Local SEO is “local search engine optimization”, and as any business surely understands, attracting local customers can be key to their success or failure. Local customers are typically:
- Easier (which is cost effective) to reach
- More likely to be loyal, which means repeat business
- Willing to recommend to other local customers
There are several ways to attract local customer traffic, with the key components being your Google My Business (GMB) account and a locally optimized website.
How does local SEO work?
Creating a GMB account should be the first step and will go a long way in building your local findability online. For instance, it is important to add all relevant details about the business and your location(s). These days, it’s by far the easiest to optimize your GMB if you have a proper address in a region/city that you hope to attract customers.
Next, one of the most important things on your website is the correct local optimization that will help you make clear to Google that you have a local business and what area(s) you serve. It’s important to recognize that being found on local searches requires more than optimizing just your GMB and website.
Therefore, the great thing about optimizing your GMB account and website is you can look at each search engine ranking factor. This will show Google why your business deserves to appear by using the following techniques:
- Undertaking keyword research
- Developing citations and other online mentions
- Getting listed in directories
- Growing a strong reviews profile
- Optimizing your website
- Creating new content
- Building local links
Now that we have discussed local SEO for your GMB account and website, let’s look at the benefits.
Benefits of Local Search Engine Optimization
1 – Increased Traffic
According to research, almost 75% of local searches result in an in-person visit to a physical business within 5 miles of the user. For instance, once you start directing your content towards local customers, you tend to increase visits on your website from people who want to visit your business.
2 – Online Visibility Increase
As the first five search results on Google collect up to 70% of user clicks, it is easy to recognize the importance of local SEO. If your website fails to appear among the top 5 positions or even on the first page, the audience may never visit your website or physical store.
3 – Credibility & Trust
Users searching for certain words assume that the highest-ranking websites and pages are the most genuine and credible sources vetted by Google and are trustworthy. This is especially true for search results on the first page.
4 – Customer Community
Every business and consumer searching online are sinking into the importance of building a community to keep the local economy alive. Once your business starts making efforts to link and connect with other local companies, you will see the results.
5 – Increase in Sales
As relevant leads increase due to the boost in the website traffic, it results in more increased sales. Local customers who are prepared to purchase, show up at your local store and will improve the changes of being the landing spot for their purchase.
6 – Customer Return Rate
In today’s world, customers are more inclined to boost the local economy. For instance, they tend to support small businesses in their area and your business can capitalize on that. Therefore, being local makes it easier for your customers and could result in repeated sales.
Local SEO plays a critical role in getting customers to your business. Therefore, if you are simply getting started or need help improving your local SEO, give Barhop Design a call today. We will conduct an SEO audit, discuss the results with you, and develop a plan that fits your business.