Local SEO is a boon for small businesses that are seeking visibility in a particular geographical area and targeting customers who would be most likely to make purchases from a business near them. Additionally, it can also help big corporations or multi-national organizations to tap into a specific market.
With local SEO, the playing field is levelled for all organizations, irrespective of how much money and resources they can use for their online campaigns. It works towards attracting traffic, gaining prominence and popularity, and boosting revenue for the business.
There are some popular and obvious strategies to fetch local traffic and rank higher in SERPs. And there are also some lesser-known tricks that can help you stand out among the massive competition.
With more and more people searching for local businesses on Google, you can now make use of a local SEO services company to optimize your website. But before you do that, you must know exactly what local SEO is and how it can boost your business’ sales and ROI.
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About Local SEO
Digital marketing strategies strive to increase online visibility and drive up the business by reaching more potential customers. Local SEO further narrows down the targeted audience and strives to reach the audience in a specific local area.
By optimizing your website or listing for the local audience, you ensure that it is visible and accessible to people near you. It also helps in building brand recognition, credibility, and reliability among your potential customers.
For instance, if you run a bakery in Philadelphia, you don’t need to be visible to people all around the world. Rather, you should concentrate on reaching people who actually live in and near Philadelphia and can actually place orders with your store. Local SEO aims to do just that.
With proper optimization, you will rank higher in local searches, and Google will display your store to people who are searching for relevant options near them. The rate of conversion can be significantly higher in local searches as people are seeking to buy rather than just gain knowledge.
Benefits of Local SEO
A look at local SEO statistics will speak to the fact that it works wonders for small businesses. Studies have shown that 30% of all mobile searches are location-based, and 76% of people who use their smartphones to search for local businesses actually visit the store within a day. Moreover, mobile queries with the phrases “where to buy” and “near me” have increased by 200% between 2017 to 2019.
Focusing on the local market actually increases the chances of getting more customers and ensuring that revenue keeps flowing. In fact, local SEO can turn out to be your biggest source of revenue as it:
- Improves local visibility
- Attracts relevant traffic
- Builds a dedicated customer base
- Taps the benefits of a search engine without making any investments
- Increases conversions
- Maximizes ROI
- Creates brand value
Now that you know how local SEO can elevate business potential, you must apply smart strategies that can help beat your competitors. To do that, the best bet is to take lesser-known routes that work effectively to increase Google rankings.
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/mobile-search-trends-consumers-to-stores/
How to Improve Rankings with 4 Lesser-Known Local SEO tips
The following tips will help your business reach relevant customers, and in turn, help those potential buyers to reach you with ease.
Update contact details in all listings
Your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are the most crucial pieces of information on your website or Google My Business listing. These details should be present and consistent everywhere you have listed your business.
Additionally, make sure people know you are open for business. Mention business hours on all listings, for every location you operate out of. Websites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook, and so on, have a connection with a huge audience. Thus, they can help you reach buyers across multiple channels.
Your service info, contact methods, photos, and online store (if you have one) will drive potential customers to your physical store and contribute to successful conversions. With numerous local businesses cropping up everywhere, the only thing that can save you is an updated profile and ease to reach you.
Also, make sure you choose the store location and category correctly while creating a Google My Business profile.
Have clickable elements and textable channels
A small code snippet can make your phone numbers, and email addresses clickable. Although most browsers recognize and highlight contact information, taking this extra step can really make a difference. Having clickable elements on your Google listing can massively boost your rankings.
Another clickable element can be an embedded map of all your locations. Place the Google Map link in your listing and website, to make it easier for interested buyers to locate your store. Add photos that will reflect on your Google Map location, along with customer reviews.
Apart from clickable elements, the next best thing is to have a testable channel. Providing customers with the ability to text your business will definitely lead to more conversions and higher buying prospects.
You can set up a text channel on your Google My Business profile or through your website. Not to mention, all social media pages should have active text support. This way, you can capture leads and create a positive customer experience reputation.
A text channel can help you to:
- Fix appointments
- Answer customer queries
- Capture leads and collects payments
- Get user reviews
- Conduct surveys
- Run promotional campaigns
Indulge in community engagement and local link building
Small businesses have the advantage of building real connections with people around them. This community engagement leads to a loyal and expanding customer base, along with more sales and higher revenue. This can also be done through local link building.
Utilize the contacts of other businesses near you to make connections, add backlinks, and spread your online and offline network. High-quality local links are valued by Google, which will boost your rankings.
Apart from local businesses, reach out to local customers with events, offers, and promotions that will drive them to you and create a positive impression. Combined with solid link-building strategies, this can significantly up your SEO game.
https://www.semrush.com/features/site-audit/
Perform site audits regularly
The quality of your site is also a major factor when it comes to Google rankings. Errors such as slow loading time, broken links, missing title tags, malfunctioning pages, etc., affect your search engine ranks and also discourage interested buyers who are visiting your website for more information.
This problem can be solved by performing regular site audits through online tools. This way, you can identify and fix major errors and minor issues alike. Make sure you also audit your mobile app accordingly, and fix any issues customers might be having. Also, don’t forget to optimize sections of your site that are not performing well.
Conclusion
Local SEO is a magical solution to your online visibility issues. When done right, it will enable Google to display your business to every interested buyer and potential customer who has made related searches. These lesser-known SEO tips will ensure you gain an edge over your competitors and your customer flow never stops.
