With An Easy Guide to Local SEO, you will learn the essential ideas of local search engine optimization. It is a highly effective strategy that all professional web developers use to enhance their websites.

This guide covers the definition of local SEO, how it works, and how it is different from global SEO. It explains who should be using local SEO and how it benefits them. Many valuable local SEO strategies will be described. Lastly, An Easy Guide to Local SEO stresses that websites must avoid SEO penalties. It discusses what causes penalties to occur and how to recover from them.

This guide emphasizes that local SEO is vital for small businesses that use their website to secure loyal clients. Local SEO is essential for brand awareness and excellent conversion rates. Ultimately, An Easy Guide to Local SEO will help web developers and business owners gain traction with nearby customers.

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search engine optimization (SEO) raises a web page’s visibility on search result pages by using several techniques. Sites that follow SEO practices earn a high page ranking and appear on the front page of the search results. They will be simple for users to find.

Local SEO algorithms were produced around 2004. In particular, local search engine optimization caters to a specific geographic location. This means using methods to place a website at the top of the search results for a local area.

Local SEO Word Cloud, image by The Pinnacle List

How Search Engines and Local SEO Work

When something is looked up on the internet, a search engine is being used. A search engine is a program that lets people discover information on the world wide web. Currently, the most popular search engine around the world is Google.

Search engines use a process where robots (web crawlers) scan sites to gather their information. The search engine uses that data to conclude which websites match the user’s search. Sites related to their search are given high page ranks and show up first on the results page.

Web developers will improve their websites according to the factors that web crawlers look for. Local SEO takes advantage of this process to increase a website’s local page rank. This guide will delve deeper into local SEO strategies in later sections.

Global VS. Local SEO

It’s important to note the differences between global SEO and local SEO. These techniques target different audiences, and they will define a website’s competition.

Global SEO (or international SEO) is the action of making a site accessible to multiple countries. Global SEO techniques are used by businesses that serve several nations to attract customers worldwide.

On the other hand, local SEO will make a website easy to find for local searches. Local searches occur when the user includes the name of an area or when their GPS location is used. Local SEO is used by companies that aim to attract nearby clients. In comparison to global SEO, local SEO is often less costly.

Who Needs Local SEO?

Companies with a physical building, serving a specific location, or sending employees to their customers should utilize local SEO. It drives more traffic towards their website and store. Moreover, local SEO helps gain loyal customers. Small businesses are suggested to take advantage of local SEO strategies because more people will discover their business online.

To highlight how important local SEO is for companies, local searches are made every day by consumers. The number of mobile Google searches that include “where to buy” and “near me” has increased by over 200% between 2018 and 2019. Additionally, the number of Google queries with the phrase “support local businesses” has risen 20,000% during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Benefits of Local SEO

Using Local SEO strategies will help convince search engines that a website is relevant to a person’s search. In other words, a website optimized by local SEO will reach the top of the local search results page. More users will visit the site. The brand which owns the website will be benefited from local SEO in ways that secure their success.

Gain Customers and Make Sales

Being at the top of the local results page is critical. Only the first five links have a click-through rate larger than 10%. This means that websites appearing after the fifth position are being ignored by potential customers. Local SEO will help websites reach the top quickly.

Businesses that use local SEO also see a growth in sales. In 2016, 28% of mobile searches with a location lead to a purchase.

Furthermore, recall that consumers actively want to support local businesses. After visiting the website once, they are likely to remember the brand and return to make another purchase.

Increase Credibility

People assume that Google offers trustworthy links on the front page of the search results. This is generally true since search engines examine the webpage’s content to check for credibility. Consumers will believe that the top sites on the results page are reliable and offer quality products.

Challenge Business Competitors

Local SEO gives brands a competitive edge by providing them a better online presence, additional sales, and more substantial credibility. This is especially useful for small businesses. It increases the company’s market share and continuously promotes the brand.

Spend Less on Advertisements

The recognition earned through local SEO rivals that of other marketing strategies. For instance, paid search ads are less likely to guide potential consumers to a website. In 2019, only 15% of website traffic is from paid search ads, while 53% is from organic visits. Businesses get more leads through local SEO, and they may purchase fewer ad spots.

Improving a Site’s Local SEO

Local SEO techniques can be essential for small businesses to flourish. But business owners must be thoughtful about how their site is developed. Many SEO experts agree that content, links, contact information, reviews, and online business tools impact their website’s page rank.

Local SEO Techniques, infographic by Megumi Invencion

Keywords

Keywords are essential terms and phrases that indicate what a webpage is about. A webpage’s content should include the keywords numerous times. Web crawlers can then recommend that page when a user searches with the same terms. In 2017, keyword research improved the number of visitors to one blog by 80%.

To increase its effectiveness, keyword research will reveal what terms should be used to improve the site’s ranking. It can show how effective specific keywords are in attracting visitors. Trending keywords that consumers are using may be found with keyword research.

Link Building

Link building is getting other web pages to hyperlink to your website. Web crawlers believe that a website is reliable if multiple trustworthy sources hyperlink it. The site would have a higher page rank.

Website owners claim that having good links is one of the most critical factors for local search ranking. One survey shows that link signals determine 31% of a site’s rank.

The primary way a brand can start link building is by requesting external websites to link to their pages. This means asking journalists or bloggers to reference their website where appropriate or sponsoring events for advertising.

A web developer can also do internal link building. This is when one page contains a link to a different page from the same website. It guarantees that web crawlers find all the pages on your site.

Citations/NAP

A citation is writing the contact information of a business on the webpage. Usually, it discloses the business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP).

Search engines can use this information to determine if the business is near the customer. It also proves that the company is genuine.

Citations help brands get discovered by customers who can reach them. Companies can improve their citations by keeping them consistent among several web pages and adding business photos. Their industry category should be mentioned, too.

Online Reviews

Reviews are helpful for customers and the business. It is the second most influential factor that controls a business’s position in Google’s local pack. One study claims that the number of reviews impacts a website’s rank and position on the Google Maps results.

Therefore, brands should ask their clients for an online review. Responding to comments will raise visibility and show customers that their opinions are valuable.

Google My Business

Google My Business (GMB) is arguably the primary factor that brands should make use of. GMB signals are the most significant component that decides a company’s position in the local pack. One survey shows that local SEO professionals think that companies must have a GMB listing.

Clients also demonstrate that GMB information is essential. One report states that 64% of customers use GMB to find contact information, and 50% of consumers use GMB to get directions.

To get the most out of GMB, business owners should complete their company profile with accurate information. They should provide a list of their products, their NAP, and industry type. Their GMB listing will be optimized if they create GMB posts. The brand would interact with clients, gain visitors, and raise its page rank.

Case Study

Analyzing how other businesses are using local SEO strategies is a great way to discover new tactics. For this case study, say a user ty” es “Seattle City Marke “ing” into Google. The search engine returns a local pack and organic results. This case study will focus on the Seattle Marketing business.

In the local pack, there are three marketing businesses from Seattle. The first company in the local pack is Top City Marketing, likely because they have quality signals. This shows search engines that their brand is trustworthy, so they show up in the local pack.

SEO Penalties

Search engines wish to give their users quality information. If a search engine or human reviewer thinks that a webpage does not meet its standards, SEO penalties will be provided. Google penalties are often caused by hidden text and spam on a website. Penalties are also triggered by sites that give different content to search engines than to humans.

Penalties are bad for businesses because they lower their site’s rank. Users will not find their site, and the brand loses revenue.

The only way to remove penalties is by editing the website to meet the search engine’s standards. This might be rewriting text, removing third-party scripts, or disowning links from other sites that direct to your page. If a human gave the penalty, the website owner must also send a Reconsideration Request.

Takeaway on Local SEO

Overall, local SEO helps small businesses get discovered and provides continuous growth for more prominent brands. Local SEO methods, such as using keywords or creating a GMB profile, will make your site appear first on the results page. However, it is essential to avoid SEO penalties when you create your webpage. Local SEO is a very powerful tool that all website owners should be utilizing.