What is Local SEO and How Does It Work in 2024?

In the world of digital marketing, local SEO has become an essential strategy for businesses aiming to attract customers in their geographic area. Local SEO, or local search engine optimization, focuses on optimizing a website to be found in local search results. This practice is crucial for businesses that operate on a regional level, as it helps them reach potential customers in their vicinity. But what exactly is local SEO, and how does it work? Let’s dive in.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO involves optimizing your online presence to increase visibility in local search results. This includes search queries that contain location-based keywords like “near me” or the name of a city or neighborhood. For example, if you own a coffee shop in Austin, Texas, you want your business to appear when someone searches for “coffee shops in Austin.”

The goal of local SEO is to connect local businesses with nearby potential customers. This can involve optimizing your website, managing online reviews, building local citations, and maintaining a strong presence on local directories and social media.

How Does Local SEO Work?

Local SEO operates on a few key components that search engines like Google use to rank local search results. These components include:

1. Google My Business (GMB) Listing: One of the most critical elements of local SEO is claiming and optimizing your Google My Business listing. This free tool allows you to manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. Ensure your GMB profile is complete with accurate business information, including your address, phone number, business hours, and categories. Adding high-quality images and regularly posting updates can also enhance your visibility.

2. Local Citations: A citation is any mention of your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites. Consistent NAP information across various local directories, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific sites, helps build credibility and trust with search engines. Inconsistent or incorrect information can negatively impact your local search rankings.

3. Online Reviews: Reviews play a significant role in local SEO. Positive reviews can boost your rankings and attract more customers, while negative reviews can have the opposite effect. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and respond to them promptly, whether they are positive or negative. This demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and helps build a positive online reputation.

4. Local Keywords: Incorporate local keywords into your website content, meta descriptions, and titles. These keywords should include location-specific terms that potential customers might use when searching for your services. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help identify relevant local keywords for your business.

5. On-Page SEO: Optimize your website’s content for local search. This includes adding location-based keywords to your page titles, headings, and meta descriptions. Creating locally-focused content, such as blog posts about local events or news, can also help improve your local SEO efforts.

6. Backlinks: Earning backlinks from reputable local websites can boost your local search rankings. Reach out to local bloggers, newspapers, and business directories to build relationships and earn valuable backlinks.

7. Mobile Optimization: With the rise of mobile searches, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is crucial for local SEO. A mobile-optimized site provides a better user experience and can positively impact your search rankings.

8. Social Media Engagement: Active engagement on social media platforms can enhance your local SEO efforts. Share local content, engage with your audience, and promote your business to build a strong online presence.

Local SEO vs. National SEO

Local SEO focuses on the local area or region of an individual business target customer rather than just a national audience.

A local business can have many customers from small geographical areas. For example, if Fred runs a car company in Los Angeles, he could sell cars to residents living in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Culver City. Each of these customers is in a different geographical location. 

Local Search Engine Optimization refers to how Google treats local businesses and how you can be found on Google if you are a local business. A few years back, Local SEO was not as crucial because consumers performed more searches online for national services or products than local ones.

Today 42% of all searches are for local products and services, which is why it is now an essential aspect of SEO to understand how local search engine optimization works and the factors that impact your ability to rank high in local search results. The information below goes into greater detail about Local Search Engine Optimization, its works, and how you can rank higher in local search results.

In simple terms, think about a national audience as someone who has no geographic boundaries. If they want a service or product, they will shop online for whatever they desire. For example, a consumer in Los Angeles may not know any plumbers available nearby unless she has moved there recently to take up residence. Likewise, a consumer living in Austin, Texas, may not know any good dry cleaners unless it is personally recommended to them by a friend.

A local business is more likely to have a customer base that knows the company name and does not need to search for it on Google because they already know the service or product is available nearby. In addition, a local business can often generate repeat customers through word-of-mouth referrals and positive reviews online from satisfied customers. If you seek new clients and wish to rank high in local search results, then Local SEO services should be incorporated into your marketing strategy. Experienced consultants can help position your business online, so you show up higher than your competitors when someone performs a local search online.

What Is Local Search Engine Optimization?

Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies also help your business in local search results on Google, which can boost your company’s online visibility and drive new customers to you. 

The thing that makes local SEO important is that people are searching for local services and products more than ever before. They are 42% of all searches, so this massive influx of traffic means there are many more potential clients out there looking for your business. But how do you get found when they perform a search?

The best way to set yourself apart from other businesses that might be at the top of the page is to understand the components of local SEO. A great place to start learning about Local SEO is by understanding what Google’s local algorithm is.

Google Local Algorithm Explained

Google is constantly updating its local search engine to identify better which businesses are the most relevant for keywords such as “Plumber” or “Dentist.” This enables Google to create more accurate and helpful information in local search results. Local SEO will give you an advantage over your competitors when it comes to having a greater chance of ranking high in local search results, mainly since more than 250 million people use Google Maps each month. With over 80% of consumers using the search engine every day, it’s no wonder why local SEO is becoming so important.

The best way for someone like Fred (our car company owner from above) to get found on Google if a potential customer searches for “car insurance” in their local area is to have a higher Page Rank than other businesses with similar content on Google’s first page. Page Rank is important because it essentially tells the search engine how trustworthy you are (plus websites with higher PR values usually cost more, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will send more traffic or sell your product better). There are many ways to increase Page Rank, and one of them is through Local SEO.

PageRank Explained

If you’re not familiar with what exactly Google PageRank is, it simply means how popular a website is based on all the links back to that site. The sites that link back to you (referred to as inbound links) will give you an inbound link back to that site. The website with the most inbound links is usually ranked highest at the top of Google’s search results and is also likely receiving more traffic and rankings than other sites on the first page. Though other factors influence a web page’s rank, in-links are an important one.

Sounds simple enough, but how can you get people to start linking to your site? Although there are several ways, one way is through local SEO.

 

Local SEO is gaining popularity for several reasons, including:

As mentioned earlier, over 80% of consumers use Google each month. That means if you want to reach new customers, then incorporating local SEO into your regional marketing strategy could be highly beneficial. Additionally, by understanding local SEO, you will know how to communicate with your customers on their preferred platform.

A business that does not have a physical location or is mobile is at a disadvantage because they cannot physically link back to the website, hence lowering their page rank. However, local SEO allows these businesses to rank high in search results without having an actual brick-and-mortar building or storefront.

Local SEO As Part of Your Marketing Strategy

The best way for someone like Fred (our car company owner from above) to get found on Google if a potential customer searches for “car insurance” in their local area is to have a higher Page Rank than other businesses with similar content on Google’s first page. Page Rank is important because it essentially tells the search engine how trustworthy you are (plus websites with higher PR values usually cost more, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will send more traffic or sell your product better). There are many ways to increase Page Rank, and one of them is through Local SEO.

The local algorithm updates Google’s part to ensure businesses can find customers when using a mobile device. This makes sense in terms of business growth as people who have limited access to internet outlets can use their smartphone or tablet to conduct searches if they’re looking for a service nearby. As long as your website speaks directly to these potential customers, local SEO will help you rank high on Google’s first page.

To be found on Google using local SEO, you need to have your target consumer’s keywords in your title tag, the body of content, and image alt tags. These are the essential ingredients necessary for a website because they directly impact how someone will see the site. If you change this information, then you could potentially change if someone chooses to look at your business if they’re searching for something within their area.

Local SEO Marketing Strategy

The local search algorithm mixes regular search engine optimization (SEO) strategies that combine to help businesses rank higher than others who offer similar products or services.

1) Keyword Research & Analysis: First, you need to know what people in your local area are looking for online. What is it? How often do they search for it? What are the potential keywords that will help you rank higher than the competition?

To find out, there are five ways:

1) Use Google’s free keyword planner tool. Visit http://www2.keywordtool.io/ and enter in your main keyword to find related local SEO keywords. For example, if your primary keyword is “Atlanta car insurance,” then include that with other words or phrases like ” Atlanta auto insurance, “location names like ” Atlanta Georgia, “city names (if two different cities have the same name, describe it as best you can).

If you don’t know where to start, look at what people type into Google when looking for services near them and try and incorporate those questions into your keyword research. After analyzing what countries or states want to know about your services, including those with the location name. Google Trends provides historical search data when you type in a keyword so you can see how popular it is and whether or not it’s seasonal. For example, I ordered in ” Atlanta SEO ” and found that the term is consistently searched every day:

Note: You’ll need to use both Google Keyword Planner & Google Trends for an accurate analysis of which keywords will help you rank higher than others using local SEO strategies.

2) Ask Around on Social Media: If there are social media sites related to your business, ask followers or fans to describe what they’re searching for online. Maybe they can give you an idea of what keywords people are searching for. Many social media sites could be related to your business, including national ones like Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest, or local ones like Yelp, FourSquare & Google +

Use this advice to create as many ads and landing pages as possible to rank higher than the competition using local SEO strategies. It would be best if you only focused on a few locations at first until you have more experience with search engine optimization (SEO), so you don’t waste time creating landing pages no one likes. Use popular keyword phrases from your research and include them in your title tags, body content & image alt tags, etc. 

3) Competitive Analysis: The third way is by analyzing your competitors. What are they doing with their website? Do they have a local business listing on Google My Business? Does the local listing contain ads or landing pages that your competitors could be using to generate more traffic to their site? If you believe that all of your competitors do not have local SEO enabled, then it’s something you should take advantage of since many businesses don’t even know this is an option.

4) Content Creation: After you find out what people search for and how often, create content around those potential keywords. This post will help you do just that: How To Write Descriptions For Local Keywords That Will Beat Your Competition 

5) Local Business Listing On Google: The main difference between regular SEO versus local SEO is that local SEO requires you to create and manage local business listings. Here’s how you can do that:

How to Submit a Local Listing On Google (Free Method): 

1) Create a free account at Google My Business and verify your email. Once it’s verified, click on ” My Business Listings, “then ” Start Now. If you’re a new user, follow the prompts as shown in the image below:

2) Fill out contact information, so Google knows which location is associated with your account if there are multiple sites. Then enter your company name, address & phone number(s ):

3) Adding photos of your store helps people visualize what they’ll get when they walk in. It also makes your local business listing more appealing to those searching for images related to what you sell.

Note: Before uploading photos, make sure that your pictures meet Google’s quality guidelines.

4) Write a detailed description of your company so potential customers know why they should choose you: Depending on the type of service or product you offer, it might be helpful to include information about what sets you apart from other businesses, the experience/education of staff members, prices & special offers and how long you’ve been in business. Make sure this information is consistent across all social media sites and website pages if possible. Local SEO includes providing contact information like hours and phone numbers so people can reach out to you with any questions or concerns.

5) Claim your local business listing: You can also claim a local business listing right from the search results page. After you do that, Google will take you to the page to add photos, make changes and create landing pages. 

6) Boost Your Local Rankings: Optimizing a local SEO campaign requires time and effort. Some companies hire SEOs with experience in local SEO strategies to help them rank high in maps packs using white hat link-building methods. They’ll typically use website maintenance software like WebCEO to monitor their competitors’ profiles on Google My Business to see if there are ways to target new keywords or improve what’s already listed for an existing one. That way, they can beat their competition with the number of links to their Google My Business listing.  

“On a broad scale, I see SEO becoming a normalized marketing tactic, the same way TV, radio, and print are traditionally thought of as marketing tactics.” – Duane Forrester, Senior Product Manager, Bing– Duane Forrester, Senior Product Manager, Bing

Local SEO is not limited to just your local business listings. You can use other strategies like creating high-quality content and incorporating keywords from these pages to rank high in maps packs for specific queries. For example, if you run an Italian restaurant called “Tony’s,” then put some effort into ranking well for the search term “best Italian restaurants.” Local Link Building: This is similar to the process of link building that many SEOs do when promoting national or international websites, except on a smaller scale. If there are any local directories related to what your company offers, it might be helpful to submit your website so that you can get some backlinks. Even though this practice isn’t as effective as it used to be, hundreds of local directories still exist on the internet. Some examples include Yellowpages.com, Yelp, and YP. 

Local SEO is essential for many businesses, making sure that Google understands what your business is about. It will also help you connect with customers who are close by and turn them into loyal patrons. If you’re interested in finding out more about local SEO or if you want to rank higher in maps packs for specific searches, make sure to contact us today at 949-333-7200 or montfichet.com/contact! We’d love to help drive new leads & revenue from our unique local online marketing strategy focused on organic search traffic generation.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. If you found this article helpful but feel that it still lacks something, we’d appreciate it if you could share this post on your favorite social media platform(s) (you’ll find all of our links at the top and bottom of the page).

This article is written by The Trusted Automation Advisory team, provides advisory services for leaders worldwide. If you have any questions, you can contact us via email at inquire@thetrustedautomation.com, from their website at https://thetrustedautomation.com, or phone at (949) 333-7200.  

If you have further suggestions/ideas for future writings, we’d love to hear about them, so do not hesitate to mention them in the comments as well. For more information, contact our team of experts that specialize in search engine optimization for non-profits. Montfichet & Company Atlanta | (404) 900-9814 | atlanta@montfichet.com.