It’s likely you have heard that you need a local marketing strategy. But what is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the marketing term, it can be more commonly known as local search. The idea is to provide a more integrated approach to the marketing of a brick and mortar business. This is especially important since 72 percent of consumers who perform a local search visit a store within five miles. If a company meets with its customers directly — either through a storefront or service area — it’s termed a “local business”. This employs unique set of techniques and skills to increase visibility on the Internet.
Below is an image that displays what local search is.
Local SEO is not a one and done form of Internet Marketing. Good local SEO builds upon a base of clear business information. It uses an array of marketing practices to transform an unknown brand into a local household word.
Factors In Local Search
Listing Consistency
The way you conceptualize and market your type of local business will be based on the Guidelines for Representing Your Business On Google. Your Google My Business listing is the most important listing you build for your company. Failure to comply with Google’s guidelines can result in ranking failures and even listing takedowns. Additionally, you will want to claim/verify these pages and then correct or complete the information on the pages.
- Bing Places for Business
- Yahoo!
- Yelp
These websites can all have a big impact on your local search ranking. So make sure your information is correct and consistent across them all.
Site Relevancy
You need to have a site that has authority and relevancy. This can occur through your websites age. However you can achieve relevancy through your site mentions on or earning quality links. Low quality links or links from bad sources degrade your rankings. Many surveys and studies have demonstrated links from quality sources build your sites link rankings.
Site Quality
Quick Loading websites, good code structure, and a site that loads well on all devices. You want a site that is easy to use and meets basic quality goals. Additionally you do not want to have a site with a poor user experience.
Schema
Schema is coding on your site that makes certain pieces of data easy for Google to read. This allows google to understand items such as: business name, logo, social media, contact information. Schema plays an important role in Google recognizing a local business. Sadley, at the moment only 32% of businesses employ this.
Reviews
Reviews may be the most influential Internet factor for any local business. It’s estimated that 92% of consumers read online reviews and 68% state that positive reviews influence their feelings of trust in a business. Every local business needs a strategy for encouraging customers to leave reviews on a variety of platforms. The number of reviews you earn can impact local search rankings. Positive and negative sentiments in those reviews can impact conversions and earnings.
Publishing
The moment any local business steps onto the web, it becomes a publisher. Your communications with consumers may include the basic text content of your website, a blog, video or image content, owner responses to reviews, and social media participation. Search engines not only measure content quality, but also the way in which users interact with content. This means the content you produce should result in high levels of user engagement. Additionally, your content may be shared by your industry and consumer base, further promoting your business.
Local search marketing strives to engage consumers in a specific geographic area. Nearly all local SEO techniques require ongoing effort. This is especially important as a business invests in the continual growth of brand visibility and recognition within a targeted community.
