If you’re in the business of selling goods or services to local customers, then you need to be thinking about local SEO. Local SEO is optimizing your website and online marketing presence to rank higher in search engine results for searches related to your location.
When someone types “restaurants” into Google or Bing, they want a quick list of restaurants near them, not just restaurants anywhere in the world. People have also started becoming specific about the results. According to to Think With Google, Google search queries with the term “near me” increased by over 200% between 2017 and 2019.
Importance of Local SEO
Local search is a growing trend. The Google My Business tool has been around since 2011 and has more than 5 million businesses listed on it. This makes it easier for customers to find your company and contact you.
Focusing on local SEO is crucial for small businesses. 70% of consumers reported that they prefer to use online reviews in their purchasing decisions, which means that if your business isn’t optimized for local search, you might miss out on potential customers.
Businesses That Must Focus on Local SEO
While local SEO is essential for almost all businesses, it is crucial for those operating locally. These businesses include restaurants, law firms, etc.
Restaurants
Restaurants are popular targets for local SEO, as they often have foot traffic and frequent repeat customers. Local SEO is important because it helps you get found in search results based on a searcher’s location. That means if someone searches for “pizza” in their town, your restaurant comes first!
To implement local SEO strategies, you need to use specific keywords and phrases on your website that include the name of your city or town: “New York pizza,” “Chicago pizza,” etc. Using these keywords when creating content on social media sites like Facebook or Instagram would be best.
For example, an Italian restaurant in Chicago would target keywords such as “Italian food,” “authentic Italian cuisine,” and other synonyms people associate with authentic Mediterranean-style dishes. The goal here is to be as specific as possible. The thing is that most long-term and specific keywords are less competitive. Hence, ranking as the top result for such searches becomes easier.
Law Firms
For law firms, local SEO can be essential. This is because most clients look for a lawyer online, so you must rank well in the search engines to get more clients. Therefore, local SEO will help you get new clients and stay ahead of the competition!
For example, if your law firm is in Washington, DC, you would want to ensure that your website is optimized for keywords like “attorney in Washington” or “lawyer in Washington” when someone searches within that geographic area. To do this properly, however, you’ll need an SEO expert who knows how these websites work and what makes them successful in this field.
Most people will look for local service providers when hiring attorneys. Rules and regulations can change from state to state. Hence, a customer would want to hire someone with expertise in local laws. No one will hire an attorney from New York to fight a case in Washington, DC. If you implement local SEO in your marketing strategies, you can attract these potential customers looking for attorneys in their local areas.
You can look for SEO firms like GreenerSEO to help you with informative content, Google My Business Profile setup, and other local SEO strategies. GreenerSEO is the lawyer SEO expert you want if you are looking for one such firm.
They have expertise in lawyer SEO and can build your online presence. You also don’t have to worry about creating stellar content or generating backlinks, as the firm can handle that. There are many such firms you can contact for local SEO requirements.
Home Services Companies
Local SEO is a must if you are in the home services industry. The home services industry is becoming increasingly competitive as more and more companies enter the market. According to a market analysis published on the PRNewswire website, the industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of a whopping 36.22% between 2021 and 2026.
As the industry grows, customers are presented with more options, allowing them to compare services and prices. This competition benefits customers by encouraging companies to offer better services and more competitive prices. Additionally, it encourages companies to be more innovative to stand out from the competition. And one of the ways to stand out is through local SEO.
With local SEO, you can build an online presence that will put you in the digital limelight. This will ensure that all the potential customers looking for home services and searching for a service provider on the internet know your name. You can further get an advantage on this through word-of-mouth marketing.
Your brand will become a household name when you implement local SEO and start ranking high for local terms. Hence, even the people who have not taken your services will know about your brand and its reputation. They can suggest your brand to someone who asks them for recommendations for a home service provider.
Healthcare Providers and Dentists
Healthcare providers and dentists must focus on local SEO to ensure their services are easily accessible to potential patients. Local SEO involves optimizing a website for local search engine results, such as Google Maps, so that potential patients can find the healthcare provider or dentist quickly and easily.
The thing is that no patient will be willing to travel a long distance to visit a doctor or dentist. Hence, they will be looking for a nearby clinic. By optimizing your website and online presence for local keywords, you can increase your visibility in local search results and be more easily found by these potential patients.
In addition, by appearing high in local search results, you can differentiate yourselves from other clinics in the area and establish your practice as a reputable and convenient option for local patients. Local SEO can be a very cost-effective option for businesses in the healthcare industry.
Compared to many other marketing strategies, SEO and local SEO accounts for only a few bucks. Statista says SEO only takes up 5.2% of healthcare companies’ marketing budgets. Comparatively, paid digital advertising, content marketing, and social media marketing takes up 12%, 9%, and 7.6% of the total marketing budgets.
Conclusion
In conclusion, local SEO is integral to any business’s online marketing strategy. Companies need to understand the importance of local SEO and how to optimize their website for local searches. By focusing on local SEO, businesses can ensure that their website is seen by potential customers and can increase their online visibility.
Additionally, local SEO can help companies to build trust and credibility with their local customers and improve their online presence. With the right local SEO strategy, these businesses can maximize their online presence and reach potential customers in their area.
