Today, let’s pick up on What is Local SEO & its importance on small businesses?
Local SEO works exactly as a native guide to its users. Especially when they are looking for a store or business that owns a physical location. In fact, it’s an SEO approach that allows your departmental store to be more noticeable. In a word, it is a procedure of optimizing your products/services according to your user’s query.
So, how does Google or other search engines let users find your store?
The answer to this is easy-peasy. Search Engines like Google track the location of the users out of IP addresses and geolocation ( for desktop and mobile users, respectively).
So, how does Local SEO work?
If you are the owner of a restaurant, saloon, or an agency you would definitely want your business to be easily accessible. And that’s exactly where Google My Business (GMB) gets you off the hook.
When your services are classified on GMB, it multiplies your visibility on Google Maps, Local Finder, or Local Pack. And that happens when you optimize for local queries. Since it gives a hint to Google to let know that your business is positioned in a precise area.
Here, Local Business Schema markup helps to signal Google that you own a local business. For this purpose, you can design a local landing page. Here, Yoast SEO provides a plugin called Local SEO plugin that makes the job easier. You just need to submit your business details, and the said plugin will extract the facts in the Schema markup.
In addition to this, creating and adding all the appropriate details on the Google My Business account is mandatory.
Now, let’s understand the importance of Local SEO for small businesses.
The significance of Local SEO for small entrepreneurs is immeasurable for a higher footfall. As reported by Google, 46% of searches are targeted with local search intent. This tells the whole story. In addition to that, when you optimize for Local SEO, you have a higher chance for your potential customers to reach your physical store.
Local SEO helps entrepreneurs in the following ways-
- Helps to outsmart your local competitors.
- Gives a better platform for mobile users to track your business locations through Google Maps and directions.
- An assured chance of your business to be visible on Google Maps.
- Provides a better conversion level as compared to other regional advertising platforms.
- Better online visibility for local customers.
- Lastly, it improves your website’s ranking on the Search Engine Result Page (SERP).
Best tips to polish up your Local SEO
- Set up your Google My Business Account and optimize it: By all means creating your Google My Business account is the first way to get started. This helps to create your presence on search engines. More than that, your brand will be visible on Google Maps.
- Create citations: Citation is one way of indicating your brand name on the online platform. Therefore, make sure that your site features on citation sites and web business directories. Consequently, it allows customers to discover you easily.
A proper citation details will include- the name of your company, phone number, address, and website URL.
- Pay attention to the reviews: Encourage your customers to provide positive and honest reviews. Accordingly, it convinces local customers to visit your centre and thus more walk-ins.
Is it necessary to hire a local SEO expert?
The answer to this is quite logical. You are running your own business, and surely you need to be there. No doubt, it’s a bonus if you have the right knowledge on the field. But, hiring an expert in the domain will be more beneficial. As Google keeps updating its algorithm frequently. That is to say, if you are to rank higher and acquire potential customers you should opt for a professional.
And, in case you have any issues in receiving more visits to your store, contact the best SEO company in Guwahati.