LOCAL SEO
LOCAL SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
Local businesses need ways to attract customers within their community. On top of connecting with customers on social media, local SEO should be used on their website to boost their rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs.)
We know how valuable a business owner’s time is. It can be challenging to come up with a solid digital marketing strategy and execute it in a profitable way when there are so many other things needing attention.
Relieving oneself of this duty is simple: hand it off to a professional. Someone with adequate knowledge and skill can tailor your website to include local SEO strategies that will boost your presence among local search rankings and increase your bottom line.
HUSTLING AIN’T EASY, BUT WE’RE HERE TO HELP
Because of constant advancements in technology, it can be hard to predict what the next best thing in digital marketing will look like.
The creation of social media brought on the marketing trends around paid ads, influencer promotions, and social media managers. Social media is so useful because it puts a sense of personality behind your business, something most consumers want to see. It has made it much easier to connect with potential clients, but trends are ever changing.
One thing that is sure to remain constant, however, is consumers’ use of search engines, mainly Google, to find local businesses.
When you use local SEO tactics in order to establish geographical relevance, Google can better understand which areas you serve. This gives your website the ability to be found by people in your area looking for businesses like yours.
Local SEO puts interested consumers right in front of you
The convenience of search engines when looking for local businesses will continue to persist among consumers. Google’s ability to almost instantly deliver hundreds of thousands of resources when asked a question will never go out of style.
While a lot of people will look to companies’ social platforms to get a better feel for them, most local business discovery happens on Google. Using this to your advantage is the secret to becoming a top competitor in your service area. Investing in local SEO efforts is a surefire way to increase traffic to your website and grow your business locally.
Local SEO is a proven way to drive a consistent flow of business to your door by targeting the community in which you are located. It can take some time to reach the top of SERPs, but once you do, you won’t question the power Google has in expanding your reach.
How do people find local businesses?
Picture this: you’re sitting at home, scrolling through Facebook when you see the weather station reporting a bad hail storm headed your way.
Let’s say the last hail storm really beat up your roof, so now you feel the need to get a jump on finding someone to repair it after this next one hits.
WHERE DO YOU TURN?
Most likely, Google.
With instant access to the Internet from mobile devices, it’s easy to hop on the Internet and browse your options. Chances are, you’ll look at the top three companies that Google shows to you. This is because people are more likely to trust businesses that are ranked in top positions on SERPs.
Local SEO improves credibility and puts businesses at the top of these pages in order to bring in more business.
Which companies are you looking at?
Studies show over 70% of people will skip the scrolling and only look through the first page of results. If your business is up against a lot of local competition, ranking on this first page is crucial to attracting customers from the web.
A majority of consumers’ attention will be focused on the Google Business Profile listings. Most local business discovery happens through this feature. Profiles that are optimized will win over the most attention because they will sit at the top of relevant listings and appear more trustworthy.
Believe it or not, people want to be told where to go. By using local SEO, you can guide consumers with full intent to purchase straight to your door. A high ranking is the key to reaching interested consumers and turning them into satisfied customers.
percent of people won’t look past the top 3 listings
How do small businesses get noticed?
Search Engine Journal conducted a study to determine the channel of marketing that produces the greatest return on investment. Almost half of the responding participants in the study said appearing in top spots on local SERPs was the most effective way to bring in business.
People make organic searches in order to find what they are looking for. For example, if a person wants a burger, but is in an area they aren’t familiar with, they might search “burger places near me” on Google.
Google will then respond by showing them a list of places to go. Higher ranked establishments will bring in the most customers. Being listed at the top gives the impression of superiority and people want the best they can get.
Organic searches on Google account for almost 60% of the web traffic in the world. A hefty amount of searches made are dedicated to finding local businesses.
Positioning your website to rank in one of the top three search engine results will be of greatest benefit since users rarely go past the first page to find what they’re looking for.
People want to find what they are looking for quickly which is why Google is the first place they go to discover places to buy from.
Target your market
Small businesses need to utilize the same tools larger ones would to expand their reach, but something often overlooked in this pursuit is their local market. The last thing you want to do is turn your attention away from the surrounding community.
Building relationships with other business owners and local residents in your community gives you the opportunity to form a solid foundation to grow.
Tried and true methods of spreading flyers and displaying posters and signs will always be effective as will the use of branded promotional items, but with the development of the Internet, local SEO has made it easier to get noticed in your area and attract ready-to-buy customers.
Google gives users hundreds of thousands of results almost instantly after launching a search making it the perfect place to look when in immediate need of a product or service.
Almost half of all searches performed on Google are done in order to discover local business. Google reports that 76% of these searches will result in a visit and 28% of these visits will result in a purchase.
Ranking in a top position is not an easy feat, especially in competitive industries, but it is a valuable tool that helps drive consistent business right to you.
The bottom line is this: increasing your local SEO efforts is the key to effortless marketing and advertising. People with full intent to purchase will be led directly to your door.
How do i get help with local search engine optimization?
It’s as simple as reaching out to us through the site, emailing us, or calling. We have a way of future-proofing your local seo so future updates aren’t as likely to leave you in the dust. This service paired with Google Business optimization is a win/win for any business that relies on local search results for success.
How can I reach more local customers?
The possibilities are vast. Any number of things can increase your reach with your local customer base.
Networking and social events are great ways to meet more people in your area, and it’s never a bad idea to develop valuable, personal connections with others. What makes local SEO the go-to practice to bring in more customers is the fact that people with full intent to purchase the products or services you provide will be led to your business through organic searches.
MOBILE IS THE NEW WAY TO SEARCH & SHOP
A super important aspect that anyone incorporating SEO into their business’ marketing strategy needs to keep in mind is the popularity of smartphone usage among consumers to look up recommendations, read reviews, and make purchases.
Google reported that more shoppers than ever are using their mobile devices to find local businesses in their area. When consumers are wanting to purchase something, but don’t have a certain brand or business in mind, they will turn to search engines, most commonly Google, to look for recommendations. Websites that are positioned at the top of relevant SERPs will generate the most traffic as a result of these searches.
As we’ve noted before, there are a few different ways to improve the local SEO efforts of any business website. Ensuring a mobile friendliness, meaning it appears nicely on a mobile device, is a great way to increase SEO efforts.
Integrating responsive design into a website is the best way to make it cohesive and viewable on any screen of any size. Search engines prefer for websites to be designed with mobile responsiveness and will rank them in higher positions when it is used.
No need to fear, 11 Marketing + Design is here!
When it comes to local SEO, we know what it takes to turn your business into a local success.
We have an arsenal of SEO services that are sure to increase the profitability of your business by expanding your reach. Give us a call today to discuss how we can help your business boom!