80% of online customers use local search to find specific products near them. Leveraging local search optimization will help build your digital presence.
The local search engine optimization (SEO) enables your business to increase its ranking in search results, build more traffic to the website, generate leads, and sales to the business.
Local SEO services is a technique used to promote the products or services of a certain company at the exact time the local customers are looking for them.
Marketers use Local SEO strategies to effectively market and promote local products or services to the local community online.
Building a Local online presence
Imagine you opened a flower business in India. You will find that you’re up against tough competition from other flower growers online. To find your way on the top page of the search engine, you need to seriously promote your business.
The best way to promote the business is to use the local SEO strategies to reach your target customers. Every four out of five customers use a customized search to look for products based on locality. The local SEO will allow you to narrow your business promotion to the local community.
Customers like to make an informed decision when looking for online purchases. They carry out a lot of research about the product before taking an action.
Providing accurate information and using the interactive site will improve your local searches and online presence. Local SEO strategies help rank your products in Google search results and in business directories like the yellow pages or Yelp.
Local SEO tactics to leverage the business
1. Localize your website
This involves adding details like the city within where the business is operating, the region and even the county. You should also create content for different cities and publish them on your site. If there are community events in the area, write content or information about that event, this will increase your online presence in that locality.
You can also focus on using a single targeted keyword and make sure to place it at the beginning of your content.
2. Using online citation and directories
Getting your business to appear in online directories and yellow pages is an added advantage. Make sure your business is featured in the local newspaper, magazine, and any other local citation site.
Your business name, address and contact details featured in the local directories help in boosting your rankings.
3. Claim and optimize through Google my business
Using Google my business listing is an important aspect of your business. It helps you feature in google maps, Google pages, and Google local search. When you optimize your pages, you can easily get listed in Google services.
4. Get reviews and ratings
Getting online reviews for your business helps in building your reputation. According to a research carried out, 84% of online customers trust a business with positive ratings.
The more reviews you get and the quality of those reviews are an important factor of your business and contribute more on social rankings in search results.
Add a reputation marketing software in your site which will allow your customers leave a review and rate your services.
5. Include backlinks to your content
Backlinks from well-structured websites help your site to be recognized as a trusted information source by search engines. Getting links from local newspaper sites, other businesses and blogs can help you increase your search visibility.
Benefits of local SEO services
1. Reach out to more customers
Using local SEO, you can reach to more customers looking for local products. Potential customers are using their mobile phones and tablets to look for business information in the local yellow pages.
About 64% of local customers rely on search engines and business directories to find information about businesses in the surrounding area.
2. Increase web presence in local niche market
97% of customers find product information online and 95% of them won’t go past the front page of search results. Local SEO helps potential customers to easily find you and know the existence of your business. They can use their mobile phones to search for specific information their interested in via the search engines or using social media channels.
Local SEO increases your visibility in local Google maps and even through other navigation apps.
3. Increase web traffic
Optimizing your web content with local SEO increases traffic to your website. Potential customers will be able to find your business in search engines. The more people searching for your product, the more traffic you will have in the business.
4. Converting the searches to purchases.
The more people directed to your website can become your actual customers. Local search results create customer intent and it can turn out to be an offline purchase. Being able to show when your customers are searching online will increase your chances of converting the leads to actual purchases.
You can also interact with your customers and get feedback about your business.
5. Helps you stand out and build authority in the market
Leveraging on local SEO helps you to stand out among the competitors and also build authority in a specific niche.
Building your authority through creating valuable content that grabs potential customer’s attention. Share more information about your business to increase your credibility in the market. The more you share customers will be able to trust your business and they will always remember to turn to your business whenever looking for a purchase.
6. Provides more targeted marketing campaigns
Using local SEO, you can target a small geographical people and offer personalized online presence.
7. You get more calls from potential customers
Having your contact details and other business information listed in local newspapers and directories, you will have more customers contacting to ask for more information about your business. More customers want to be associated with your business.
8. Leads to increased sales
All the leads in your business can be converted to sales. The higher your business ranks, the more leads you will get to your business. Make sure your website will prompt the potential customers to take an action.
9. You’re able to get repeat customers
Focus on building your authority in the market and more customers will always remember you whenever they want to make a purchase.
How to use local on-page optimization
- Optimize your website for local search: This can be achieved through localized keyword research on your target area. Know more information about your business and focus on creating content based on certain keywords. Carry out a research to know what customers are searching for online.
- Use local maps: To enable customers to locate you with ease, you need to feed your business profile in Google maps.
- Use localized content marketing: When creating promotional materials, optimize the content to draw the attention of potential customers in a specific area. Focus on creating fresh and informative content that will attract local customers to your website and keep them coming back for more.
Staying at the top of local search engine results enables potential customers to find your business and purchase more from you. Focus on creating a local SEO strategy based on your business service area to increase the ultimate success in the competitive market.
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