What Is Local SEO
Local SEO is defined as optimizing a business’s online presence to be easily found by potential customers in their local area. This means using strategies such as including relevant local keywords, getting listed on local directories and verifying the business’s location on Google Business Profile.
The aim is to increase visibility in local search results and drive more foot traffic to the business’s physical location. It’s important for small businesses that rely on local customers to invest in local SEO to stay competitive and attract new business.
Ranking high on search engines is the ultimate goal of SEO, a crucial technique for any online venture. It’s the lifeblood of your e-business, without which it’s bound to languish. Small and medium-sized business growth can be achieved through Local SEO, also called Map SEO. This particular type of search engine optimization has become increasingly popular.
Your business can reach out to the people in your area with the assistance of local SEO. Let’s say you own a salon shop; whenever individuals within your vicinity search for a “Salon shop near me,” your business will surface in the list if you have optimized your local SEO.
How Does Local SEO Help Local Businesses?
In the past, small, local businesses struggled to stay afloat online amidst dominant national brands. This meant people used less than the Internet when traditional methods were sufficient. However, Google’s Pigeon update of 2014 changed the game by enabling local businesses to rank in search results based on their location. Essentially, Google began factoring in proximity as a significant ranking factor for businesses in search results.
It helps businesses reach their target audience in their area. And you won’t believe the best thing about local SEO is that every local business loves it. It’s effortless to adjust. All you have to do is create backlinks to your local event pages and use location-specific phrases in your keywords, which can help you gain greater exposure based on your region. Visitors searching for your services or products nearby improve your ranking position and drive more traffic to your store.
If you want a comprehensive look at local SEO, try Guide for Local SEO.
Benefits of Local SEO
By now, you must be passionate about local SEO and want to learn about all the incredible benefits of local SEO. So hold on to your horses for a moment; let’s talk about the benefits of Local SEO.
1. Improve Traffic
Did you know that local information is the subject of 46% of all Google searches? Every company shines in the traffic. Whether you own a large business or run a salon around the corner, you’ll be stuck in traffic for a long time when you digitally register your business. Local SEO allows you to increase traffic. By targeting potential local customers, you can encourage people who are likely to visit your website to visit your website. If you employ a thorough SEO strategy for your local business, you run the risk of a lot of slow traffic. You certainly don’t want that. Targeting locals diverts local traffic to your website, ultimately leading to sales.
2. Better Conversion Rates
One of the benefits of local SEO is attracting potential customers to your website and increasing conversion rates. According to Joel House Search Media, 28% of local searches result in a sale. So, there’s no denying that local SEO leads to better conversions — and increased traffic leads to higher sales. By presenting yourself as an expert in your area when local customers are ready to buy, you increase your chances of becoming their sales anchor. Most local searchers want to learn about local businesses, not look for businesses thousands of miles away or make random online purchases.
3. Reduce Advertising Costs
Local businesses thrive on local audiences. Hence, they spend more on promotional channels like banners, brochures, local TV commercials, stockpiling, etc. It all costs a fortune. But what if we said you could save a ton of money by optimizing for SEO? It turns out that more than 80% of smartphone users choose “near me” when searching for a specific type of business. Therefore, you can reduce or lower your advertising costs by improving your local SEO.
4. Continued Business Growth
Local SEO programs always focus on increasing traffic while improving search engine results. This increases marketing and sales opportunities. More sales mean more consumers are interested, which leads to a conscious growth phase for the company. So, when you need to grow your local business, spending resources and time on local SEO metrics are key indicators of success.
5. Persistent Rankings
How would you answer if someone asked you about the advantages of SEO over traditional marketing? They’ll reply that one-time things have lasting effects compared to traditional marketing tactics, where we waste tons of money each week trying to increase sales. One of the main benefits of local SEO is that it can give you consistent rankings.
6. Bypass Competition
With local SEO, you will benefit from competitors who rely on traditional methods. For example, different companies sell the same thing, but one focuses on local SEO while others use traditional methods. Undoubtedly, people redirect to companies that rank higher in the SERP results because we, as buyers, want to explore that product. Search engines are where we do all our searches, so we pick the solutions that appear in the search results without further guesswork. Practical SEO measures can give your company a long-term competitive advantage and keep you ahead.
7. Get More Local Reviews
According to Bright Local, 87% of users read online reviews before buying something from a local business. If you provide good service, people will love to leave honest reviews, which will help you get more clients. But that will only be possible if you optimize your business for local SEO. By doing SEO, you can get more customer reviews. Responding to customer feedback will help you rank higher in search engines because Google sees it as a sign of a better customer experience. Getting local reviews can also benefit your business in many other important ways.
8. Network with Neighbouring Companies
Healthy Competition is the way business works today. But local SEO allows you to build relationships with your competitors; you must wonder how? You will gain links from neighboring businesses by cross-promoting your products and services. This is a win-win situation for both parties, as it will help both companies get the recognition they seek. Not only that, but it increases your online presence.
9. Sign up for Google’s 3-pack
Another benefit of SEO is that it helps you appear in Google’s 3-pack. Appearing in Google 3-pack is great; it just means appearing in the first three results for a local search keyword. According to Report Garden, Google’s 3-pack ranks top 93% of searches with regional intent. You can test how your business performs online if you’re already using local SEO. The Three Pack is different from the Seven Pack because it shows more information about the company, such as business hours, business description, business address, and more. Therefore, local enterprises must appear in Google’s three guarantees.
10. Mobile Optimization
Mobile devices have enabled a lot of online shopping because people find it more convenient. With this in mind, companies need to optimize their websites for mobile devices and tablets. The goal of optimization is to make the process of navigating the website easy. If satisfied with your website, users will be more likely to purchase.
11. Build a Community
That’s all! Now here we have mentioned all the benefits of local SEO for businesses. We are in the digital age. Is it important to have an online presence no matter where you are from or how big or small your business is? To create a strong presence for your business in your area, check out our local SEO checklist.
Every two people use a smartphone and know Google. They like to do some research online before visiting a store. Therefore, an online presence is a must. Being a newbie or rookie to the digital world can be an uncomfortable task for you. In this case, you can turn to a local SEO company that will manage your online presence while you manage your business.
In that sense, ACS Networks & Technologies is one of the best SEO services in Dehradun. You can try.
