Local SEO (search engine optimization) is an essential marketing strategy for brick-and-mortar businesses that want to be found online. Searchers in a particular location are searching for certain products or services, so optimizing your website and business listings with these keywords will increase their ranking in local search results and drive more visitors directly to both your online presence and physical locations.
Software as a Service (SaaS) providers and ecommerce stores should still place emphasis on local SEO. By creating local landing pages for each product or service you offer, targeting highly-intent users closer to point of sale is much simpler. Furthermore, focusing on keyword research for local users in specific locations ensures visibility for potential customers in those specific regions.
Local SEO for online businesses involves many elements, but three of the most crucial ones include prominence, relevancy and trustworthiness. Prominence refers to how easily your business stands out among competitors in local search results; relevancy and trustworthiness refers to how closely aligned your online content with local searchers’ needs and expectations.
To increase your odds of ranking in the local pack (or map pack), make sure your Google Business Profile is optimized with accurate name, address, phone number (NAP), photos and quality local citations such as Yelp or Bing Maps mentions of your business – this will improve its chances of making its way onto search engine results pages and the local pack itself.
Additionally, it’s crucial that your Google Business Profile is optimized. Building trust requires creating high-quality links and using NAP consistency in citations – according to Moz’s 2017 Local Search Ranking Factors study, Citation Volume and NAP Consistency were identified as two of the primary ranking factors affecting both organic search results and local pack results.
As mobile searches dominate local searches, it’s essential that both your website and business listings are mobile friendly. Incorporating technical solutions such as page speed analysis into your SEO efforts will have a profound effect on its performance in local packs or general search results – improving user experience while increasing search visibility leading to greater revenue for your business.
