Local SEO is the practice of optimising your web pages to show higher in the search engines for location-based searches. By focusing on local SEO, your business will have a better chance of being seen in search engines and map packs for customers who are in close proximity to your business.
Local SEO as a concept is something that all businesses can benefit from. Whether you are an independent business, a nationwide company with many satellite offices, or a company with outlets in various locations across the world, local SEO and utilising “near me” searches can help your business by finding local customers who are in need of your products or services.
The Importance Of Local SEO?
Some of the most important benefits of implementing local SEO in your business’s growth include the following:
- Local SEO helps improve online visibility.
- Local customers are more likely to convert, so local SEO can also improve your conversion or acquisition rate
- Greater local online visibility increases your business’s foot traffic, leading to more satisfied customers and more sales.
- Optimising your webpage with local SEO in mind provides your webpage with more targeted traffic and increased traffic for relevant search terms.
- Using Google My Business can mean that you reap benefits from better visibility on Google Maps and the local pack.
- When you feature prominently in the search engines, you can reduce your advertising costs as you will have replaced this paid traffic with organic, free traffic
Before we go deeper into the specifics of how to implement local SEO practices, let’s have a look at how Google’s algorithms work.
How Does Local SEO Work?
Local SEO works slightly different compared to a traditional search. If, for example, you are out in town and pull out your mobile phone and type “restaurants near me”, Google and other search engines will consider your specific location when delivering your results.
If you happen to be based in Liverpool, you will not see restaurants in London, but you will be delivered with a list of restaurants close to your proximity. This will be apparent by looking at both the map section and the search results.
As we can see from the following image, google is using our location and factoring our position into the results; in the map section, I can see a variety of restaurants that are within close proximity to me at the time of the search.
What the search engines are taking into consideration here are:
- The relevance of your query, does the business satisfy your search intent?
- The proximity of the business to your search.
- The reputation of the business’s in the search results, and positive reviews can influence ranking factors.
- Is your website optimised for mobile devices, if the search was taken on a mobile your website needs to work well on mobile.
- Behaviour signals such as bounce rates and historical dwell time.
- Local citations and localised content, content made specifically for users in the local area.
Contrasting Search Results
When we compare these results to searches such as “Buy Shoes” we can see a significant difference in the search results. Here, the search engines understand I am looking to purchase shoes, and locality is not so much a factor as people readily purchase new shoes online.
It would, of course, be different if we typed in “shoe shops Liverpool” or “shoe shops near me”; the search engines would understand I am looking to visit a store and make a purchase in person.
What Matters For Local SEO?
With a better understanding of the basics of Google’s ranking system as well as basic SEO practices, you will be able to look at specific practices which will help you stand out from the crowd in your local search rankings.
Google My Business Profile
Keeping your Google Business Profile (GBP) updated is important for local SEO because it directly impacts how visible and credible your business is in local search results. Google uses your GBP information to connect users with businesses that are relevant and close to their location, so when your profile has current and accurate details, you’re more likely to appear in local search results and on Google Maps. This makes it easy for nearby customers to find and choose your business over competitors, as they see your business as active and engaged.
An updated profile also ensures that essential information, such as your hours, address, and contact information is accurate, which helps prevent customer confusion and frustration. Google values consistency, and having your business details aligned across your profile, website, and other listings helps to establish your business’s credibility and reliability.
Additionally, an active GBP allows you to engage with customers more effectively through updates, posts, and offers. Regularly sharing what’s new, whether it’s a special promotion or a new service, helps to attract local customers who may be interested in what you offer. This kind of engagement keeps your profile fresh and increases the chances of actions like calling, visiting, or requesting directions.
Google also tends to favour businesses that show frequent activity on their GBP, viewing these businesses as more relevant and trustworthy. This means that an updated profile not only attracts more customers but also strengthens your position in search rankings over time.
NAP
Local SEO improvements are most often done through something called “Online business citations.” An online business citation is, essentially, an online reference to your company name, your website’s physical address, or your company’s phone number (all together this data is termed your “NAP,” which stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number). Building citations on online directories (Yelp, for instance), social media sites (eg. Facebook), and even on Google itself will add citations to your business. Citations are one of the most important factors when it comes to ranking in terms of local SEO.
Due to the importance of your business’s NAP, you should make sure that your NAP is unified across all platforms, socials, and web pages. You should also not underestimate the importance of on-site SEO factors that will still be integral to your page’s growth, and consistency is key.
Localised Content
You do not have to target the whole country on your website; in fact, it may be better to target local search terms depending on the type of product or service you provide. If you provide a home cleaning service in the Wirral, it would be better to focus all your energy on targeting local customers as opposed to targeting customers outside your target area.
Targeting national-level keywords can be very competitive; “home cleaning Wirral” would, in theory, be easier to rank for compared to a national search such as “home cleaning”. If, for example, you were considering doing a paid advert on the term, you would set it to only show in areas you can serve; the same applies to SEO. If you can not satisfy customers at the other end of the country, you should not target them and optimise your pages for people to who you can provide a service within a suitable proximity to your business.
Doing this not only increases the relevance of your pages for local search, but optimised pages for a local audience can also benefit from greater conversions and help grow your brand locally.
How To Setup Local SEO
If you feel as though your business is ready to reap the benefits of local SEO practices, then Maxweb Solutions will be able to help you achieve this goal through our local SEO service. We are able to advise and work with your business so that you stand out from the online crowd, with a view to increasing your business’s platform, traffic, and revenue.
Posted on Friday, January 21st, 2022 in SEO.
