What is local SEO? A comprehensive guide to improving your local search rankings

Local SEO is a vital tool for connecting with potential customers in your specific geographic area. Whether you operate a shop, a restaurant, or a service-based business; optimising your online presence for local search can significantly increase your visibility and ultimately, your customers.

It’s no secret that we’re living in a mobile first world, with more consumers using their mobiles to find products and services near them. So, mastering local SEO strategies ensures that your business is discovered by the right audience at the right time.

In this post, we’ll explore what local SEO is, why it matters, and how you can effectively optimise your own business for local search.

Contents:

1.  What is local SEO?
2.  Why is local SEO important?
3.  What businesses benefit most from local SEO?
4.  How does local search appear in the SERPs?
5.  Key strategies for improving local SEO

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is essentially all about making your business easier to find for people in your area when they search online. While it might seem like local SEO is pretty much the same as SEO, one crucial difference between the two is the determining factors.

In local SEO these are Proximity (or, in other words, location), Prominence, Relevance. It’s about showing up in Google search results and maps when someone nearby searches for services or products like yours. By optimising your website, using local keywords, and getting reviews or backlinks from local sources, you can improve your chances of showing up on the first page when someone nearby is looking for what you offer.

Why is local SEO important?

Local SEO helps your business gain visibility in the increasingly competitive online space when customers are searching for services near them. It presents an opportunity for smaller local businesses to appear as a top result on the SERP. Without local SEO, that would be very hard if not impossible for new or small businesses especially if they don’t have similar funds to bigger businesses.

Another thing that is just as important is that local SEO results in more conversions. With mobile searches and voice queries like “near me” becoming more and more popular, local SEO helps businesses capture high-intent customers who are actively looking for services or products in their area. Research indicates that 46% of all Google searches have local intent.

However, another interesting insight is that many users visit a business within 24 hours of searching for it. Optimising your website for local SEO increases your chances of being found by potential customers at the right time.

What businesses benefit most from local SEO?

Local SEO can be beneficial for a wide range of businesses, particularly those that rely on foot traffic or serve a specific geographic area. It could also be very beneficial for small or new businesses that are only starting out. Some businesses that benefit most include:

1. Retail: Physical stores benefit from appearing in local search results when customers are looking for products nearby.

2. Bars and Restaurants: Local SEO helps eateries show up in searches like “best pizza near me” or “restaurants in [City].”

3. Service-Based Businesses: Hairdressers, tattoo artists, repairs, etc. benefit from local SEO by appearing in searches for services in specific areas.

4. Cafes and Bakeries: Cafes and bakeries can attract a lot of footfall, especially people who are out shopping or strolling around in lookout for a sweet treat or a cup of tea.

Any business that operates in a defined geographic location or targets local consumers can improve its online presence and attract more customers by implementing local SEO techniques.

How does local search appear in the SERPs?

When users search for local businesses or services (e.g., “best sushi near me”), Google prioritises location-based information. The list of businesses changes depending on where the user is and could show completely different results even a few streets away.

These results often appear in a Local Pack (or Snack Pack) and that is the three most relevant businesses along with a map. It displays key details such as name, address, phone number, and reviews. Some of those elements on the Google business profile could be changed or controlled by the owner of the business to some extent while others are partly controlled by the public or by Google.

The Local Pack is positioned above regular organic search results, making it highly valuable for businesses trying to capture immediate attention as most search clicks go exactly to those first three results.

Local search results also include organic listings below the local pack. These listings feature businesses that have optimized their website content for local. With local keywords and signals, such as local backlinks, NAP consistency (name, address, and phone number), and reviews. By ranking in these local listings, businesses improve their chances of being seen by nearby customers actively seeking their services or products.

Key strategies for improving local SEO

Like general SEO, improving your local SEO requires focused efforts and a combination of strategies to enhance your business’s visibility in search results. Here we’ve gathered some key tactics for local SEO success:

1. Claim and optimise your Google My Business profile

Google My Business (GMB) is one of the most powerful tools for local SEO. By claiming and optimising your profile, you ensure that your business appears in local search results, including the Local Pack that we mentioned earlier. Here’s how to optimise your GMB listing:

• Complete your business profile with accurate information, including business name, address, phone number, and website.

• Add high-quality images of your business, products, and services to encourage engagement.

• Update your hours of operation and make sure they are always current.

• Respond to reviews to show your customers that you care about their feedback.

• Post updates on your GMB profile to share news, promotions, or events.

2. Use local keywords on your website

Incorporate location-specific keywords into your website’s content, titles, headers, and meta descriptions. Using local phrases helps search engines understand the geographic relevance of your content. For businesses that serve multiple locations, creating location-specific landing pages can improve local visibility.

Additionally, consider using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, Advance Web Ranking, etc. to identify popular local search terms relevant to your industry.

3. Build local citations and backlinks

A local citation is any online mention of your business’s NAP (name, address, and phone number). Consistent citations across various online directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, Chamber of Commerce sites, etc.) help improve your business’s credibility and trustworthiness.

Backlinks from authoritative local websites, such as local news outlets, organizations, or event websites, also improve your rankings in local search. The more local and relevant these backlinks are, the stronger your SEO signal becomes.

4. Encourage and manage reviews

Customer reviews are a major ranking factor in local SEO. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business listing, Trustpilot, or other relevant review platforms. Reviews help potential customers gauge the quality of your services, and they influence your ranking in Google’s Local Pack.

It’s never nice to ignore someone, especially the people you want to turn into returning customers or people that can turn into the biggest advocated for your business, so respond to all reviews—both positive and negative. Responding shows engagement with your customers and can improve your online reputation.

5. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly

Since the trend of mobile searches had reached a peak and is here to stay, having a mobile-friendly website is a must. Google’s mobile-first indexing means that your website’s mobile version is used as the primary source for ranking decisions. Make sure your website is responsive, loads quickly, and is easy to navigate on smartphones and tablets.

A seamless mobile experience not only benefits your SEO but also provides a better user experience, leading to increased engagement and higher conversion rates.

6. Add Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Implementing schema markup (structured data) on your website helps search engines understand your business information better. By adding schema markup such as local business, or one of the more specific local schema types, you provide search engines with data like your business name, location, hours, services, and reviews. This can improve the chances of appearing in rich snippets, which may increase visibility and drive more traffic.

Monitoring performance

To truly gauge the effectiveness of your local SEO efforts, it’s crucial to consistently monitor your performance. Using tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and GMB Insights will help you track important metrics such as local keyword rankings, organic traffic, user behaviour, and conversions. Regularly analysing this data will allow you to refine your local SEO strategy and pinpoint areas where improvement is needed.

By implementing the strategies in this article, you can significantly enhance your local SEO efforts. This will not only improve your visibility in search results but also help you connect with more potential customers in your area.

Mastering local SEO is key to standing out in today’s competitive market and it’s only getting more popular. By focusing on the right elements, such as local keyword optimisation and building a strong online presence through local citations and reviews, you’ll increase your chances of attracting customers who are specifically looking for products or services in your location.

Whether you’re a small local business or a larger organisation with multiple locations, investing time and resources into local SEO will help build trust, drive more organic traffic, and ultimately increase sales.