Whether you’re running a small business or one with multiple locations, you certainly understand the importance of standing out from the rest of your competitors. You also understand that having high quality products or services isn’t enough to stay ahead. To become successful, you need to be able to attract prospects to do business with you. The more customers you have, the more revenue can be generated. This is where marketing strategies come in.
What Is Local SEO?
One of the strategies that have grown quite popular in the last few years is SEO or search engine optimization. This is because a strong online presence can help promote your brand to prospects. It actually works quite simply. Whenever a person uses a search engine to look for a product or service, the keyword used generates results made up of relevant websites. The page that delivers these results is known as the SERP or search engine result page.
By optimizing your website, you can improve your ranking. Being on top of the list can be profitable for your business. News Media Campaigns, a website development and marketing firm based in North Carolina, cited a survey done by Forrester Research Inc. The survey showed that 50% of consumers trust search engine results. So having a high SERP rating is almost like getting a recommendation from trusted sites.
A more specific type of this technique is local SEO. By using geo-targeted terms or keywords and applying other elements, you can ensure that customers in your area will be able to locate your business. While the two types are different, they cannot work separate from each other. Optimizing your site for local SEO will also require optimizing it for the regular type.
Elements of Local SEO
There are different factors or elements that are used in local SEO marketing. To optimize your site, the following would need to be given close attention.
1. Keywords
As mentioned previously, SEO helps you promote your brand online. It is able to do so by working on how search engines produce results. If a person was looking for a bakery in your area, he or she would most likely use a search engine. He or she would then type the word “bakery” and your location and then launch the search. The search engine searches all listed websites by sending out web crawlers or spiders. These check the sites for the keywords used by the person using the service. So, if you are running a bakery business, it would be useful and ideal to have this keyword mentioned strategically on this site.
Notice that the previous statement used the word strategic as keyword stuffing is considered as spamdexing and will have adverse results. Search engines do not consider sites that overuse keywords as relevant. Hence, these are not displayed on the SERP.
To optimize your site for local search SEO, geo-targeted terms such as addresses that include street names, boroughs, and cities are recommended. This can bring a host of benefits for your site as local searches are on the rise. According to Business 2 Community, an online open community and resource for business professionals, 46% of searches on Google are local.
2. Links
Another element that search engines look at when analyzing for relevant results are back links. Simply put, these are links to your site from other websites. For example, if there is a group of local bakers in your area, a link from the group’s site to your business can have a considerable impact on your ranking. These links serve as recommendations to do business with you.
Local SEO tips on link building recommend ensuring that only quality links be used. These are defined as links from businesses that are relevant such as other companies in the same or similar industries, the local chamber of business or blog sites that do reviews. Having links just for the sake of getting a lot of links can get your site into trouble. Search Engine Land, an online publication on the search marketing industry, reported that Google has beefed up its policies on manual and deceptive manipulation of links. Working with top local SEO agencies are the ideal way to avoid penalties from search engines.
3. Content
While keywords included in your site’s content can help improve your ranking, quality content is still needed. Search engines have recently improved on their search algorithms to provide better results. Scribble Live, an online content marketing platform and resource, reported that Google recently updated how listed sites are analyzed to improve the results generated. Websites with poor content will not be allowed to rank high on the SERP.
Local SEO Business Benefits
Working with local SEO agencies to optimize your site to receive a higher SERP ranking can prove to be a wise investment. With a stronger online presence, you will be able to reach prospects within your area of operation. Below are some of the benefits that you can enjoy with local business SEO.
1. Increased Profit
While sales and marketing are two different aspects in running a business, both have a huge impact on your profitability. Sales is one of your main source of revenue. However, without effective marketing techniques, getting customers to sell your product or service to is virtually impossible. Marketing serves to increase awareness about your brand thus creating more sales opportunities.
Local SEO agency reviews show that expert assistance on optimizing your website can result in increased revenue and profit. According to Business 2 Community, 67% of online queries result in a purchase and that’s a number that you would want to take full advantage of.
2. Increased Traffic With Stronger Online Brand
With so much competition out there, getting noticed can be quite a challenge. Brand recognition will play a big role in your business’ Local SEO tools can help you become more recognizable. Your optimized site can build a bigger and more relevant market for your business. Search Engine Watch, an online resource on the search engine industry, shared interesting and useful results from a study done by Optify. The study showed that sites with a higher ranking on SERP had more CTR or click through rate. The top result on Google received 36.4% of clicks. It’s the same amount of clicks that the 2nd through 5th ranked sites get.
More clicks mean more traffic to your site, which translates to more people knowing about the service you offer. This increased awareness of your brand has a significant effect on your revenue. According to Business 2 Community, 80% of consumers will research online before making a purchase. Seventy-five percent of those consumers are also more likely to visit your location after seeing your site.
3. Increased Conversion From Mobile Users
According to Smart Insights, an online resource on actionable advice in marketing, 51% of consumers who go online to launch a search use their mobile phones or tablets to do so. Ninety-five percent of these users visit websites to look up information for businesses that they wish to get in touch with. Optimizing your site for local SEO help you reach these consumers.
4. Increased ROI on Website
Developing and maintaining a website is an investment that you certainly want to make the most out of. Instead of merely being a cost that eats up your budget, you can turn it into a tool that can help generate income. Local SEO optimized sites reach customers more effectively, so they can bring their business to you. You transform from a local business into a neighborhood success. Your website acts like a bright neon light pointing out your business and location to your target audience.
5. Draw More New Customers
Local businesses are often faced with the challenge of how to expand their market. While word of mouth advertising from loyal patrons can do wonders, a strong online presence is invaluable. Local SEO elements such as geo targeted keywords and optimized images serve as virtual invites so customers are made aware of your business.
6. Maximize Your Marketing Budget
Regular SEO helps you promote your brand online so you can reach more customers. Local SEO takes this one step further by ensuring that you are able to reach your target market effectively. For example, if you had a bakery business in Memphis, optimizing your site will make it easier for locals looking for a birthday cake to find your store. While it would be great for folks in Nashville to know that your business exists, it would be highly unlikely that they will be visiting your store for a one time purchase.
Local SEO brings a host of benefits for businesses of all sizes, from SMB’s to ones with multiple locations. Optimizing your site can help you cement your brand so you have a higher chance of standing out from the competition. Discover your options by checking the list of local SEO companies on CrowdReviews.com and start building a stronger brand today.
Trevor Price
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