What is Local SEO and which businesses is it important for?
Over the years, search engines have become smarter in figuring out a searcher’s search intent. For instance, when customers search for a business or service on google.com using a geo location in their search query such as “San Diego SEO” or “SEO Company San Diego”, the intention is to find a nearby firm that offers seo services. Local SEO could play a vital role in the success of business. Any business that gets its clients locally, such as a restaurant, doctor, or dentist needs to rank high on search results and so it needs local SEO. Local SEO is particularly important for brick and mortar businesses that have one or more physical locations. In general, the following types of businesses need local SEO:
Service Companies
Any service-based business such as a restaurant, a salon, a hotel or a bank, which has a physical location and relies on local customers, needs to improve its local search engine ranking. If the business appears near the top of local search results it is likely to draw in more traffic.
The great thing about local SEO is that it is a great equalizer. Your family-owned nail salon may not be as big as a nail salon that is part of a global franchise, but if your local SEO is in place, it could attract more traffic than the local franchise. Your nail salon may not turn up on search results worldwide, but if you are a family-owned business with a single outlet, you don’t need customers from other countries anyway.
Franchises and businesses with multiple locations
Even franchises, such as McDonald need local traffic wherever they are located. Big global franchises with multiple locations should work on local SEO to benefit from improving their local rankings.
Locations that house multiple businesses
Office buildings that house several businesses, buildings with private clinics or law offices and malls with many stores all need local traffic and can benefit from local SEO.
Agencies
Any firms that provide services to local business, such as advertising agencies, website companies and marketing firms will benefit from local SEO.
More and more businesses, big and small are realizing the importance of online presence. As the trend shifts to more geo-specific searches, ranking for local search queries will become instrumental in making local businesses stand out. If you own a business that relies on local customers, you need to ensure that your business is found on Google or Bing when searchers are searching for your products or services locally. Want a strong presence in local searches? Get in touch and talk to one of our experts. We know how to help.