What is local SEO and how does it work?

August 8, 2022
Creative Hustlers

Article Summary

With the growing need for virtual recognition where people have become too comfortable with their gadgets and technology, if you seek your business to be recognized among the local consumers then it's very essential to be discovered online and for that, you need to pull up your socks and advance your local search optimization. Without it, you’ll struggle to increase your brand online, which can influence offline sales, too.

To understand the importance of local SEO a survey states that by 2021, mobile devices search will result in more than $1.4 trillion in local deals.

This blog will discuss facts about local SEO and how it works for a business, startups, or maybe just a local merchant or local service provider.

Let’s get started.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO (search engine optimization) improves search engine visibility on the online platforms for local businesses, vendors, traders, and service providers. By fulfilling such practices, one can get organic online traffic through searches, which leads to online and offline sales and enhances the customer base. With local SEO, businesses can utilize this to promote their products and services to local possibilities and customers who are searching for them.

After analyzing the behavior of several user searches, Google understood that people are seeking certain categories of businesses that need results from their area.

That’s the reason Google’s local search algorithm comprises a proximity factor, which is a fancy way of saying that google catches the search made or the local keyword and keeping in mind the location delivers them with the same (inquiry with local intent). This occurs even when the searcher doesn’t include a city name but rather just a "near me” in their search.

This practice of local SEO is fulfilled through a variety of tasks, such as:

- Organizing your Google Business Profile

- Creating your persona

- Setup your web page

- Structuring local citations(N.A.P)

- Analysing your competitive search

- Monitoring and revising changes in Google

- Local link building

- Local review

Who requires local SEO?

Several local businesses seek to boost their business on an online platform and can practice online SEO such as:

Local businesses like medical services, legal services, real estate, restaurants, gyms, pet parlors, grocery stores, salons, etc.

Local service providers like plumbers, technicians, pest controllers, electricians, etc.

Digital marketing agency working with local clients who need to boost their business on an online platform and seek to work on tech methods that help them recognize their organization.

Multi-location labels and franchises having outlets in multiple cities need to be recognized among the local audience.

Do you know a few fun facts😉 about local SEO?

Approximately 72% of customers that did a local search visited the store within 5 miles.

78% of location-based mobile searches impact an offline purchase.

900 % boost in “near me” in 2 years.

88% of searches for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours.

46% of searchers look for local information on Google search.

By 2021, mobile devices will result in more than $1.4 trillion in local deals.

Approximately 8.5 billion Google searches are done each day, and almost half of these searches have local intent.

97% of the audience learns more about a company online.

18% of local smartphone inquiries held up to a purchase within a day in comparison to 7% of non-local inquiries.

After stating all these facts and figures there's a thing stated well enough that local SEO can work wonders for a business if practiced in a manner that leads to major organic traffic from the right audience with local intent.

Now Let's have a closer look at how local SEO works?

How does local SEO work?

Google acquires 92.05 % of the global market share for all search engines. As the majority of users use Google, we’ll focus on its ranking factors in this article. Google ranks a website on multiple factors and with tons of websites in the market; the right keyword can surely justify the usage of the website.

When it comes to local SEO when Google ranks a website it also considers how many people are looking for a business or service nearby them. In that manner, Google evaluates keywords and the location of the person and thus provides him with the best results. Google directly forwards you to the result even without you adding your location or words like “near me”. For example, if you search for a “grocery store” it will automatically forward you to the grocery store near your location. In the evolution of the era where everything is available in a single click, local businesses must change the way to promote and advertise their business. This is why local SEO has evolved in demand as it improves the visibility and expansion of local services and products.

Here’s the list of activities you need to prioritize before in Local SEO activities:

Google My Business

Optimizing website

Local Citations: Name, Address, Phone (N.A.P)

Local Reviews

Google My Business

4 out of 5 people use search engines to lookup local information about nearby businesses. Those who did local searchers visited the business within the day. Here's where optimizing your GMP (Google my business) page works as a powerful instrument to attract local visitors both online and offline.

And thus the tendency of a majority audience counts to not go past the first page. So, how to get into the first page and be noticed by the searchers?

Claim your business profile in case you are already listed because being in business for years the chances are high of having a profile but in case you Don't have then make one.

Fill up the form with all the relevant information asked like Name, nature of business, location, website, etc., and get it verified by Google. After getting it verified in a few days you are living now on the search engine so go and fill up all the next essential details.

Now,

Add operating hours.

Description of business meeting the right strategic keyword summing up the service and products.

Upload pictures and work on content display.

Request for reviews from customers and reply to each of them in the best manner.

Turn on chat or messaging options.

Optimizing Website

Although a great deal of local SEO is having a Google business page there's still a lot to be gained by a strong website that comprises good display content, contact, images of product or service, etc.

There are several ways that this business can optimize its websites. It includes:

The Reviews Page

Social Links

Keyword Research

Image Optimization

There's a lot one can perform for boosting their business online presence which can lead to better business potential and build a better reputation among the audience.

Local Citations

A local citation is when your business’ name, address, and phone number (NAP) are mentioned on various online platforms. It's important to have a presence on platforms but it's more important to have your NAP updated on your website the same as mentioned on any other platform.

After that's done, list your business on platforms like Justdial, Yelp, local.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.

After listing your website on various platforms it's essential to maintain the details and update them from time to time. Dissimilarities in business information across the web don’t build a decent idea for possible customers and are also dangerous to local SEO.

Local Reviews

As a majority of the audience scrolling through your business online it's a major tendency to check the past experiences of various other customers who already had an experience with your business.

That's where review helps your business in creating authenticity. Google agrees with this and in turn, advises establishments with higher ratings. Reviews do not just help with Google rankings but other citation rankings as well. So do not miss a chance and encourage your customers to review their experience.

But there is a mistake one performs by getting listed just positive reviews which might seem fake or scammed. Rather balance it and let the customer provide their personal experience to make it look real and much more authentic.

Summing it up.

In this piece blog, we had a better look at local SEO and know how it can help with the growth of your business both online and offline.

Stating some fun facts and how local SEO works, what practices are prioritized targeting the right keyword and right methods.

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