What is Local SEO: 4 Proven Ways It Helps Your Business

The global business competition is fierce as the internet provides everyone with countless online options to shop all over the world. But with a proper SEO strategy, you can reach your target audience and get traffic to your site faster.  

Put your website on top of local searches to bypass the competition. Explore how local SEO helps your business gain online and offline traction.   

What Is Local SEO and How Does It Work?  

Search engine optimisation (SEO) improves your site’s online visibility by boosting your ranking on search engines.  

Around 27.6% of organic clicks go to the first spot in Google search results, which makes SEO a must-have for businesses to stay competitive. People search for information about products and services they’re interested in buying online, so being found first helps boost your business’s revenue.  

Localizing your SEO has several benefits, especially for businesses catering to a specific area or region.  

The Google Map Pack 

Imagine moving to a new city or taking a vacation and you’re craving pizza, but you’re new to the area so you don’t know where to go. Naturally, you’re going to search the pizza places around the area online.  

Notice that the top three restaurants show up on the results, complete with the business details and its location on the map. This is called the Google Map pack, which helps customers know more about your store and encourages them to buy from you. 

This map pack is a set of three Google Maps-based results that show users a business’ brief summary, address, operating hours, pricing information, reviews, and featured photo.  

Local SEO uses geo-tagging through the relevant keywords in your site to rank your business higher on Google’s search results. 

Local Keyword Targeting 

Search engines use an algorithm in order to find related results. Since there are millions of possible websites in the internet, search engines target keywords that are related and relevant to what is being searched. 

Local SEO prioritises keywords in a specific geographical area, giving you a shot at the top results. This gives you an advantage over other businesses. Here is an example of a local search result: 

Observe that the search results are narrowed exclusively in Singapore, ranked from the highest rating going lower. It also relied on some keywords from the reviews highlighted in bold. Keywords play a significant role in optimising your site, so be sure to do proper keyword research for your specific industry. 

To get higher chances of getting found by the algorithm, many businesses put their NAPs or Name, Address, and Phone Number in their websites. Some submit their business information to online directories and business listings so they get more chances of appearing on search engines. 

Read: A Brief Guide to Understanding SEO  

Why Use Local SEO for Your Business Website 

Back then, people would use the yellow pages to know where to find business addresses. Now, a quick Google search is enough.   

Customers often search about local businesses before shopping. People around your store are all potential customers, so it’s crucial to ensure your business is visible and accessible with a good local SEO strategy. 

Here are some of SEO’s benefits to your local business:  

Boosts Online Visibility  

Local SEO allows you to reach the top organic results in search engine results pages (SERPs) through keyword targeting. Search engines prioritise keywords relevant to an area, leading your customers to your physical store and driving more in-store traffic and organic traffic.  

The more traffic your site gets, the more your SEO performance increases and the more people can find you online. This way, you can cut the costs of expensive ads.  

Markets to Local Customers  

There are hundreds of businesses around the world competing for your customers’ attention. Gain the upper hand by leading ready-to-buy consumers around the area toward your store.   

Buying local is still faster and more convenient than waiting for a package overseas — and it assures your customers that their purchase is intact, undamaged, and precisely what they expected.  

Bypasses the Competition  

You may be limited to one geographical area, but playing smarter can give you an advantage against global competitors. On the other hand, your local rivals have the same opportunities to bring in customers to their stores.  

Stay ahead of other businesses by employing the latest SEO techniques and strategies. Localising your SEO gives you the upper hand by getting found first online.   

Gives Brand Awareness  

Consumers prefer purchasing from familiar brands. 72% of global customers feel loyalty toward at least one brand or company. The more visible you are, the more you nurture trust among your audience and secure authority over your competitors.  

Since consumers tend to view the top results first, ranking higher gives you a better chance at selling your products.  

Localise Your SEO Strategy Today  

Local SEO puts your business on the map and attracts people to your store. Boost your business against the competition by enhancing your SEO strategy.  

Or, if you don’t have the time to learn and implement SEO practices on your site, get dedicated professionals to improve your SEO ranking.   

It takes time to develop, but the payoff is worth it when done well. Optimise your site for local searches now.