professional local SEO company and get familiar with local SEO marketing and support the growth and prosperity of your business.