Are you curious about the advantages of local SEO and how it can help you increase your local business sales? If so, you’ve come to the right place. This article explains what local SEO is and how it benefits small and local businesses.
What Exactly Is Local SEO?
SEO is a technique used by businesses to improve their search engine rankings. It is the beating heart of any online business. Your business will not thrive without proper SEO.
Local SEO, also known as Map SEO, is a branch of SEO that assists small and medium-sized businesses in growing. It is a distinct type of SEO that has gained traction in recent years.
You are targeting the public in your area with the help of local SEO. If you own a salon, for example, when people in your area search for “salon shop near me,” your business will appear in the results if you have optimized the local SEO.
How Does Local SEO Benefit Local Businesses?
Back in the day, it was nearly impossible for small businesses to stay afloat on the internet, where national brands ruled. This is why people didn’t spend much money on the internet when traditional methods worked just fine. The first edition of Google’s Pigeon upgrade was released in 2014, allowing local businesses to compete for search results on a regional basis. In short, Google began to target nearby businesses in order to boost their ranking in location searches.
It enables businesses to reach out to their target audience in their local area. And you haven’t heard what the best part of local SEO is that makes every local business love it. It is simple to optimize. All you have to do is create backlinks to local event websites and use location-specific phrases in keywords to help you gain a larger footprint in your region. When nearby visitors search for your service or product, your ranking position rises, resulting in more foot traffic to your store.
The Advantages of Local SEO
You’re probably excited about local SEO now, and you want to know all about its incredible benefits. So, hold your horses for a moment; we’ll discuss the advantages of local SEO further down.
- Increased Traffic
Did you know that 46% of all Google searches are for local information? Every business benefits from traffic. Whether you own a large corporation or a small salon around the corner, registering your business digitally will help you stay ahead of the competition. Local SEO allows you to increase your traffic. When you target local potential customers, you encourage people to visit your website who might come to see you. When you use a comprehensive SEO strategy for a local business, you risk getting a lot of slow traffic. And you certainly do not want that. Targeting local people will direct local traffic to your site, resulting in sales.
- Increased Conversion Rates
One of the advantages of local SEO is that it attracts new customers and increases conversion rates. Joel House Search Media reports that 28% of local searches result in a sale. There is no denying that advantages of local SEO improves conversion rates—increased traffic flow leads to increased sales. When local clients are ready to buy, presenting yourself as an expert in your area can increase your chances of becoming the anchoring point for their sales. Most local searchers prefer to learn about local businesses rather than searching for companies thousands of miles away or making a random online purchase.
- Lower Advertising Expenses
Local businesses thrive with a local audience. As a result, they invest more in advertising channels such as banners, pamphlets, local television commercials, hoarding, and so on. This all costs a lot of money. But what if we told you that by simply optimizing your local SEO, you could save a lot of money? When looking for a specific type of company, over 80% of smartphone users choose the “near me” option. So, by improving your local SEO, you can lower or eliminate all advertising costs.
- Consistent Business Growth
Local SEO initiatives are always aimed at increasing traffic while also improving search engine rankings. As a result, marketing and sales prospects improve. More sales imply more interested customers, resulting in a conscious period of business growth. As a result, spending resources and time on advantages of local SEO metrics is a critical success indicator if you need to develop your local company.
- Long-Term Rankings
What would you say if someone asked you what advantages of local SEO over traditional marketing are? You would respond that doing something once has a longer lasting effect than traditional marketing strategies, in which we waste a lot of money every week to increase sales. One of the primary advantages of local SEO is that you will achieve long-term rankings.
- Competition for Bypass
Local SEO gives you an advantage over your competitor who relies on traditional methods. For example, two companies sell the same product, but one focuses on local SEO while the others use traditional methods. Without a doubt, people will be directed to a company that ranks higher on SERP results because, as buyers, we want to learn more about the product. And since we conduct all of our searches through search engines, we would choose the solution that appears in the search results without hesitation. Practical SEO efforts allow your company to gain a long-term competitive advantage, propelling it far ahead of the competition.
- Increase the number of local reviews
According to Bright Local, 87% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase from a local business. People will love to give honest reviews if you provide good service, which will help you gain more clients. But that won’t be possible unless your company is optimized for local SEO. More customer reviews can be obtained by implementing advantages of local SEO. Responding to customer feedback will also help you rank higher on search engines. Google sees it as a sign of improved customer service. Obtaining local reviews can also help your business in a variety of other ways.
- Establish connections with nearby businesses.
Nowadays, healthy competition is how business works. However, local SEO allows you to build a relationship with your competitor; you may be wondering how. You will gain links from your neighboring business if you cross-promote your products and services. It is a win-win situation for both parties because it will help both companies gain the recognition they seek. Not only that, but it will boost your online visibility.
- Sign up for Google’s 3 Pack
Anothers advantages of local SEO is that it can help you appear in Google’s three-pack. Appearing in Google’s 3-Pack is a great deal; it simply means appearing on the first three results of a keyword’s local search. According to Report Garden, Google’s 3-pack appears at the top of 93% of queries with a regional intent. If you are already using local SEO, you can see how your company is performing online. The three-pack differs from the seven-pack in that it displays more information about a company, such as business hours, a business description, a business address, and other details. As a result, appearing in Google’s 3-Pack is critical for local businesses.
Mobile Optimization
Mobile devices contribute to many online purchases because they are far more convenient. Given this, it is critical for businesses to optimize their websites for mobile and tablet use. The goal of optimization is to make site navigation as simple as possible. If a user is pleased with your website, he is more likely to make a purchase.
- Create-A-Community
Local businesses benefit from building a strong community. Many people enjoy supporting their community by shopping locally. This type of behavior encourages local business owners, which results in community development. It would be beneficial if you informed potential clients that you are destined to be within easy reach of them.
