What is Local SEO?

In conversations that we’ve had with small business owners, local SEO comes up as a number one concern. They are trying to figure out how they can get better local rankings, but without breaking the (often) limited budget that they have for marketing.

The challenge with local SEO? There are several factors that are taken into consideration that help an organization rank higher. And often times, if you master one – it doesn’t mean that you’ll rank higher than the competitor that has done a mediocre job at all elements.

Before figuring out what you need to improve and why, let’s learn more about local SEO and what it means for your business.

What is Local SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps businesses rank higher based on key search terms that align with their business, services, and products. Google and other search engines use algorithms that take various factors into consideration. When someone searches for a particular term, Google will then use the algorithm to match the person with the information they are searching for. The algorithms have become so advanced that my search results will look different than your search results, which adds to the complexity of optimizing a site and content for SEO.

Local SEO takes it one step further and helps to connect people with the businesses, services, or products that fit with the qualifier of finding it “near me.” Whether searching on Google or Google Maps, local SEO will present results that showcase the best results given what the person is searching for.

Optimizing local SEO can be more complex than your typical SEO. This is because, as the algorithm reviews your website and other content, it evaluates whether it’s a good fit for certain searches. If, for instance, your site focuses on “men’s hair cuts in Minneapolis,” your company will likely for local searches in Minneapolis for men’s hair cuts.

But let’s say that you also do women’s hair cuts. You talk about it a bit on your website, but it’s not a big focus because women will reach out to you. You need more content for men, so that they know why you are a good option for them.

However, this lack of information on your site and online resources means that Google won’t rank you very high – or if at all – for women’s hair cuts.

Why Does Local SEO Matter?

When someone searches for something online, they are most likely to go with the first or second result. Sometimes, they will go with the third option – but very rarely do they look beyond that.

Optimizing your local SEO makes sure you are ranking in the top two spots, every single time. Without local SEO, your company won’t pop up and people won’t even know that you offer the product or service that they are looking for.

This is a big problem! After all, Google can be a great source of free leads. Which, for any business, can be a great way to get more business. And, if you are a new business with limited marketing budget, this can be a great way to get your business started!

So, as you’re thinking about your marketing strategy and where to focus your energy (and budget), local SEO should be a top focus. It can help to make sure you’re getting in front of potential customers that are in market for your product and/or service – which can result in some big business gains for you, too.

How Do You Improve Local SEO?

There are several elements that make up your local SEO. Each of these factors are important to consider and think about as you optimize your digital presence for local SEO.

The first and most important: Google Business Profile.

Without this, it will be nearly impossible for potential clients to find you on Google. Sure, you will still come up in a Google search. But, the chances that you’ll come up on the first page for a local search without a Google Business Profile will be slim.

The Google Business Profile is a free listing for your business. Beyond your company name, you can add your address (which can be private, if you don’t want customers to come to your location), phone number, email address, and website. Beyond the basic details, there’s an opportunity to add details around your product and services. It allows you to even engage with leads and customers by posting questions and answers, as well as posting updates as you do on a social media profile.

Building your Google Business Profile serves as a great way to get some initial wins for your local SEO. It’s also important to include reviews – this is something that will help you rank higher and get more customers. Plus, reviews are a great way for your customers to showcase why you are the clear choice for a product or service offering.

Beyond your Google Business Profile, there are a few other areas where you can focus.

• Website – optimize your website for local searches with the right level of content aligned to your local area
• Social Media – post regularly on the channels where you find your audience; and focus on building a local following
• Citations – get more authentic backlinks to your website to help spread your online presence and build authority with third-party validation

Being authentic serves as an important element of SEO. Several years ago, you could essentially trick Google’s algorithm by keyword stuffing. This would be finding how many times you could insert a keyword into your blog post or web page, like “local general contractor in Minneapolis.”

This made the content awkward; after all, how many times do you actually say something like that in a conversational tone? Getting around this also meant putting hidden text on your website in the same font color as your background so that you could get credit for the keywords without it muddying up your content.

Those days are gone and it’s important to realize why keyword stuffing became an antiquated practice. It feels like putting in more keywords will help with SEO, but there needs to be a balance so that it’s something people actually want to read.

So, as you work on putting together content and optimizing your website, keep that in mind. When you read your content out loud, does it actually sound like a real human? Is it something that is meaningful, or is it just gibberish because of the keywords that you’re trying ot use?

And, just like Rome wasn’t built in a day; neither will your local SEO be complete in one day. It will take some time, even as you take these steps to optimize your presence and channels. Plus, it’s not something you can set and forget. It requires a constant focus on tweaking and updating your information so it stays relevant and top-of-mind for your leads and customers.

Ready to make Google work for you and get more free leads? Check out our FREE guide on how to 3x your leads in 30 days.