What is Local SEO?
Local SEO refers to the process of increasing the visibility of a your website in local search results on search engines. It is a great asset to utilise to attract more relevant traffic from local searches conducted by users local to your business – hence the name Local SEO.
Benefits of Local SEO
There are several benefits when it comes to Local SEO. It is particularly beneficial to businesses whose success relies on the local and surrounding area. Here are our top benefits of local SEO:
Increase Your Visibility: Like all types of SEO, local SEO increases your website’s visibility. It makes it more findable but focuses on attracting searches from the local area.
Attract Targeted Traffic: Local SEO helps your business attract traffic from users who are actively searching for your products or services in their area.
Gain a Competitive Advantage: Optimising for local search queries allows your businesses to stand out from local competitors. When done correctly, your website will appear prominently in local search results to capture the attention of potential customers.
Measurable Results: As with any digital marketing, there are several tools that can help you to measure the success of your local SEO activities.
Increase Sales: By increasing traffic to your website, attracting target traffic and increasing your visibility, you will increase you leads which will lead to increased sales.
Strategies, Tips and Tools for Local SEO
Local SEO can include many strategies and tools to help you connect with local prospects.
Local Keyword Research: If you have worked in SEO previously, you will know the importance of keyword research in finding a topic to target. This is the same for Local SEO, but we include more location-based ideas. It is often interesting to note which local areas are sought after based on the high-volume keywords.
Google My Business Profile: Ensuring you have claimed and optimised your profile on Google My Business is a great way to kick-start your local SEO strategy. Ensuring accurate information such as business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and categories.
Contact Information Consistency: Your contact information will help search engines determine where you are located, so when a user adds “near me” to their search, a search engine will know where you are located. Because of this, it is important to ensure consistency of business name, address, and phone number across all online platforms and directories and ensure you don’t have conflicting addresses on different pages of your website.
Local Link Building: Link building is another important aspect of general and local SEO. Don’t underestimate the power of acquiring backlinks from local businesses and relevant, authoritative websites. Remember to include local directories, newspapers, and community organisations where possible. Getting local citations or mentions of your business on local websites is also great. So, citations are still a great option, even if a link isn’t available or attainable.
Localised Content Creation: Making sure your website and social platforms are up to date with local news and events is another great way to boost your local SEO. For example, have you written a piece about the local summer fete? Is your business sponsoring a school event where your logo can be displayed? Is there a local fun run or challenge that your employees are taking part in? Creating content tailored to local interests, events, and news can help engage your audience and boost your SEO in the local area.
What Type of Businesses Should Invest in Local SEO
Any business that relies on attracting customers or clients from a specific geographic area can benefit from investing in local SEO. Some examples include:
Physical Stores: Retail stores, restaurants, cafes, salons, spas, and other businesses with physical locations that want to attract local customers will benefit from Local SEO. Optimising for local search will encourage more foot traffic and drive people to their physical stores.
Service-Based Businesses: Local service providers such as plumbers, electricians, technicians, landscapers, cleaners, and contractors can benefit from local SEO. Their target market will be in a location specific to where their business is based so attracting customers in a local area is beneficial.
Estate Agents: When people are searching for homes, they often know the area they want to live in. Estate agents can benefit from investing in local SEO to drive traffic to their website from people looking for homes in a specific area.
Events, Attractions and Places to Visit: By ensuring their local SEO is up to scratch, businesses that require footfall for success can ensure they are found online by people searching the local area. For example, “zoo near me” “live music festival in London” etc.
Hospitality and Accommodation Businesses: Hotels, bed and breakfasts, inns, guesthouses, and vacation rentals can all benefit from local SEO to attract holidaymakers and tourists to their area.
Local SEO and Bubble Creative Solutions
At Bubble, we work with many different businesses in all areas of digital marketing, one of which is local SEO. We help organisations get found by people searching for their products or services who are nearby.
To get your business found by your local community, contact Bubble today.
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