Digital marketers who do SEO have probably come across the concept of local SEO a bunch of times. In a nutshell, this is a sub-tactic that optimizes your website to rank better for a local audience. It should be at the top of your mind if you’re running a business in a specific area, such as a gift shop, beauty salon, or grocery store. This is so when audiences in your area key in a search such as “salon near me,” your shop will be on one of the top results.
Brand visibility is one of the main goals of SEO, and this is what local SEO aims to do as well: putting your business on the spotlight in your neighborhood. It encourages people to visit you and favor you over competitors that are too far out for them to visit or those that don’t provide location information. Consumers are all about convenience and what’s practical, after all.
The thing is, if you haven’t optimized your business for local SEO, you may be losing out on sales. For starters, 70% of smartphone users click on the “call a business” option on the Google results page. This alone could translate to more website clicks, store visits, inquiries, and leads.
Here are more ways local SEO can impact your business and how you can execute it.
1. Provides complete information to your target audience
Optimizing your business for local SEO will benefit from 97% of search engine users who type a query to find a local business. If your address details are incomplete or not up on the SERP, it may frustrate your target audience and compel them to turn to another company who can give them the information they need. Plus, 86% of consumers rely on the internet to get information about local businesses—that’s significant!
2. Boosts website traffic
Once users find the information that they need in a glance, they won’t hesitate to click on your website and check out more information, such as store hours, products and services offered, etc. Optimizing your page for local SEO improves your search ranking in this regard as well. Notice how stores with Google My Business profiles appear on the upper right corner of the Google SERP on the desktop and the first search result on mobile. Couple that with the fact that 86% of people look up the location of businesses on Google Maps. This helps in brand visibility and clicks too.
3. Converts website visits to sales
Every business wants to earn a profit. Well, good news: Local SEO can help you achieve your goals faster. Those visits you’ll be getting won’t just be empty clicks. Stats show that 78% of local mobile searches result in an in-store purchase. Once your target audience finds what they need on your website, and they know where you’re located, they will be more compelled to visit your shop. If this doesn’t motivate you to set up your local SEO, nothing else might!
4. Attracts refined leads
Following the trend that your web clicks will be converted to purchases, businesses optimized with local SEO get high-quality leads who are willing to perform actions related to your brand. You will come across users with intent to buy or those who are more willing to engage with your promotions and events. Information and behavior of these leads will help you study your target demographic further, continuously improving your user experience and satisfaction.
5. Establishes trust and brand credibility
Since optimized web pages rank higher and provide complete information to users, users who frequently see your shop will likely deem you as trustworthy. This is an essential foundation in business, as trust can cultivate loyal customers and build a lasting relationship.
Optimize for Local SEO
Despite the apparent benefits of local SEO, only 44% of business have claimed their Google My Business listing. If you are one of the companies who’ve failed to do so, it’s time to reevaluate your online strategies.
Taking advantage of local SEO in your digital marketing approach will put your business at the limelight when people search for related companies in their area and can help you stand out from competition, since many have not been implementing this strategy yet. Local SEO is an advantage to any business—get yours up and running before the competition catches up!
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