This simple beginner’s guide to local SEO will provide a brief primer on local search engine optimization, specifically for small to medium-sized businesses.
What is Local SEO Marketing?
Local SEO is the strategy for effectively marketing and positioning a business to attract the most targeted audience in a given geographic location.
For the better decade, some of the world’s leading online search marketers have debated the most effective ways to implement Local SEO successfully.
Instead of trying to cast the widest net to attract every potential customer, local SEO aims to focus the company’s marketing efforts on the specific location that they operate in.
Local SEO can be implemented in several ways, including:
- Setting up online business listings in local search directories
- Creating informational articles about your products & services
- Targeting unique keywords that relate to the specific location of your business
Why is optimizing for local so powerful
Blame it on human nature or a combination thereof, but most people tend to trust and feel more comfortable engaging with businesses closer to them rather than afar.
Many potential clients understand that local businesses based in or near their hometown may be more equipped to cater to their unique needs for the products and services they care about the most.
The search marketer who can adequately convey a sense of understanding and empathy for a local client’s needs is much more likely to convert them into a paying customer.
Local SEO for Small Businesses
One of the fastest ways to establish a local search presence in your geographic area is by setting up a business listing on online platforms such as Google My Business & Bing Places for Business.
Some other popular online search platforms for local business listings include Yelp, Yellow Pages, Manta & MerchantCircle.
Once your company profile is established on these platforms, the website traffic and lead generation these marketing channels can provide may eventually account for the lion’s share of free traffic and promotion to your local business.
Get the information you need
To get detailed insights into the products and services that searchers in your local area are looking for, you will need to utilize some website search analytics tools such as Google Search Console & Bing Webmaster Tools.
These powerful website analytics tools can help you identify crucial long-tail keywords, industry trends, and other factors affecting your rank for high-conversion local search keywords.
Once you identify the most popular keywords and topics that your local search audience uses to find your services, you can tailor your marketing efforts to better reflect your company’s ability to meet the potential customer’s needs.
While figuring out the right marketing mix for your local SEO strategy is an ever-evolving challenge, establishing a solid foundation is essential to staying ahead of competitors for local leads.
