Local SEO

While there are various marketing strategies to choose from, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is arguably the most important. Without it, your business would not garner an online presence, and no one would know who you are, and what services you offer. 

Just close your eyes for a moment. Can you imagine being born before 1985, in a time when the Internet and technology didn’t exist yet? That seems like an impossible task these days. But, think about it, what if you had to get through a day without the internet? What about going on a road trip without Google Maps? What about not getting the information you needed immediately at the touch of a button?

Before a life of technology, meant relying on a phone line to connect to the Internet instead of Wi-Fi, writing letters instead of an e-mail, finding your way from point A to point B with an atlas or a physical map, waiting for film to develop instead of seeing pictures digitally, etc. 

Truth is, It’s hard to imagine a life before the likes of technology and social media. However, most people reading probably never experienced that world of no Internet connectivity and mobile devices. The point is, today’s modern conveniences are easy to take for granted, but it’s important to look back on just how far we’ve come. 

While the Internet is still relatively young, it’s an integral part of today’s society, as technology has greatly evolved all aspects of life. Now, we hold the entire world in the palm of our hands. We live in a world where communication and marketing techniques change constantly, but the goal of any company is still to engage customers. If you try to use traditional methods in today’s world they may no longer work, as strategies become outdated very quickly.

 It’s an out with the old in with the new mentality these days. In modern society, a person’s purchase behavior can vary depending on a variety of factors, including what device or platform they use when looking to make purchases, reviews from others, and most importantly their location. 

What is Local SEO?

A website allows you to have visibility and an online presence. Especially now, during the times we’re in with the COVID-19 pandemic when people are trying to reach you more often online it’s worth investing in it marketing yourself. Getting found online by your local audience highly increases your business’s chances of growth. This is called Local SEO, in which we’ll explain what it is, and how to help make your business more marketable in your area. 

In search engine optimization (SEO), local SEO is a strategy used to help businesses become more visible on Google for their geographic area. Local SEO is all about targeting an audience that’s located in the same geographical area as you are.

If your business has a physical location, like a shop or restaurant, then it’s important to optimize for certain search queries performed by people within this local region so they can find out more information on what services you offer. This means optimizing for both online and offline visibility. This is done by optimizing your content and website with keywords related to the location of where you have a physical or online business to garner a presence on the Google search engine results page (SERPS). 

However, there are some things every company needs before implementing a local SEO strategy, including having an understanding of how Google works, knowledge of keywords and how to properly use them, and knowledge on what exactly goes into ranking factors. Local SEO can dramatically help grow your business. 

Why is Local SEO Important?

Local SEO is an important part of any business that has a physical location or serves geographic areas because it helps them rank higher in local search results on Google. Local SEO can help your business stand out even if you don’t have a website or any online presence.

By assisting with the gathering of information such as addresses, phone numbers, and reviews from local directories; this service creates an opportunity for potential clients who are looking specifically at products offered by businesses in proximity to their locations. Since these leads tend not only to be interested but also likely purchase conversion rates will increase significantly because they’ve found what’s available locally before proceeding on further searches. 

Since nearly half of the local search queries are made on Google today, this makes it possible for local businesses to be found, but it does require work and a forward-thinking approach. So, why is local SEO important for small businesses especially? Statistics show that from 2017 to 2019, Google saw a 900% increase in searches that involved the keywords, “near me today/tonight.” 

As a result, to accommodate the needs of people searching for services or resources in their local or surrounding areas, Google started to provide more geographic-related results based on the following criteria:

• Proximity
• Relevance
• Prominence

This is beneficial because if your business is close to a location where someone has searched for similar products or services you offer, then your optimized local business listing will have a higher chance of popping up in search results and being found by potential customers online. 

What Are the Benefits of Local SEO?

When you invest in local SEO, your business can gain a competitive advantage over the competition. In addition to getting better visibility through Google search engine results pages (SERPS), investing early on will give you an edge when targeting potential customers who live or work nearby. The main benefits of local SEO include: 

A Cost-Effective Marketing Solution

When it comes to local SEO, the benefits of managing your business information online are two-fold. Not only will you be able to save time and effort by using free tools like Google My Business or Facebook for setting up listings across web directories but these methods also have more cost-efficient advertising options than traditional means, to make sure that potential customers know you exist where they need it most. 

Helps Local Customers Find You

Research shows, that 72% of people who search for a local business visit those within a proximity of 5 miles to them. That means local business owners should take advantage of Google Maps by adding their location to increase exposure. In a world where people are increasingly using mobile devices for everyday tasks like shopping and browsing, being found in local search results can help boost sales opportunities with new customers near you as well. 

Reaches Customers Who Are Ready to Buy

Local SEO is essential for businesses that want to be found in today’s digital world. The internet has changed our lives, transforming the way we find information and do business with one another, but it doesn’t matter if you’re an established brand or just starting, every company needs good positioning on major search engines such as Google because 80% of local searches performed via mobile devices convert into sales. 

Delivers More Qualified Search Traffic

When a person searches online, they want to find the nearest suitable business. Local search engines can use proximity and search intent to their specifications. Local search can be an effective way to weed out potential customers who are too far away from your business. 

This isn’t because Google is making a special effort, but rather they want results that are relevant based on proximity and intent. Therefore, someone searching within fifty miles might not see you pop up in their searches while somebody close by would. Local SEO helps businesses narrow their search and gain more qualified organic traffic results. 

How Does Local SEO Work?

Local SEO functions in a similar way to normal SEO, but is more location-focused. Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to strategies and tactics designed for improving visibility on SERPS such as optimizing your website’s content so they show up when people enter specific keywords into their browser searches. This will help improve organic rankings by ensuring all pages have been indexed correctly. We utilize various elements of marketing to enable this type of search strategy to be successful. 

Our Process

Essentially, our digital marketing specialists, find relevant keywords for your business and customers, and we plant them throughout your website’s content in addition to internal linking. so that search engines crawl and index the site for relevant keywords searched by the person typing in their query. If Google deems your content relevant, it will show high up on the search results page when searching locally for their area. Some ways we improve local search strategies include:

• Create accurate, consistent local citations
• List your business in online local directories
• Set-Up and maintain a Google Business Profile
• Respond regularly to Reviews (Both positive and negative)

This marketing strategy also utilizes your address, business name, and phone number, which are called citations. It gathers information from many other local search-based directories. We will claim and complete local business listings on Google, so when people view your business locally, they see a completed Google Business profile (GBP), formally known as Google My Business (GMB). 

Along with this, local SEO is legitimized by online reviews. Customer feedback allows for people to communicate with businesses about their level of satisfaction. This in return, helps build a reputation online, and boosts visibility even further, as potential customers thrive off of experience. What’s the Difference Between SEO and Local SEO? 

You may have heard about search engine optimization or SEO. It’s a marketing strategy the process through which we make your website optimized for Google searches and get more traffic from them by increasing its relevance to what people are searching on a daily.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of making our websites more relevant for search engines like Google. We can use this to increase traffic and ROI through internet marketing strategies. 

Local SEO is a process through which we make your website more relevant to search engines like google. Local SEO isn’t just about getting traffic from across the world but also having people find out who you are and where they can contact you with ease in their area. 

That way, if someone does want something specific locally then at least there’s some chance it will show up first on pages 2-3 instead than buried amongst hundreds and even thousands upon millions of websites offering similar services.

How We Can Help Create A Successful Local SEO Strategy

Google rewards companies for having updated, clear, and optimized business listings. However, if you add a location, move a business, or change something, it can be difficult to remember all the pesky administrative details related to your online listing. Duplicates hurt your local SEO, as well as not up-to-date information. That is why we do all of that for you. 

Managing your local SEO so that it is up to date, constantly improving, and designed to provide you with profit is what we are about. Along with this, while SEO is extremely important, local SEO narrows and focuses your audience. It provides you with a closer demographic to focus on, as well as focusing on the mobile search to reach an audience closer to home. 

A smaller audience provides you with a more successful marketing campaign, and you can track your competition with local competitors, which is more accurate. If you feel like this is something you need help with, and want to grow your business locally, let us at the Digital Intellect know. 

We have your back and are committed to providing you with the best local SEO strategy to achieve the best results including optimized content for successful search on Google and other search engines, and most importantly, brand visibility. 

Want to Rank Locally? Start Harnessing the Power of Local SEO

Do you own a local business, and looking to stand out from the competition? Local SEO is the key to success in today’s digital world. When you are found online, it’s much easier for potential customers who search locally based on their needs and interests, such as purchasing products or services from your business to find out more about what exactly sets you apart from other businesses that might also offer those same goods/services. 

Contact us today to begin harnessing the power of local SEO, and find out how our team can help your local business become more visible and thrive through our successfully proven search engine optimization strategies.