Local SEO is becoming increasingly important for brick-and-mortar businesses looking to drive foot traffic from online searches. With more and more customers using smartphones to find nearby businesses to engage face-to-face, ranking high in local search engine results can make a major bottom line impact. In this comprehensive guide to the benefits of local SEO for small business, we will cover everything you need to know about optimizing your local business for online visibility and success in attracting nearby customers.
Table of Contents
What is local SEO?
Local SEO refers to optimize the online presence of a business and visibility in local search results. The goal is to make it easy for nearby customers to find and patronize the business when searching for relevant products or services in Google, Bing and other search engines.
Unlike regular SEO which has a more global focus, local SEO zeroes in on attracting local customers from the specific geographic region(s) a business serves. So it emphasizes things like the correct business address, phone number and area served in online listings.
SEO vs Local SEO: What’s the difference?
While SEO and local SEO both involve optimizing online content and signals to improve search visibility, there are some key differences:
- SEO has a more nationwide or global focus while local SEO targets potential customers within a smaller local area.
- Local SEO stresses on-site signals like business address, phone number and area served. SEO focuses more on things like backlinks and shared content.
- The core goal of local SEO is driving foot traffic to a local brick-and-mortar store. SEO aims more for general web traffic and conversions.
- Local SEO heavily utilizes location-based online listings like Google My Business. Standard SEO does not use such listings much.
local SEO is optimized for attracting nearby customers to a physical business location while SEO takes a broader approach.
Benefits of local SEO for Small Business
There are many potential benefits that local SEO offers over standard SEO for business marketing, including:
Increased visibility
Optimizing for local search makes it easier for nearby customers to find your business online, thanks to enhanced visibility in Google Maps, online directories and location-based searches.
Targeted traffic and conversions
The highly targeted leads local SEO drives are more likely to visit your brick-and-mortar location and convert into paying customers.
Competitive edge
Standing out from competing area businesses in local search results makes customers more likely to choose your company.
Enhanced reputation
Positive online presence and customer reviews boost local visibility as well as company reputation.
Improved user experience
A mobile-friendly website with easy access to key info like business address makes for better local UX.
13 steps to follow for optimizing your business for local SEO
Here are 13 of the most important aspects to focus on when optimizing for local search:
Step 1: Conduct thorough keyword research
Identify the specific terms and phrases used by searchers in your geographic regions when looking for offerings. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help uncover local keyword demand.
Step 2: Build expertise
Create a knowledge bank surrounding your top products/services on your website. Strengthen relevance for the keywords customers use.
Step 3: Optimize your website’s on-page elements
Prominently display key details like business name, exact address and phone number on every page.
Step 4: Google Business Profile (GBP) listing
Completely fill out and regularly maintain your GBP listing (formerly Google My Business) for improved local visibility.
Step 5: Encourage customer reviews
Generate more 5-star online ratings and reviews. These signal quality and boost trust for potential new customers.
Step 6: Create high-quality local content
Publish blog posts and long-form content about serving customers in your area. Answer their top questions.
Step 7: Optimize for mobile users
Adopt a seamless mobile-friendly design. This helps nearby searchers on the go find and contact you faster.
Step 8: Build quality local backlinks
Earn links from location-relevant sites to enhance local SEO rankings for chosen keywords.
Step 9: Ensure consistent NAP information
Double check your Name, Address and Phone number details are correct and consistent across key local listings, directory sites and other properties that help determine local relevance.
Step 10: Implement schema markup
Add markup for things like local business, opening hours and contact info. This helps search engines better understand your website’s offerings.
Step 11: Optimize for local voice search
Enhance site content for increasingly popular voice searches. Make your FAQ answers, visible keywords and other details as conversational as possible.
Step 12: Use online business directories
Responsibly list your business on high-authority local directories like Yelp. Keep info updated across directories for improved consistency.
Step 13: Social media engagement
Be active posting local area content on Google Posts, Facebook and Instagram. Boost brand awareness and local word-of-mouth. Respond to feedback and reviews.
Focusing on these key local SEO factors can significantly boost your on-page signals, online visibility and website traffic from potential customers in your served zip codes and regions. The incremental business leads and revenue make local optimization incredibly worthwhile.
Conclusion
By focusing on these essential local SEO ranking factors, your business can stand out in search results for location-based queries in Google and other search engines. This will enable your company to be easily discovered by high-intent customers seeking your products and services in your served geographic regions.
The additional website traffic, on-site engagement signals and new customer foot traffic driven by optimized local search visibility leads to tremendous benefits. From an elevated local brand and enhanced customer loyalty to direct revenue growth, local SEO success takes your brick-and-mortar marketing strategy to new heights.
