When we need information - from how to fix a leaky faucet to where to go for sound legal advice - we go online. When we have an unmet need, an unanswered question, or an interest previously unexplored, we turn to a trusted resource: a search engine.
Among the billions of searches conducted each day, we see the full gamut of inquiries from the ordinary and mundane to the critical and profound. And among these searches are people who are looking for the products, services, and solutions you offer.
So the big question here - and one you may have Googled to arrive at this article! - is how can local SEO help your business? Let’s find out.
First, what is local SEO? Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a practice of improving the quantity and quality of traffic to a webpage/site via search engines. It is organic, which means that it targets unpaid traffic, as opposed to paid traffic (via advertisements and/or sponsored postings).
Local SEO is a form of organic SEO; the difference is intent. That is, these searchers are looking for businesses (or products, services, or solutions) near them or in a particular area. According to Google data, the most common local searches include:
As you can see from these statistics, hospitality- and service-based businesses see a significant amount of search traffic. Local SEO is imperative for brands in these spaces, as well as for professionals like healthcare providers, attorneys, plumbers, electricians… you name it, people are searching for it.
The goal of local SEO is to ensure they find what they are looking for - and that they find you.
How can local SEO help your business? About 46% of all searches have local intent, and “Where to buy X near me” searches have jumped 200% since 2019. A few more numbers to make the case for local SEO:
Local SEO works to drive an increase in quantity and quality of search traffic to a website - and to a physical location. An uptick in web traffic can translate into increased sales. Not only that, many local searchers are looking for businesses to which they can return; you have the opportunity to create loyal customers.
The good news is that more businesses understand and appreciate the importance of local search. The more challenging news is that this can make it more difficult to achieve a great rank. Ideally, you want to land in the Local Pack, a group of three results that are prominently positioned in search engine results.
We’re back to the good news: there are steps you can take now in order to bolster and boost your local SEO performance:
These local SEO tips are just the beginning - but they are actionable and can help you start gaining traction.
Ready to get started and see how local SEO can help your business? Contact THAT Agency for industry-leading guidance, strategies, and results.