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The Benefits of Local SEO for Small Businesses

February 19, 2022

In today’s digital world, ranking high on search engine results pages (SERPs) is more important than ever for businesses. With so many people searching for local businesses online, having a strong local search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy can help your business stand out from the competition and attract new customers.

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is a term used to describe the process of optimising a website for local search results. This can include optimising the website content, as well as the location data associated with the site, to promote the products or services within a local area.

It’s important to note that a website cannot be both local and global. For example, if your business has a shop in a specific area, then it will have a local URL, that is, ‘.au’.

Local SEO is all about localising your website. Your site should be relevant to the area it’s in and should not be seen as a generic global site.

The most important factor in local SEO is the use of keywords – you can’t just have a generic site and hope for the best, it needs to be relevant. Including all the keywords you want your website to rank for is vital since it’s virtually impossible for Google to find your website without them.

So if this is a bit of a shock and you’re not quite sure your business website is best placed to show up in Google rankings, it’s time to start investing in a local SEO keyword strategy today!

How Does Local SEO Work?

Local SEO is becoming increasingly important as more and more people use their smartphones to search for local businesses and services. According to Google, approximately 30% of mobile searches are locally-focussed and 76% of those searches lead to a store visit within a day.

The main purpose of local SEO is to increase the number of people that visit your website by optimising it for local search results using relevant keywords. That means, making your business visible to the target audience.

However, competition is fierce.

Hundreds of thousands of businesses compete for the attention of visitors online. So, if your business website isn’t optimised for local search, and you fail to stand out from the crowd, you’re missing out on a lot of traffic.

SEO for local businesses helps you stand out by ensuring your website is better positioned within your industry than your competitors. This strategy helps promote your products or services to the right audience, which can ultimately increase leads and sales.

What Are the Benefits of Local SEO?

A common misconception is that local businesses face less competition. But the truth is, competition is even fiercer at the local level. That’s why SEO experts recommend that any local business looking to stand out should integrate business SEO to get ahead.

Here are 5 ways optimising your website for SEO can help boost your business.

1. Increased Online Visibility

Businesses have a lot to gain from local SEO. For starters, increased visibility is one of the main benefits.

When your business appears in local search results, it’s more likely to be seen by potential customers who are looking for a business like yours. And since 81% of consumers conduct online research before making a purchase, it’s important to make sure your business is easily found.

For example, a business that offers catering services could use local SEO to appear in SERPs when people in the area search for keywords like “catering services near me.” This way, the business can reach out to potential customers who are already interested in what they have to offer.

Local SEO can also help businesses attract more customers from their local area. In fact, studies show that 82% of consumers are more likely to buy from a local business if they can find it online.

One way to increase your business’s presence online is to create a Google Business Profile and keep it up to date with accurate information including full address, phone number, and hours of operation.

2. Increased User Traffic

Local SEO can be an effective way to increase traffic to a business’ website. When a business’ website appears higher in search results for relevant terms, it means that more people will see it.

When people are searching for a business’s products or services, they’re more likely to click on the business’ website if it appears near the top of the search results than if it’s lower down or not listed at all. On Google, for instance, the first 5 results on the page, excluding paid ads, get 67.6% of all user clicks.

There are a number of strategies that can be used, including optimising your website content for local keywords, creating location-based web pages, and adding your business to online directories.

Additionally, local SEO can help businesses rank higher in Google Maps and other location-based searches, which can result in more traffic and customer leads.

3. Increased Customer Engagement

There’s no question that increased customer engagement is critical to the success of any business, regardless of size or industry. So, it’s important to understand what motivates customers and what keeps them engaged.

Businesses in particular have a unique opportunity when it comes to local SEO. Since they’re typically more focussed on their local community, they can create a more personal connection with customers and lead to repeat business.

Local SEO also allows businesses to target specific customers in their area. This means that they can cater their services and products to meet the needs of their community.

As a result, customers are more likely to trust and engage with a business that is relevant to them.

Businesses should consider using local SEO as a way to connect with customers and keep them engaged. It can be an effective way to build trust and loyalty among customers, which can lead to more sales and greater success in the long run.

4. Increased Trust and Authority

When a customer searches for a business online and the business appears in the search results with accurate information, it builds trust. The customer knows that the business is legitimate and can be trusted to provide the services that are being searched for.

As mentioned earlier, local SEO helps businesses to appear higher in the search results, which means more potential customers will see the business’s website. This increases the chances that the customer will visit the site and learn more about what the business has to offer.

Optimising a website for SEO also allows you to create high-quality and locally relevant content that ranks favourably on search engines. This helps to attract potential customers within your geographic focus and builds authority.

With increased authority, local SEO can help businesses compete with larger companies. When customers are looking for a business in their area, they’re more likely to choose the one that appears first in local search results.

So, with proper optimisation, your business can rank higher than multinational companies.

5. Increased Local Following

When it comes to local SEO, businesses have a unique opportunity to optimise their website for an increased local following. There are a few key things that can be done in order to make sure that your website is seen by those who are searching for businesses in your area.

The most important part of local SEO is making sure that all of the business’ information is accurate and up-to-date across all online directories and listings. Additionally, businesses should create locally-targeted content, which can help to improve their website’s ranking in SERPs for relevant queries.

Increasing the number of followers you have on social media platforms can greatly increase the potential for new customers. This improves the odds of circulating the news of a trusted local business to people within the area.

Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more recently TikTok, is an effective campaign tool for local SEO. Engaging with your audience through social media can help grow your brand awareness and local reputation by answering queries and receiving great reviews.

What Are the Best SEO Practices for Businesses?

One of the most important things to remember is that SEO is an ongoing process and there’s no such thing as overnight success.

It’s important to continually update your website with new content and optimise your pages for keywords. You can also use SEO tools to help track your progress and measure the effectiveness and success of particular strategies.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that not all SEO techniques are created equal. Some methods are more effective than others, and some can even hurt your website’s ranking.

Tactics such as black hat SEO, which is when you try to game Google’s algorithm, should be avoided. In contrast, strategies like white hat SEO is a more ethical and effective approach to online marketing.

So it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and practices to keep your business prominent and relevant on Google. Focusing your efforts on improving these factors can help your site rank above the competition and drive user user traffic.

Want to learn more about the value of SEO? Click here.

Bottom Line

Local SEO is a valuable tool for businesses to reach new customers and grow their business. By optimising their website and listings for local search, businesses can improve their visibility, attract more customers and connect with their community

At Novo Digital Agency, our team of expert digital marketers offer affordable SEO services for businesses. So, contact us today to discuss how we can help position your local business above the competition, increase conversions, and generate more profit!

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