Local SEO for Small Businesses: Attract More Customers in Your Area

by Syan Dhariwal SEO

Local SEO is considered a significant part of search engine marketing that small businesses might prefer. With it, your brand becomes more visible on local search results and, thus, increases the likelihood of being found by possible buyers.

By specifically optimizing the website and the Google My Business entry, companies can strengthen their local presence and optimize the ranking for relevant local search queries.

Online reviews also play a crucial role, as they strengthen the trust of potential customers and can, therefore, indirectly influence the ranking. Local SEO Services for Small Businesses provides not only a broader reach of the local market but also a rise in revenues through a more substantial number of area customers. Therefore, small businesses definitely need to leverage the strength of local SEO tools to compete successfully against other local businesses otherwise they will be at a disadvantage.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is local search engine optimization, so it becomes somewhat “location-dependent.” Remember that more and more users are using local search offers not only on their PCs at home but also while on the go. This means, for example, that you enter the search term “restaurant + location” for the place where you live to receive corresponding search results from the surrounding area. The advantage for you as a local entrepreneur is that you meet your target group exactly where they are: in front of your door!

Significance of Local SEO

Local SEO is one of the best ways to establish a local business. Thanks to the local search results, you will be found much more easily, because these days hardly anyone uses a business directory to look for a business, a specific product or a service.

You can also use local SEO for those people in your target group who don't live near you.

Suppose you are visiting a foreign city and, having just arrived, you want to know which sights you should visit, which restaurants are recommended and where you can stay overnight. In the past, you would probably have stopped at the tourist information office or consulted a travel guide (which is not available for most small towns)

Nowadays, hardly anyone searches this way anymore, because the most obvious way is to pick up your cell phone and browse the local search results so that you can find the most popular results within a few seconds and go directly to the corresponding places.

Local SEO is therefore very relevant, equally for companies in small and large cities. If there are hardly any other companies in your industry that have dealt with local search engine optimization, you will have a clear competitive advantage and even if there are already other companies that use local search engine optimization, there are various ways to promote your company's push to achieve the best possible ranking.

Local SEO for small businesses puts content first

Well-optimized website content is the path to top positions in organic search results. However, properly conducted keyword research can also help improve your ranking in local search results. Localized content and location-specific landing pages clarify that you are based in that geographic area and are not attempting to use the Google Company Profile platform as a national or global company.

A location-specific landing page

You should also make sure that your website itself is in optimal SEO condition – with no broken links and a user-friendly website structure. Build a few local links from other local websites that are happy to recommend you, or offer to write content for them in exchange for a backlink to your website. In addition to the content on your website and blog, you should plan to upload new content to your Google business profile regularly.

For which type of companies is SEO Important?

Many SMEs benefit from local SEO. For example, it is elementary for the fruit merchant who sells his goods at the weekly market, the hairdresser, or the painter who relies on customers from the region. Craft businesses of all kinds, artists, retail and wholesale, service providers, consumer facilities, and much more. – local search engine optimization proves to be the right decision for almost all types of companies with a regional connection.

The important ranking factors in local search

Proximity to the location you are looking for

A ranking factor that you cannot influence directly, but which is very important, is the distance of the user to your location. The closer it is to your business, the higher your chances of appearing in search results.

NAP

“NAP” stands for “Name, Address, Phone Number”. Make sure that all entries on the website, in various business directories, on social media channels, on various review portals and also on Google My Business are identical and spelled the same. It is advisable to follow the DIN standard 5008 here.

Local Citation

Local Citation involves, for example, having the company listed in various advertising directories. These entries do not have to be linked to the website.

SEO On-page factors

The use of the most important keyword in the meta title also plays a crucial role. It is also important that your name, address and telephone number can be found on the website.

Backlinks

Backlinks that point to your own site can also significantly improve the ranking in local searches. This includes, for example, links that are placed on your website from business directories or review portals.

Google My Business

One of the first steps to take to positively influence local search results is to create a Google My Business account. Only with this is it possible for it to be displayed in Google Maps.

Conclusion

SEO Consulting for Startups is one of the foremost steps to initiate your local SEO journey. So make sure you enlist good agencies and get your organic SEO growth. You also need to read this blog: How to Effectively Resolve SEO Issues.