Are you a local business owner? If so, you might think that there is obviously no point in investing resources to optimize your website’s presence in search engines against stalwarts like Amazon or Walmart. But if you want to establish your local business for the local search, you need to ponder over this again.
This is where local SEO comes in. It helps you widen your reach and better connect with the people in your town, city, or neighborhood. You must be surprised to know that nearly 81% of consumers use Google to evaluate their local businesses. That being said, here we have come up with the benefits of Local SEO along with its importance. Let’s get the ball rolling.
Author’s Take
I run a local bakery business and have been in this for 15 years. With digitization making its mark in every industry, I realized that I had to leverage its power and let it work for my bakery business. I hired an SEO agency to boost my bakery’s presence in my entire city. And I am elated to announce that they have helped me reach this goal. I have been successful in gaining more customers for my bakery and earning a loyal customer base
Importance of local SEO
Why does local SEO matter? To answer this, let’s recall some facts to determine the importance of SEO for your business –
- More than half, nearly 61%, of the customers search locally every day.
- A huge 86% of people make Google Maps their trusted source to find the location of a local business.
- 83% of searchers use search engines to gather more information on nearby businesses.
- According to Google Search Engine, 76% of users who conduct local searches on their mobiles tend to visit that local business within one day, and nearly 28% of those searches lead to a purchase.
Seeing the above-mentioned facts, it is clear that local SEO can market your company effectively and bring more people to your store.
Benefits of local SEO
Now that you have known the importance of local SEO, let’s get down to the benefits of local SEO that can prove to be a big sign of transformation.
Relevant web traffic
Targeting the right audience is like fighting an uphill battle. But with the local SEO, it becomes easier. Local SEO helps eliminate irrelevant traffic and ensures that your business runs effectively. How does the local SEO start?
Fill up and optimize your google my business listing profile with accurate information, enlist your business in as many local business directories as possible, and add a local landing page to your site. All these things done correctly will attract the relevant web traffic that you can imagine.
More trust and credibility
There is no shortage of options in anything in the current scenario. Every business wants to show itself in the best light. You can write positively about your business, and people will somewhat believe in it. But to strengthen that trust, you need to enhance brand awareness. Individuals hesitate to put their trust in businesses they have never heard of before. And local SEO has the power to fix this inconvenience.
Optimizing your local business for local search is the way to appear on the first pages of the Google search engine. And if you are successful in getting your name in the first 5 positions, people will likely trust you more. Besides, individuals are giving more attention to online reviews. So, ask your trusted customers to write testimonials for you and let others know you are really the best in the market.
Better online visibility
The next in the list of local SEO benefits include better online visibility. Many people rely on the internet to put an end to their quest for information. Tools like Google Maps have made their name in the digital marketing industry by providing clear directions to the people to your local business.
It also shows some reviews by potential customers so that they can make informed decisions. You can use SEO tools to see your business at the top of the search engines. All in all, local SEO results in better online visibility of your local business.
Exposure in local listings
Local SEO gives you exposure to be included in the local listings. People refer to local listings to gather specific information. If you are successful in including your business in as many local directories as possible, people will consider you as a trusted and credible organization.
The most famous business directory is Google My Business. But it is not limited to that. You can also leverage other business directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Bing, to name a few. For instance – If your competitors are making waves on GMB, you can outperform them on any other listings like Bing or Yelp.
Helps retain customers
One of the best advantages of local seo is that it helps build a loyal customer base and retain customers. When your business has made its name on the local listings, it will pop up in front of your customers who are searching for it. Now it is up to them to decide whether to call you or visit your store.
You will be able to make their experience the best in the world. So, the next time they consider buying the same thing, they will think of your business and are more likely to make a purchase. Thus assisting you in not only winning loyal customers but also retaining them.
Final words
With a plethora of strategies out there, local SEO is really worth the investment if your business depends on local consumers and you want to shine in your area. Our SEO agency, SEO Propellant, can really assist you in achieving this goal and letting the world know about your business. Get in touch with us for more information.