Search engine optimization is no more the mystery it once was. If you run and manage an online business, you must have heard about optimizing your website to climb up the search engine results for better traction and higher conversions.
But, you may still miss a part of the puzzle by not leveraging the local markets. That’s where local SEO chips in and brings the business you need within your geographical location.
What Does Local SEO Entail?
Local SEO refers to website optimization for a specific location and community. Whenever a customer searches for a service or product similar to yours in local geography, this strategy helps put your business front and center in the search engine results.
With nearly half of Google searches being local, you can’t miss the benefits of local SEO. Did you know about 50% of people searching locally for a product end up at the physical store within 24 hours? 18% of the local mobile searches, too, convert into sales in a day, and 78% of local-based searches on a smartphone or mobile device lead to offline purchases.
There are many potential leads out there, and you can make the most of them by focusing on local SEO. It works by adding the right local keywords to your search engine listing to make you easily found. Since smartphones can tap into a user’s exact location on the go, reach them by implementing local SEO tactics in your digital marketing action plans.
If you are still not convinced to dive into it, here are the top benefits of local SEO you can’t ignore:
1. Improves the Organic Search Results
Your business website’s success depends on the organic search results it can generate. It is a crucial component of the sales funnel that brings better engagement and more conversions.
However, your strategies sometimes may drag you behind instead of promoting your brand. It happens when you compete for a limited space with companies that are much bigger than yours. This will put your website on the lower rankings, and potential customers might overlook it entirely even if they are in your business’s proximity.
Using local SEO here can make a lot of difference. It will reduce your competition and help you climb higher in the rankings for your local geography. With 72% of consumers looking for local businesses and visiting stores within five miles, getting found is your best chance at success.
2. Promotes Local Alliances
When you promote your business locally through localized optimization, it will open up new doors for your growth. Showing up in local searches brings you within the radar of other allied businesses to form profitable associations and leverage the multiple benefits of local SEO.
For example, if several business owners in your area plan to create a collective marketing campaign, you can enter this group if you are visible and listed locally. You may get referrals from these alliances and get more customers through their cross-promotion strategies.
3. Brings Focus to Your Business
Suppose a customer uses their trusty smartphone to search for a local florist. It will show the local results, including your nearby or neighboring businesses. And if you aren’t optimizing and listing your business locally, you won’t even appear in these results. You may have a better product at lower prices.
But you can’t close the sale unless the buyers know about your business. So, leverage this opportunity and relay your messages to impact the buying cycle and be visible where your buyers are.
4. Builds Credibility and Trust
Whenever you search for a product or service on your mobile device, you will only focus on the top listings. You may even assume that businesses appearing on 3rd or 4th SERPs aren’t worth checking out.
That’s the lack of trust your buyers will have if you don’t use local keywords to optimize your web pages. With quality local backlinks, proper keywords, and optimized content, you can rank higher, earn the trust you deserve, and get all the benefits of local SEO for your enterprise.
5. Brings Repeat Customers
In a purchase decision, intent and proximity are two major factors that matter. You can make the most of both by using local search optimization. It weeds out the customers most unlikely to buy from you.
Although local SEO brings your business to the forefront, it also makes a concerted effort to provide relevant search results according to the intent and proximity.
For example, a customer living 50 miles away may not visit your cake shop even if it pops on top of the results. But a buyer within a 5-mile radius would definitely check out your store. Not only this, a customer who has a positive experience dealing with you will come back and build a lasting relationship.
You will get repeat sales from the same customer for many years. At the same time, you will cater to the people visiting the area from other locations. If they need your offering, they’ll stop by your store or office to complete the sale.
6. Increases the Engagement
A report says that searches involving the terms like ‘near me’ have increased by nearly 900% in the past few years. So, you can say that local search optimization is a fundamental requirement of your business success. It brings more traction to your digital properties within a specific location, so more people can find and engage with you.
7. Offers Cost-Effective Solutions
As a small local business owner, ROI is a crucial metric that you track consistently. Marketing budgets may be tight, but you may still get the desired sales through cost-effective tools like SEO. It involves setting up localized listings on the web with tools like Google My Business.
Once your rankings improve with proper keyword research, content, and optimization, you don’t need to invest in sponsored campaigns or sending out flyers. This reduces your advertising costs and yields higher returns on investment in the longer run.
An expert agency knows precisely where to put your business, using relevant keywords, and targeting the right customers to get the benefits of local SEO.
8. Better Chances of Showing Up in Google 3-Pack
3-pack refers to the first three Google listings matching the targeted keywords. If you invest in specialized local SEO services, you can expect your website to show up in these top 3 slots.
Users will find your listing every time they do a local search and click on your contact information right from the search engine result page. Listing your business in Google Maps with correct NAP, service category, opening hours, and reviews will serve this purpose.
9. Contributes to Local Economic Growth
One of the most compelling benefits of local SEO is its ability to support local businesses and building community. When you promote your business in a specific geography and prompt the buyers to shop locally, it builds demand for similar products or services and allied businesses in the same location. It boosts local economic growth and brings you sponsorship opportunities, too.
For example, sponsor a local event and use custom printed collaterals for the same. It will promote both your business and the event while ensuring higher visibility.
10. Capture More Buyers
With more customers searching online first before buying a product, local SEO can bring your better sales. Most of these customers search when they are ready to buy. It accounts for about 24% of searchers online. These are the people with their minds set on buying something they like. If you end up on the top of their search engine results, you have better chances to convert this lead into sales.
11. More Recognition Locally
When you are proactive with your local SEO campaigns, you will earn many local reviews as well. This boosts your chances to be found and preferred over competitors. People love to buy from a business that locals approve of and recommend. It requires a consistent approach to build your geo-specific clientele and keep your customers happy with your offerings.
Once you accomplish this feat, the buyers will leave positive reviews about your business on Google, and your SEO rankings will shoot up. It means more engagement, conversion, and sales down the road. Exposure to local business directories is also one of the potential benefits of local SEO.
When your digital properties are optimized for a specific geography, your business is more likely to appear in local directories. It improves your credibility and ensures organic SEO results.
12. Get Found on the Mobile Devices
Research says that one out of three smartphone searches is made before reaching the store. 71% of the buyers accept searching a store on their mobile devices before going there, and 60% of American adults conduct local searches on these devices. Hence, you can’t ignore the significance of mobile-based optimization in your digital marketing strategies.
Local SEO excels here due to the added benefit of providing nearby searches on the go. Even if a person doesn’t reside in your local community, they can find your store and purchase from you simply by looking up your business on their mobile phone.
Contact the Local SEO Experts Today
Undoubtedly, local SEO is integral to your digital marketing activities. It can boost your business and grow the profits by forging strong relationships in the local community.
However, you need a specialized approach to get these benefits of local SEO. That’s where experts can help you improve online visibility, understand on-page signals, and build powerful backlinks from other websites to ensure the website’s authority in the domain.
