You’ve probably heard of SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, in this day and age of digital marketing. But have you ever wondered what it is and how it can benefit your business?
Simply put, local SEO efforts are aimed at driving as much traffic to a website as possible by ranking it higher in search engine result pages (SERPs). In other words, when users search for a specific topic (also known as a keyword), an SEO-optimized website is more likely to appear near the top of the results.
In this article, we will look in depth at one type of SEO effort – local SEO for small businesses – and how it can benefit you. Continue reading to learn more!
What Exactly Is Local SEO?
Local SEO, also known as Map SEO, is a relatively new type of SEO that has gained traction in recent years. It optimizes your Google My Business (GMB) profile by using links and keywords. Local SEO optimization strategies include the following:
- Updated NAP- your company’s name, address, and phone number.
- Image geotagging.
- Link-building and other interactions via your GMB profile.
According to Forbes, maps are used by 30% to 40% of customers to find local businesses in their area. Local SEO optimization enables your small business to achieve high map visibility and capitalize on this opportunity.
The Most Important Advantages of Local SEO for Small Businesses
Now, let’s take a look at some of the most relevant benefits of optimizing the local SEO for your small business.
Increase Customer Reach
SEO is fundamentally about marketing your company. As a result, the most significant advantage of doing it correctly is gaining more customers. The primary goal of SEO is to improve your company’s ranking in search results. This attracts more visitors to your online business profile, who can then be converted into customers.
Locate Customers Who Are Looking For Your Product
People are almost certainly looking for the product or service that you provide. Local SEO assists you in connecting with these relevant customers who are in the discovery stage.
When done correctly, SEO raises your website’s ranking and places your company in front of the right customers, resulting in increased sales.
Boost Traffic
SEO is primarily concerned with increasing traffic to your online profile or website. While not all traffic will result in sales, it is safe to say that the more the merrier. More people visiting your website means more chances of selling your product. Additionally, increased traffic organically spreads the word about your business.
Improve Your Reach to Your Target Audience
Because SEO uses relevant keywords to market your business, it increases the likelihood of reaching your target audience. This essentially means that people looking for a specific product or service will come across your company and be directed to your website or online marketplace.
Boost Conversion Rates
Local SEO for small businesses is critical to increasing conversion rates. This is primarily due to the fact that SEO attracts relevant traffic that is already interested in your product. As a result, the opportunity for sales grows, resulting in a higher conversion rate.
Avoid Your Competitors
Consider two companies that sell the same product in the same area. However, one has a well-optimized local SEO presence, whereas the other relies solely on traditional marketing efforts. Which do you believe customers will gravitate toward in this age of digital connectivity?
Proper SEO efforts enable your company to gain a long-term competitive advantage, propelling it far ahead of the competition.
Increase Brand Awareness
People who use keywords to search for specific products will most likely find your company near the top of search engines. Your brand’s awareness will grow as more people see the results. This means they are more likely to visit your website or search for you specifically in the future.
Create an Easy-to-Use Website
Improved SEO for most search engines entails a better customer experience on your website. Google, for example, is very picky about the type of information available on a website in order for it to be ranked higher in its searches. This effectively translates into a user-friendly website that contains all of the necessary information for SEO rankings.
Finally, a user-friendly interface attracts more customers, increasing profitability.
Lower the cost per acquisition
SEO has a significant cost advantage over other marketing efforts such as advertising. If you can do it yourself, it is mostly free. If you are unsure about your website coding skills and algorithms, your best bet is to hire a small business SEO company to assist you. This is a worthwhile investment in the development of your brand.
Obtain Long-Term Rankings
Unlike traditional marketing, where advertisements have a limited impact, SEO results are long-lasting. While you must keep all of your information up to date in order to optimize your local SEO, once you rank in the SERPs, you are likely to stay there for a long time.
Though it is not always guaranteed, if you maintain your efforts, you will achieve long-term search engine rankings.
Consistent Business Growth
Local SEO efforts are always focused on increasing traffic while improving search engine rankings. As a result, sales and marketing leads improve. Improved sales attract more interested customers, resulting in a self-sustaining cycle of business growth.
So, if you want to grow your small business, investing time and resources in local SEO measures is an important success metric.
SEO Results Can Be Measured
Data is king in today’s business and marketing world. Having accurate information and analyzing it to gain valuable insights are two of the most important ways to take your business to the next level. Local SEO for small businesses gathers vital information about how your website is performing and provides you with a clear picture of how you can improve.
As a result, SEO provides you with measurable data that can be used to improve your bottom line.
