How Your Website Can Benefit From Local SEO

June 6, 2022

Local search makes up a large share of online searches, so putting your town or region in page titles and descriptions (along with your business address and ZIP code) helps you rank for nearby queries and pull in new customers. The more specific your local SEO strategy, the better it performs.

Why Local SEO Matters for Your Business

Local SEO is the part of search engine optimization focused on ranking for searches tied to a physical area. It’s especially important for businesses with brick-and-mortar locations, since local searchers are more likely to click on a website that names the area it serves. Local SEO also works for non-physical businesses that target a specific region.

Mobile usage makes this even more urgent. Research cited in the post shows that 74% of online users search for a local business on a mobile device, and 80% of mobile searches end in a purchase. Showing up in the top three results on Google’s mobile search is now table stakes for competing locally.

How to Improve Your Local SEO

Put local keywords in your titles, descriptions, and content

Incorporate the town or region name prominently into page titles and meta descriptions, and include your business address and ZIP code. Keywords also vary by geography, so run keyword research for your specific market before you write or update content.

Actively manage customer reviews

Google pays close attention to reviews, so encourage customers to leave them online and reply when you can to show you take feedback seriously. You can also compensate customers for leaving reviews so they see that you value their input. This is especially important for new businesses.

Keep your NAP information consistent

NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. If that information is inconsistent across business directories, Google won’t recognize your business as authoritative and your authority drops. Your business may appear on multiple directories, but not all listings are accurate. A local SEO service expert can help you audit and fix your NAP data.

Watch your toxicity score

Google is taking notice of websites with high toxicity scores, and a high score will negatively affect local rankings. Cleaner, more trustworthy site signals help you hold position.

Cover the basics and then go further

The basic tasks of local SEO include building a solid web presence, optimizing for mobile devices, and promoting the website on social media. Competitors are usually already skilled in these areas, so to stand out you need to find opportunities they haven’t tried. A digital marketing agency with local SEO experience can help you uncover those gaps.

What Local SEO Does for Traffic and Sales

Local SEO helps your website appear on the first page of search results, which is valuable for small local businesses because local customers are more likely to recognize a brand they see often. Adding a local focus to your SEO campaign can have a meaningful effect on sales and make your brand name more familiar in the community. It also helps larger businesses that don’t have room in the budget for specialized advertising.

Using local SEO services increases your visibility in nearby searches, brings in new customers, keeps you top of mind with existing ones, captures qualified leads, and drives more traffic to your site. With the right strategy, traffic and sales both rise.

FAQ

What is local SEO and why does it matter?

Local SEO is search engine optimization focused on ranking for searches tied to a specific area. It matters because local search is a large share of online searches, and local searchers are more likely to click on websites that name the area they serve.

What are the most important local SEO tasks?

Put your town or region in page titles and descriptions, include your business address and ZIP code, encourage and respond to customer reviews, keep your NAP (name, address, phone number) consistent across directories, optimize for mobile, and promote your site on social media.

How does local SEO affect mobile search results?

Research cited in the post shows 74% of online users search for a local business on a mobile device, and 80% of mobile searches end in a purchase. Ranking in the top three results on Google’s mobile search is essential for any business competing in a local market.