Why Local SEO is Important For Small Businesses

When you want a service or product and you want it now, where do you head to? Google of course! 

And when you’re using search engines to find that Chinese takeaway you’ve been craving all week, you’re likely to find exactly what you want in your local area.

This is where local SEO springs into action to get you your spring rolls.

In fact, 76% of people who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a related business within a day, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase.

Local search makes your business stand out in the local area and targets customers who are most likely to use your services or swing by your store.

If that statistic hasn’t convinced you how important your local SEO efforts can be, take a look at our handy (Dandy) guide to why local SEO is important for small business.

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is the process of improving local search results on search engines.

On Google, this entails assisting your company’s listing in the Local Pack/Map Pack to rank higher and show up more frequently in response to a larger number of relevant search terms.

29% of Google search results contain a local pack. 

And those Map Pack results will be prominently shown on the first page of the search results when its algorithms determine that your purpose is local — in a nutshell, that you are looking for something nearby.

For example, if you need a dentist and you’re in Manchester…

What is required for local SEO?

Of course, you’ll need a website, and you’ll need to create a Google Business Profile. You’ll then need to optimise both for local keywords.

The main things that are required for local SEO are

• Website
• Google Business Profile
• Local listings (citations)
• Local links (chambers of commerce, local bloggers etc)

Here is some of the main business information you’re likely to find in local searches:

• Business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Website URL

This NAP (name, address, phone number) data is crucial, and needs to be kept correct and consistent everywhere it is mentioned throughout the world wide web. 

All of the above points your local customers in the right direction!

Best practices for SEO generally include following Google’s Search Essentials and focusing on the user experience on your website.

If you want your website to appear in organic search results where Google has concluded that the query has a local intent, doing this is crucial.

5 benefits of Local SEO for small businesses

Small and local businesses will mostly rely on customers in the area, particularly if they have a stand alone physical shop.

In fact, 88% of people who conducted a local search on their phone visited a related store within a week.

If you’re a new small business you should want to get your business listed locally, here’s why local search engine optimisation is crucial:

1. Find more customers

Fundamentally, SEO is all about promoting your company. Finding additional consumers is therefore the largest advantage of doing it correctly. The primary objective of SEO is to raise your company’s placement in search results.

Remember those spring rolls we mentioned earlier? There’s a good chance someone is already searching for the good or service you provide. You can connect with these suitable (or hungry) customers who are still in the discovery stage with the aid of local SEO.

When done correctly, SEO raises the rating of your website and places your company in front of the perfect customer, increasing sales.

2. Local SEO results are measurable

Data is king in today’s business and marketing world. 

One of the most important strategies to advance your business is to have accurate information and to analyse it for useful insights. Local SEO for a small business owner gathers vital data about the performance of your website and gives you a proper idea of how you can improve it.

Thus, SEO gives you quantifiable information that you can use to further boost your business on Google search results!

Make sure you have Google Analytics added to your website and Google Search Console set up to track performance and see what keywords are driving clicks to your website.

If you’re not already measuring your data, it’s a good idea to conduct an SEO audit of your website before coming up with a new SEO strategy! 

Grab a free SEO audit today with Dandy

3. Drive brand awareness

With the right local SEO strategy, your company will be more likely to appear at the top of search results for people looking for specific local products and services using local keywords. 

As such, your brand’s recognition will grow as more people see the results. This also indicates that they are more likely to visit your website or specifically search for you in the future.

On the other side, SEO is also influenced by brand recognition. When your brand becomes an authority on a topic or local service, you’ll receive a boost to your SEO in Google searches as it grows more trusted, well-known and remembered. That is very important to search engines.

Basically, SEO and brand awareness are like two peas in a pod!

4. Long lasting rankings

SEO outcomes last a long time, in contrast to traditional marketing where the influence of adverts only lasts for a short time. Once you are ranked in the SERPs, you are likely to stay there for a long time, but only if you maintain and update information to maximise your local SEO efforts.

Although it is not always guaranteed, you will often achieve long-lasting search engine rankings as long as you maintain all of your efforts.

5. Business growth

The main goals of organised local SEO campaigns are always to increase traffic and raise search engine rankings. As a result, sales and leads improve. A self-sustaining cycle of business growth is created when better sales attract more local customers.

Therefore, investing time and money into local SEO measures is a crucial success metric if you want to grow your small business.

Looking for an expert SEO strategy for your small or local business?

SEO is a key channel when it comes to digital marketing for small businesses. So, we hope you’ve found this guide to local SEO helpful and to the point, just like we are.

If you’re struggling to get your business off the ground and onto Google maps, we’re here to make all those local SEO benefits a reality with our SEO management services.

At Dandy, we take pride in being a full-service SEO company that provides thorough audits, expert advice, and top-notch service. In order to consistently produce highest-quality results, we believe in putting our clients’ needs first.

So, what are you waiting for? Book your FREE SEO Audit today!

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