Local SEO is about helping local businesses rank higher on search engines when people search for things near them. It involves optimizing websites and business listings to target searches people do based on location. Including the business address and phone number on websites and profiles helps search engines know it’s a local business.
Let’s discuss “What Is Local SEO And Why Is Local SEO Important?” This article will discuss the importance of local SEO, and how local SEO works. The article will also explain the tips on how can local SEO be done.
Importance Of Local SEO
Local SEO attracts local customers. When people search online for businesses, services, or products near them, optimized local SEO ensures your business appears where local potential customers will see it. Local consumers mostly use search engines like Google to find nearby options they can easily visit.
Local SEO builds your local reputation and authority. Search engines prioritize local businesses that appear reputable and important to a specific geographic community. Local SEO helps search engines verify your business details and see positive customer feedback through optimized local listings, citations linking to your website, and customer reviews. This establishes your business as a leader locally and a trusted place for people in the area to shop or get what they need.
None of the local SEO strategies work if they do not ultimately lead people to patronize your business. Local SEO helps potential local customers learn about your business, products, services, contact details, and location through their search engines. High local search rankings and visibility achieve the goal of any local business by driving people through the doors.
How Does Local SEO Work?
Local SEO works by optimizing a business’s online presence to target customers searching locally on maps, search engines, and directories. When someone searches for things near them, like “plumbers near me”, local SEO helps the business show up at the top of local search results. There are a few main things businesses can do for local SEO. They claim and verify their listings on websites like Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Facebook.
Other local SEO techniques involve optimizing the business website. This includes things like prominently displaying the accurate business address on every page. It’s also important to mention the local area, city, or zip code a lot on the website content.
Backlinks and citations from other local websites that link back to the business profile are other aspects of local SEO. These help search engines understand how relevant a business is to its local community. By focusing on their local search rankings and visibility, a business can get more customers from those searching online nearby for its products or services.
Benefits Of Local SEO
- Increased visibility to local customers searching online nearby for what your business offers
- Potential for more foot traffic as people locate your store and then visit in person
- Increased phone calls, website visits, and orders from the local community finding you online
- Opportunity to reach many new potential clients each month searching within your area
- Ability to rank higher than competitors for search terms focused on your location
- Improved mapping listings make you easy to find on Google Maps, Apple Maps, and other local apps.
- Boosted reputation as an expert service provider catering to the needs of the local area
- More reviews and ratings, as well as happy local customers, can share feedback online.
- Being findable online by people living or working near your business location
- Growing your customer base over time as your local search ranking and presence expand
- Ability to connect with clients who search for businesses close to their homes
Difference Between Local SEO And Technical SEO
Local SEO | Technical SEO |
Focuses on optimizing a business for local searches to bring in local customers | Focuses on the technical setup and coding of a website |
Involves claiming local listings, citations, and local keyword optimization | Involves site speed, mobile friendliness, links, coding, security, etc. |
Drives local foot traffic and customers within a set radius or location | Improves the user experience and helps all types of traffic find the site |
Keywords targeted are location based like “plumber Seattle” or “dentist Portland” | Keywords targeted are broader matching searches for services/products |
Success is getting high local map listings and appearing in searches near an address | Success is ranked well globally for relevant keywords and traffic sources |
Tips For Local SEO
- Optimize your business address, phone number, and other info on your website.
- Get positive reviews and customer testimonials on your website and Google My Business profile.
- Use keywords in your website content related to your location and services offered.
- Link to your Google Maps listing and relevant citations from your website.
- Ask other businesses and local organizations to link to your website from theirs.
- Improve your citations by being listed on relevant local directories and local citation sites.
- Post updates and photos on Google My Business to keep your listing fresh and engage customers.
- Create and share local content on social media about your business and neighborhood.
- Analyze your local search rankings and find ways to boost specific relevant keyword positions.
- Apply for and maintain recognition in third-party local guides and magazines in print and online.
- Collect and publish positive online reviews on Google and Facebook from customers
- Never hesitate to find the best professional services from an experienced company like SEO Digital Store
Local SEO Tools
Let’s discuss the Local SEO tools that you can use.”
Semrush
For local SEO, Semrush allows users to check citations and find opportunities to get more links from other sites near a business location. The local citation scraper helps optimize online profiles.
BrightLocal
BrightLocal provides local listing management and reports focusing on the local search aspect of SEO. It helps claimed listings show across directories and maps. Businesses can view local rankings and citation links pointing to their profile and check key local metrics. BrightLocal also performs local keyword gap analysis to find search terms a company can target. Its competitor tracking compares local SEO efforts against other nearby businesses.
Moz
Moz offers various tools useful for both technical and local SEO needs. Their local listing management makes it easy to update business information site-wide. Moz also performs deep local SEO audits that identify issues hurting local visibility and suggest action items. Other features helpful for local marketers include local link building, ranking tracking, and local exploration of search volume data for keywords.
Local SEO Checklist
A local SEO checklist is a useful tool for businesses to ensure they cover all important bases for local search engine optimization. The checklist includes tasks like claiming listings, optimizing the website, getting citations built, checking local rankings, and more. Going through a regular checklist helps identify any gaps that need to be addressed for most local search visibility.
Ahrefs
It provides data on rankings, backlinks, keywords, and more. For local SEO, Ahrefs can extract citation links to analyze, find new opportunities, and check competitor backlinks. Users can also discover high-performing local keywords in an area through Ahrefs’ keyword research features to integrate into local campaigns.
Google Review Link Generator
The Google Review Link Generator is a free tool offered by Google that creates customizable URLs. These URLs pre-fill the Google review form so it is easy for satisfied clients to leave positive feedback. Business owners can share customized review links on receipts, emails, and websites to gather more Google reviews, which boosts their local ranking strengths.
Keywords Everywhere
Keywords Everywhere is a helpful Google Chrome extension for finding keyword opportunities on websites. It allows users to hover over text on any webpage and see suggested keyword phrases related to that content. This is useful for local SEO research to find ideas for keywords to target.
Marketers can use Keywords Everywhere on competitor websites, business citation pages, and local business directories to spy on new keywords the competition may not be ranking for yet. Some focused keywords that appear are good options to incorporate into the on-page optimization, linking, and content strategies to try ranking for. The tool gives focused keyword hunters extra suggestions of searches people are doing that could bring customers if ranked.
FAQ’s
Isa there any essential tools for local SEO?
Popular tools include Moz Local, BrightLocal, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Yext for managing listings, auditing citations, and tracking local metrics.
How often should local listings be updated?
To keep information fresh for search engines, business profiles and listings should be checked monthly or weekly for accuracy and reclaimed if any become unverified over time.
How to optimize for local SEO?
On-page optimizations include adding the business NAP prominently, mentioning the local area frequently, using neighborhood-focused keywords, and linking to owned local citations.
Conclusion
By optimizing listings, citations, the website, and social profiles for relevant neighborhoods and location keywords, a business can get found through local seo. This brings in new potential clients regularly from the local community searching for products and services near them. Taking the time to carry out tactics like local linking, directory listings, and on-page optimizations correctly helps connect customers to a business easily through search engines and maps.