It’s likely you’ll have heard of SEO, which stands for search engine optimisation. But have you heard of local SEO? Here, we take a look at what it is and why it’s so important.

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is a sub-section of traditional SEO which is specifically for businesses with physical premises, or online businesses targeting a particular location. Done right, it optimises your online presence so that you rank well in local search results. Regardless of the size of your business, local SEO can have a huge impact on your online visibility and, ultimately, revenue generated.

What are the benefits of utilising local SEO?

So much can be gained from a comprehensive local SEO strategy. Watching your business climb to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) is both incredibly satisfying and very rewarding but there’s so much more. Just some of the benefits include:

• Improved visibility in local search results. Making your business easier for new clients to find online.
• Increased foot traffic. Online local visibility brings more footfall to your door. There’s nothing quite like local SEO for physical stores. And the following statistics confirm this:
  • 88% of consumers searching for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit the business within a 24-hour period.
  • 92% of consumers searching online will choose businesses on the first page of local search results.
• More calls. Using Google Business Profile (GBP), which was formerly known as Google My Business, is a free marketing tool you can use to influence the way in which your business is presented on Google Search, Google Shopping and Google Maps. It can help make the phone ring, as well as aid footfall. 
• Greater conversion rates. When a potential client searches for something nearby, they are often ready to buy or book an appointment.
• Enhanced credibility. Creating and maintaining a good, respectable reputation online builds trust. 
• Competitive edge. With many businesses still not on board with local SEO, it provides you with an opportunity to capitalise on this.  
• Marketing that’s cost-effective. The targeted approach local SEO offers makes it one of the most prudent marketing methods to utilise.
• Reaching mobile users who are on the go. These users could even be close to your premises and looking to make a purchase.
• Sales growth. Now imagine those same users seeing favourable reviews about your business. It’s no secret that reviews can help with decision-making. If a potential client can see that you’re nearby and accomplished, it’s as good as in the bag.
• Boosting the local economy. Every time a potential client finds and chooses a local business over a national one, it’s a win for the local community.

Tips on how to improve local SEO

There are many ways you can improve your local SEO initiatives. Here are just some of them.

1. How to optimise Google Business Profile
To help you take advantage of the wonder that is GBP, we’ve put together a Google Business Profile optimisation checklist:

• Complete your profile, making sure all information is accurate and up-to-date. Your website URL, opening hours and a description should be included. 
• Choose the most relevant categories to describe what your business does. This will determine how Google displays it. 
• Use high resolution photos of your business and its offerings. 
• Encourage reviews from happy clients.
• Update it with regular posts, events and shares to keep things fresh and interesting.  

2. Local link building
So, what is local link building?

Link building is what happens when you get backlinks from other websites to your own. Relevant industry links can help enhance your SEO by indicating to search engines that your website is genuine and worth ranking favourably.

Local link building is what happens when you build backlinks with a local SEO focus. It’s where you seek links that are both industry and local search area specific. This makes driving search engine traffic to your website super targeted.

3. Area pages
Area pages are website pages which give comprehensive information about a specific business location in a certain location, e.g. city, town, village or local area. Websites with no area pages are less likely to be found in search engines, such as Google.  

Start with the basics: Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP), and then build upon this with information such as:

• Staff bios
• Directions
• Parking details
• Accessibility information
• Anything that’s useful for prospective clients and unique to that location

The more location-specific information you give, the better.

4. How to do local SEO for multiple locations
If you could use some local SEO tips because your business has multiple locations, we have a checklist for that too:

• Begin with a local foundation. Build a solid website structure with functionality that allows you to showcase your various locations
• Create a Google Business Profile for each location
• On-page SEO
• Build local citations 
• Produce location-specific content for each location
• Remember to utilise local link building
• Be mindful to oversee reviews for each location
• Mobile optimisation

Whether you run a physical store, or an online one, find out more about how local SEO can help you. Call our specialists today.