Whether you’re a brick-and-mortar store or online business, local search engine optimization (SEO) offers too many benefits for your digital marketing strategy to ignore. See what you’re missing by exploring the eight biggest benefits of local SEO.
8 local SEO benefits
When it comes to local search, businesses most often cite these eight local SEO benefits:
1. Increase online visibility
People turn to search engines to find what they need — not the Yellow pages. In fact, 30% of Google mobile searches relate to location.
That’s why search engines like Google and Bing deliver localized search results for searches with local intent, like “pizza place near me.” Your business can earn a top spot in these search results through local SEO, which can include claiming local listings like Google Business Profile or Bing Places and optimizing them.
If your listing appears in the local 3-pack (a carousel of relevant local businesses that displays in localized search results), and you increase your online visibility, you make it easy for searchers in your area and target market to find your company.
Aside from your local listing, you can also get this benefit of local SEO by creating content on your site that targets localized keywords, like “hairdresser in los angeles.” Of course, make sure you’re targeting areas relevant to your company’s service area.
2. Build shopper trust levels
Another advantage of local SEO is its ability to build trust with shoppers.
Besides being in search results, your local listing can also display valuable trust signals, like your number of reviews and average review rating. This information can help searchers gauge your business’s trustworthiness, reliability, and overall quality.
People can even post questions to your local listing, and you can respond, demonstrating to searchers that your business is active online and willing to help people — whether they’re customers or not.
3. Increase phone calls
Local search engine optimization can increase phone calls to your business, which is invaluable to lead-based firms like a dermatologist, locksmith, or storage facilities. Your local listing will include your phone number, and you can even enable online messaging to support all user and company needs.
4. Boost lead quality
You don’t want to waste your team’s time with low-quality leads, like for a remodeling project below your minimum budget, so use local SEO! With local SEO’s benefit of increasing your online visibility, you can educate users sooner that you are (or aren’t) the business for them.
From your local listing, for example, you can share:
- Your services
- Your projects via photos
- Your service area
- Your price range
- And more
All these elements can signal to users your relevancy and whether you’re a good match for one another.
5. Grow foot traffic
Need people to come to your location to make a sale? That’s another advantage of local SEO!
With the power of your local listings and the local 3-pack, it’s easy for users to discover your business and then take the next step: Visiting your location! With Google Business Profile and Google Maps, users click a button to get directions to your location.
6. Drive word-of-mouth recommendations
Once you’ve leveraged local SEO’s visibility, trust, and foot traffic benefits, it’s easy to start getting word-of-mouth recommendations because more people are discovering and interacting with your business, products, and team.
Some new customers might even leave a review on your local listing!
7. Generate website traffic
If you’re a lead-based business, your typical lead might not convert from your Google Business Profile. Instead, they have a longer buyer journey and need to research your business and offerings before making the call, visit, or purchase.
Local search optimization can still help!
From your local listing, you can link to your website, providing users with a quick way to learn more about your company. If your website ranks in localized search results, you’ve provided a direct link to where people can get more information about your offerings.
8. Become a community leader
Local SEO’s benefits are more than promoting and growing your business.
They also include helping your company become a part of the local community, like by:
- Donating to local organizations or drives
- Highlighting local news on your site or listing, like a local team going to the championship game
- Participating in local organizations, like a small business group
When you show that your business is a part of the community, you build a connection with users. Even if you operate a franchise company, investing yourself in the neighborhood shows that you care and want to serve.
Turn the benefits of local SEO into your business’s advantage
Your business can grow its company with search engine optimization for local searches. Local SEO takes time, though, and it’s not once and done. If you’re looking for help getting started, managing, or maintaining your local SEO, our award-winning team can help.
Contact us today to learn how (we’ll be in touch if we’re a good fit for your business)!
FAQs about the advantages of local SEO
Learn more about the advantages of local SEO with these FAQs:
What is local SEO?
Local SEO, also called local search engine optimization, is the process of improving an organization’s visibility in local search results to generate awareness, website traffic, foot traffic, and eventually, sales.
Why is local SEO important?
Local SEO is important because consumers and business buyers use the web to make purchase decisions, whether researching providers or buying something online. With local SEO, searchers looking for companies in a designated area can find and investigate them faster and easier.
How does local SEO work?
Local SEO works through the following strategies:
- Claiming local listings, like Google Business Profile and Bing Places
- Targeting local keywords, which typically contain a city, state, or country
- Building links from other websites in the area
Typically, businesses will manage their local SEO in a few ways:
- In-house
- Local listing management software
- Local SEO service provider
How your company approaches local SEO will depend on your budget, skills, and goals.
