Have you noticed how a quick search for the “best coffee” on Google delivers results not of the best coffee shops in the world but the top spots to have coffee in your area? That’s how intelligent local SEO is. Thanks to local SEO, your business, no matter how big or small it is, now has the chance to be at the forefront of the competition in your local  area. 

Interested in learning how local search can help your business get more customers? Read on as we share what you need to know about local SEO and how you can use it to grow your business - without paying for advertising.

What Exactly Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is a type of search engine optimisation that focuses on a specific place and ranks a local business based on the location that’s given in the search query. Let’s say, for example, that you are looking for a hardware store near you, and then you go online and start searching for one.

The results of your search query will contain listings of the hardware stores that are within a specific distance from your current location.

If your business depends on customers who live or work nearby, then Local SEO is a must-do when it comes to your local marketing strategy. It’s the most effective way to let your potential customers know that your business is nearby and that they can easily find you.

How to Grow your Small Businesses With Local SEO

1. Create Accurate Local Citations

Many online directories and platforms help you get your business online, but they aren’t always accurate. That’s because they can’t tell exactly where your business is located. If you want to grow your business with local SEO, you need to create accurate local citations or local business listings for your business.

Open multiple accounts for your business on all the local directories and platforms that are available. You can also use your social media accounts to create local citations. For example, you can share your Facebook profile on Google My Business, or create a Yelp page for yourself to get more local citations.

2. Google Business Profile

Your Google Business profile will often be the first thing your customers notice when they search for you, but it’s more than that. An optimised GBP listing can single-handedly improve your local SEO ranking, while its reviews provide social proof to new customers, helping drive enquiries. When you optimise your Google Business Profile keywords, descriptions, business categories and images you can outshine your local competition. 

3. Gather and Respond to Reviews 

Online reviews are how today’s customers discover, evaluate and trust businesses and their products and services. Whether it’s Google, Facebook, Yelp, or TripAdvisor. Identify your happiest customers and make it easy for them to share their experiences on the most important review sites. It’s also important to identify any unhappy customers to help reduce any risk of negative reviews. However if you do happen to receive an unpleasant comment, be sure to respond in a timely and professional manner to show your business really cares about its customers' experiences... 

4. Add Local Content to Your Website

Create posts that target your area and focus on your specific products or services to attract your potential customers. Avoid creating content which is not focused exactly on what your business does best. Add a Google Map to your website that shows where your business is located making it easy for your potential customers to find you. At the very least ensure that your physical address is available on all of your web pages - especially your contact page.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve established the importance of local SEO for your business, where should you start?

We provide a comprehensive range of local SEO services to support local businesses just like yours. If you’re serious about improving your business’ local SEO performance and ranking higher for searches by potential customers in your area, you need a clear understanding of what is and isn’t working for you right now. To get started please get in touch or request a free local SEO audit.