We’re all familiar with the concept of SEO and how it has transformed marketing and taken it to a whole new level. But when it comes to local search, many of us are lost, literally. As a business owner, you may not know the truly transforming effects it can have on your business. Don’t know how?
Let’s get into it. The local search employs several techniques that make your website visible in select specific locations. So if yours is a small to mid-sized business that relies mostly on local customers, the local search feature is a sure hit for you. The feature works even better than SEO. Notice those phrases that include ‘mear me’ or ‘in my area’ when you make a web search? The ones that show you the ‘gas stations near you’? This type of search has increased in the last few years by over 500%.
That’s what we’re talking about. The extended visibility feature of local search has become a major contributor to a firm’s success. More than 97% of internet users surf the web to locate businesses near their area. Reportedly, almost half of all Google searches today comprise local searches.
Even while someone makes a basic google search, the probability that Google shows the local businesses in their area nearby is very high. Evidently, after 2017, Google has observed a 900% boost in searches with the phrase “near me today/tonight.” Google best serves the needs of its users, by delivering geographically based searches based on the three key parameters:
These parameters work in a way that makes it a win-win situation for the firms as well as searchers, the latter can be your potential customers.
Here’s how your small business can use local SEO to boost its visibility, it’s very simple:
Local citations are instances where your business name, address, and phone number are mentioned online—
for instance, in a local business listing. So basically, regardless of where you add the local citations on the web, just make sure that the information you provide is correct and consistent each time. This makes your data credible for the search engine.
By creating a Google My Business profile for your small business, you can feed your business information directly into Google Search and Google Maps. Moreover, being on Google My Business allows you to monitor business reviews in Google, make quick updates to your hours, and even keep up with customers through features like Google Posts. GMB is an easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google.
Including local keywords in your website copy can have a major impact on your business. Specifically, having business identifiers like “dentist in [CITY, ST]” built into your website content can help search engines better understand not just what you do, but also what local areas you serve. This means your business is more likely to show up if someone in your area searches for a “dentist near me.”
Who would have thought that something so simple and easy to implement could do wonders for your business? We hope this blog helps take your small business to new levels.
