Do you want to attract more customers from the local area?
Expanding your customer base locally can be difficult. Traditional methods like advertising in local magazines or door-to-door campaigns, used to be effective. But not anymore.
That’s why you should follow a unique tactic known as local SEO. Around 80% of mobile-based local searches lead to transactions.
If you’re not implementing this marketing technique, you’re missing out on potential sales. But what is local SEO? How does it work? And how can you implement it for your business growth?
This in-depth guide will teach you about all these aspects, so keep reading.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a technique in which the website and Google Business Profile listings are optimized to increase visibility, specifically in local search results. So whenever someone searches for a specific product or service within an area, the particular business appears in the search results.
This marketing strategy is suitable for brick-and-mortar businesses.
Source – semrush
Here’s how it works:
User Searches → Inserts Keyword → Google Shows Location Specific Results → GMB Profile Ranking → Searcher Checks Reviews + NAP → Makes Decision To Visit Location Or Not.
How Local SEO Works?
Google aims to provide the most accurate results to the searcher. They don’t want to beat around the bush and directly provide the information you seek.
Three search ranking factors are considered when ranking any business in Google Maps and the local pack.
- Relevance: Is your business relevant to the user search term?
- Distance: What’s the distance from the searcher location to the business location?
- Prominence: Does your business have good reviews and is popular?
Difference Between Local SEO & General SEO
You might know how local SEO is different from general SEO. Here’s a quick overview to help you understand how these SEO strategies differ.
| Aspect | Local SEO | General SEO |
| Focus | Target specific geographical areas | Targets global or national audiences |
| Keywords | Location-based keywords (e.g., “near me”) | Broader, non-location-specific keywords |
| Google My Business | Crucial for search visibility | Not relevant |
| Citations | Requires consistent NAP across directories | Less dependent on local listings |
| Search Results Display | Local map pack (3-pack) prioritized | Organic search results |
| Backlinks | Local sources, online directories (e.g., local blogs) | Any authoritative site |
| Reviews | Local reviews play a key role | Important but not location-specific |
Step-by-Step Guide To Implement Successful Local SEO Strategy
Want to create a winning organic local SEO strategy?
There’s so much noise around this concept that it often becomes confusing. We have created an ultimate guide to kickstart your business success.
Create & Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (GBP) allows you to create and manage your profile on Google for absolutely free. This profile appears in Google search results and Google Maps.
Claim and fully optimize your business. Add accurate business details:
- Website
- Physical address
- Business name
- Phone number
- Operating hours
Furthermore, include relevant categories and high-quality images of your business. If you have a car repair shop in LA, your GBP should list Car Repair Service in Los Angeles. You can add categories such as Tire Change and Engine Repair. Introduce free services or discounts for customers who leave online reviews on your Google My Business profile.
Pro Tip — A customer leaving a negative review can also impact prospective customers’ decisions. You should contact the customer and assist them so they become happy customers.
Source – mikekhorev
Develop Specific Location Pages For Each Location
Your business is booming, and you’re opening another branch in a different location. How will your local audience know about it? Should you just add it to your GMB profile?
No.
Instead, you should make a different location page and add all the information about the new location. For every page, include:
- Name, Address & Phone (NAP)
- Embedded Google map
- USP of the branch at a specific location
- Minimum 500 words of high-quality content, including location-based keywords
Build Local Citations
Some people still use business directories to find local businesses. Do you have a presence on these directories?
If not, it’s time to start working on it. For additional credibility, remember to be listed in industry-specific directories.
Still confused? Let’s look at an example.
A law firm in New York might list its business on legal-specific directories like Avvo. However, for advanced reach, it can also be listed in general directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Bing Places.
Location-Specific Valuable Content
Adding your business information on Google isn’t enough. It’s similar to running a blog, so you must be strategic. But what can you include in this?
You should add:
- Videos
- Articles
- Blog posts
- New reviews
- Social media updates
But make sure your content is relevant to your services and products. Irrelevant content can negatively impact your brand positioning. Remember, consistency is super important.
Consistency = Business Stays On Top Of Customer’s Mind.
Make geo-tagged content and incorporate local keywords to attract your target audience. A restaurant in Miami could write a blog post titled Top 10 Cuban Dishes to Try in Miami or Best Seafood Restaurants Near South Beach. Do you know why this content performs well?
It gives customers exactly what they are looking for. Use keyword research tools to find relevant keywords and increase your brand’s online visibility. Focus on link building and optimizing your social media channels for search engine visibility.
Refine Your On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is a technique for optimizing web pages to rank higher in the SERPs. It plays a vital role in local SEO, but how?
If your website ranks high organically, your chances of being on top in the local pack increase. Optimize the homepage and ensure you’re targeting local keywords. However, avoid keyword stuffing because Google considers it a huge red flag.
Don’t make potential customers wait for ten business hours. Make your website fast to improve user experience. Most local searches are performed from mobile, so make the website mobile-friendly with fast loading time.
Here’s the search volume, specifically for mobile searches.
Source – thewebmaster
Mistakes To Avoid While Doing Local SEO
Businesses often make minor mistakes in local SEO that cost them a lot. If you want to maximize the effectiveness of your local SEO strategy, here are some common mistakes you must avoid.
Neglecting Website Issues
Never ignore website maintenance issues if you want to scale your local SEO strategy. In the long run, they can be a huge hurdle in business success.
But how?
Neglecting issues such as no location schema markup can make it really difficult for search engines to find your business. That’s why regular website maintenance is crucial.
Not Tracking Results
You’re focusing on local SEO and implementing all the tactics. But if you fail to measure the results of this strategy, you won’t be able to analyze what’s working and what needs improvement.
Manually tracking performance can be hectic, so it’s best to use tools like Google Analytics.
Ignoring Competitors
Do you know what techniques competitors are using? How are they elevating their local SEO presence?
If not, you need to monitor local competitors. That way, you won’t miss out on valuable opportunities. Analyze the strategies and adjust them accordingly to leave an unforgettable impression on your customers.
Tools For Local SEO
With technological advancement, several tools are available that can make local SEO much easier for your business. Let’s look at these local SEO tools to improve your organic ranking.
- Screaming Frog: Crawls websites to check for 404 errors, missing meta descriptions, H1s, and other SEO issues.
- Moz Local: Verify and distribute business listings on Google and Facebook, collaborating with data aggregators.
- Buzzstream: Earning local backlinks, influencer research, conversation tracking, and outreach campaign reporting.
- BrightLocal: Review generation and monitoring, local search performance analysis, competitor analysis, and client access.
To Sum Up
By now, you’re fully aware of the power of local SEO. You should include this component in a well-rounded search engine optimization strategy as a business owner. It will skyrocket business growth and help you win the hearts of local customers.
However, how can you master this strategy? The basic steps may help you build an online presence in the local market, but is there any way to stand out from the crowd?
For this, you need to partner with a reliable and experienced SEO company—an agency that promises results.
Brick and Mortar is a digital marketing agency that can help you 10X your local SEO presence. So, are you ready to get undivided attention from all the customers? Do you want to expand your reach?
Get in touch with us today.
