More than ninety percent of online experiences start on a search engine. Now more than ever, you need a well-organized local SEO strategy if you want to get ahead of the competition. While you may feel like being a locally owned business automatically gets you the attention you need, you will be amazed at how beneficial local SEO can be.
Local SEO refers to search engine optimization when it comes to local search results. It means optimizing your website so that it appears higher as a result of searches for a particular geographical area. Depending on the size and scope of a business, this geographical area can be as small as a specific neighborhood, or as large as multiple large cities within a state.
Local SEO works by properly configuring a website’s content, meta tags, and other aspects of a website to ensure that they contain relevant keywords and phrases associated with the business’ location and services. It also involves managing external signals like reviews, backlinks, and directory listings. All of these factors show search engines that your business is authoritative and worth recommending to searchers.
There are a number of great benefits to using local SEO for your business and these are just a few of them.
When potential customers type in their search, you want your business to rank as high as possible, especially considering local information is the subject of nearly half of all Google searches. Using the right phrases and keywords is the key to attaining this ranking. Studies show that about eighteen percent of searches follow the number one position on a search result. It drops to about ten percent of people following their search through to the second position, and about seven percent will click on the third position. This ranking shows how important local SEO leading to that first position will be to your business.
In addition to increased website traffic, the traffic you get is likely to convert better. This is because people who are looking for local businesses are probably more intent on purchasing. These customers know you will be able to provide your product or service to them. Just make sure you provide an easy way for people to purchase from your site.
Utilizing local SEO is being done by your competitors, and it is here to stay. Your competitors are vying for those first positions, so you have to stay on top and consistently maintain that position. The importance of local SEO is only going to increase over time, so implementing a strategy now will only benefit your business.
You can continue to use the best practices and a tactical strategy for maintaining your local SEO by staying well-educated and updated on the trends. By keeping yourself updated on current trends, you will increase your chances of remaining in the number one position of potential customer searches.
Brand awareness is a very important part of any successful marketing strategy. It ensures that even if people don’t want to purchase from you right now, they will think about you when they need it in the future. When your business appears high in local searches, it is one more way for local customers to be exposed to your name. It helps establish your business as a trusted and reliable source of products or services. The goal is to have a consumer’s search take them to your website, where they will discover a clean and productive experience.
While all of the elements of a solid SEO strategy will take effort, patience, and commitment to implement, it will be worth it. These efforts will pay off when viewers learn to recognize and trust your business. If you simply don’t have the time to educate yourself about every aspect of local SEO and put it into action for your business, you could always outsource the responsibility. 98 Buck Social’s SEO packages include local SEO tactics, among many other important features. Get in touch to learn more about our local SEO services today.