Every small business owner in the modern business world has heard the term “local SEO” over and over again. Every time you research digital marketing and branding, SEO is one of the first things that comes up.
This is for good reason. As a small local business owner, you need local SEO to put you on the map, particularly with consumers in your community.
But what exactly is local SEO and why do you need it?
We’re here to answer all of your questions. Keep reading for a quick breakdown of local SEO and why it’s necessary for a successful business.
What is Local SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s the coding used by search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo to find the most relevant content online based on keyword searches. Local SEO takes it a step further to narrow down the most relevant content based on keywords and geographical location.
Local SEO includes organic phrases like “near me” and geographic keywords (towns, cities, etc.).
Why Do You Need It?
You need local SEO services to build your online presence. Did you know that nearly 88% of consumers research products and services online before they buy? Most of these searches begin with search engines. If your website isn’t coming up in the search results, you’ve got no chance of capturing these leads.
Organic Website Traffic
Clearly, SEO is all about gaining organic website traffic via search engines. The higher your SEO ranking is, the more consumers will naturally be led to your website when looking for information, products, or services in your industry.
You can increase your SEO ranking by publishing relevant articles full of effective keywords. Use this content to increase your SEO ranking and provide valuable information to potential customers.
Community Brand Awareness
SEO and local SEO go hand-in-hand but have some distinguishing differences. As a small local business owner, you benefit most from local website traffic. For example, if you offer HVAC products and services in Houston, TX, it won’t do you any good if your website is popular in Montana.
Using this example, local SEO will direct home and business owners in Houston to your website when they Google things like “HVAC repair near me” or “HVAC services in Houston, TX.” Furthermore, most computers and mobile devices use GPS software to determine the user’s location. In most cases, their devices will automatically pull up local options, regardless of their keyword usage.
Lead Generation and Sales
Ultimately, using local SEO companies and digital marketing services like the William Lawrence Agency comes down to one thing – generating more leads and making more sales. The easier people can find you online (aka – you’re online visibility), the more leads you’re going to generate. From there, it’s up to you’re website design, content, and sales skills to convert website visitors into customers.
Looking to Improve Your Local SEO?
As you can see, local SEO is vital for small businesses to thrive in a competitive business world. You must make your brand visible to the consumers in your community.
For more help making this happen, look through some of our other SEO articles while you’re here. Our blog was created to help entrepreneurs like you find success, no matter what industry you’re in.