Local SEO Services: How they can help your website

Optimising your site for local searches

Why should you read this? Not reading and applying could damage your online visibility immeasurably!

No matter what your business is, Local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can be essential for success. If no one knows who you are, how will you get customers? 

People use local search to find out locations, reviews and information for local businesses. This means it is a fantastic way to reach new customers and create a name for yourself amongst the local community.

Looking at some recent statistics, it is clear that Local SEO can have a massive impact on your business exposure:

• 46% of Google searches are looking for local information (Source: GoGulf)
• 78% of all location-based mobile searches result in an offline purchase (Source: SEO Tribunal)
• 72% of consumers that perform a local search for a product or service visited a location within five miles (Source: HubSpot)
• Location-based coupons can lead to a 9916% increase in mobile revenue
  (Source: WordStream)
   

What is also clear is that customers who use local searches are actively seeking to purchase. So, if they find what they need and it is local, they're more likely to buy it. This is why your business must have high local search rankings: It leads to higher conversion rates than other marketing strategies. (Source: WebFX.)
 

There's no doubt that companies thrive when they are visible to the people most likely to buy from them.
 

It is worth noting that in the past two years alone, web searches with phrases such as "near me" and "close by" have increased around 900% with half of these searches coming from a mobile device.
 

Customers search for the best products and services near them, and they want information that is easy to find and quick to read. Whether you're a coffee shop, a dentist or an electrician, your business will likely be coming from local people performing local searches.
 

Local SEO is the process of optimising your online presence to attract more interest and business from local searches. These can come from Google and many other search engines, and they can have a massive role in your business success.

What is Local SEO? 

Local search is one of the most common search types. Being on the first page of these search results leads to better visibility for your business and higher conversions.

How search engines crawl through websites to display the best results is by using a wide range of data. This data is gathered from all over the internet, with some examples being:

• Google My Business
• Location pages from searches through map applications/websites
• Local directories such as Yelp, Trip Advisor etc
• Local citations, which is a fancy term for whenever your business information is referenced online.
   

The information gathered from these and many other sources is used to decide if your pages best meet a search's criteria. This is the focus of our own Local SEO services which are designed to improve and optimise your business ranking. 
 

By using Local SEO, you can increase your chances of a high ranking in local search results and therefore, be found more easily by potential customers. Without it, you risk not being in any search results, which hides you from local customers and limits your chance of winning their business.
 

How can you start optimising your website for Local SEO?

How to properly optimise a website for local marketing is a broad and sometimes complex topic. There are some tips to start this process which can help get your business on its way to great Local SEO results.
 

Make sure your business's information is out there, and that it is correct and up to date

Google wants to be confident you are where you say you are, hence appearing CONSISTENTLY across the web is the name of the game. Across directories and websites such as Yelp or Tripadvisor, you must make sure the business information is ACCURATE. Doing so can improve your position in local searches and better showcase what your business is and what it offers.
 

Get reviewed and get involved

You may find it surprising, but we don't see reviews as a ranking factor, yet! 

They do appear to contribute significantly to how far afield geographically Google will return your map listing though. If you remember Venn diagrams from maths in school, well reviews appear to help increase your sphere of influence, likely because Google wants well respected (determined via Social Proof) businesses to appear.

Hence having lots of reviews and feedback plays a significant role in your business rankings. Staying engaged, such as thanking reviewers, responding to questions and reinforcing your location also adds to the boost which reviews can give to you for Local SEO.

Take advantage of free tools

A great example of this is the Google My Business listing, which you should claim for your business straight away. This is essential for Local SEO and gives you a better ranking for searches through Google.
 

From just this brief overview, it demonstrates that Local SEO is a broad topic. If you have any questions, want to find out more or are seeking specialists in digital marketing services, contact Inspire to help improve your online presence. We have three distinct packages available:
 

• KGPO (helping established businesses who have a fractured and fragmented online presence)

Optimising your business's "Knowledge Graph Panel" to create more business inquiries, more calls and more opportunities for a sale.
 

• GMB Starter Pack (helping a new business get the right information in place from the very start)

Using your Google Business listing, we can create a solid foundation for future SEO and start to get you ranking high in local searches.
 

• GMBoost (regular plan helping you stay ahead of the competition)

Google loves Google, so in a tough local SEO environment, your listing needs to be managed every month. Google introduces new features and refines existing ones on almost a monthly basis. This service ensures you're regularly taking advantage of both. Building your brand and reaching new customers through further optimisation of your google business listing.

If you want more information on our SEO packages and to discuss which one would best suit your business, then get in touch.