What is Local SEO and How Does It Work

Local SEO makes it easier for nearby customers to find your business online. Learn how searching for Pizza can teach you what Local SEO is and how it works. 

Don’t worry, it is not a stupid question. I had the same question when I started my business company. 

In this article, we’ll cover the following:

• Basics of Local SEO
• Why Local SEO Matters for your Business
• Your Business Profile
• Signs Your Website Needs Local SEO Services
• What is a Good Local SEO Strategy
• The Bottom Line

Basics of Local SEO

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing signals on and off your website to target Google’s algorithm.

In other words, if you are a business with a physical storefront, such as a Bakery,  or an Attorney’s office. Local SEO gets your business noticed when nearby customers search online.

How it differs from regular SEO

Local SEO focuses on attracting nearby customers to your physical business. Standard SEO helps you reach anyone searching online, anywhere.

Local SEO: “pizza restaurant in Seattle”

Standard SEO: “how to make pizza dough”

Why Local SEO Matters for Your Business

Google Search is a digital giant. There are 6.3 million Google searches per minute [1] and 46% of Google Searches have local intent.

Local searches can have a huge impact. 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to find local information. 50% of consumers who conducted a local search on their mobile device, visited a store within a day. For this reason, show up in local searches, and watch customers walk through your door. 

Now you have an idea why your local business needs Local SEO services. Also, why creating and optimizing your pages is very important for SEO’s rankings.

Your Business Profile

Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is a free listing that appears in Google’s results. If you optimize this profile well, Google is more likely to display it in search results. This increased visibility makes it easier for potential customers to find, contact, and visit your business.

Keeping Everything Consistent

Your website should match everything you entered on your Google Business Profile. This includes your Name, Address, Phone Number, and hours of operation.

Google’s algorithm is able to pick up on these signals and start to trust your business as a legitimate one. This also includes other profiles such as Yelp, Angie’s, etc.

Keeping Everything Up To Date

Keeping your business information up to date is crucial, even as things change. This includes updating your phone number, logo, location, and holiday hours. When everything is current, customers can find and reach you, leading to a better experience.

Customer Reviews

Nothing is more trustworthy to customers than having good reviews. Whenever I look up a business, I review their customer reviews. I’m sure I am not the only one.

Needless to say, get as many positive reviews as you can. Regardless of the review, reply to every single review. This shows potential customers and the search engines that you care.

Why Is this Important?

Your physical location means everything to Google. When someone searches for a product or service online, Google aims to provide the most relevant local information.

By having an optimized business profile, you will increase your chances of showing up in search results. Making it easier for nearby customers to find you.

Signs Your Website Needs Local SEO Services

Now that you understand the importance of Local SEO. Here is how to tell if your website might need local SEO services:

• Limited Local Visibility
  • Your business does not appear in Google search results for local keywords
  • Competitors rank higher in local searches
  • You are not showing up in Google Maps listings
• Low Website Traffic from Local Searches
  • Most website visitors are not from your geographical area
  • Minimal local customer engagement or inquiries
  • Weak conversion rates from local searches
• Business Changes or Growth
  • You’ve recently expanded to new locations
  • Your target market has shifted
  • You’re launching new services or products in your local area
• Weak Online Presence
  • Inconsistent business information across online directories
  • Minimal or outdated Google Business Profile
  • No local customer reviews or testimonials
  • Lack of location-specific content on your website
• Industry Indicators
  • You’re in a service-based or location-dependent industry (restaurants, healthcare, home services, retail)
  • Local competition is strong
  • Your business relies heavily on local customer acquisition
• Technical Signs
  • Your website lacks local keywords
  • No schema markup for local business information
  • Mobile responsiveness issues
  • Slow website loading speed

If any of these apply to your business, investing in Local SEO services can be beneficial for you.

What is a Good Local SEO Strategy

A good local strategy can fundamentally improve your local visibility, here are some of my recommendations:

Google Business Profile

Besides what we have talked about, here is a list for you to follow:

• Check your business category is correct.
• Ensure you have accurate business information
• Upload high-quality photos
• Encourage customer reviews and respond to them
• Post regular updates (e.g., Holiday hours, offers, etc.

Local Keyword Research

This is the process of understanding how people search for your local offerings. It is important because you want to optimize for what people search for.

For example, if you are a pizza shop, some customers will find you by typing “pizza” into Google. But others will search for things related to specific pizzas like “New york pizza style”.

This is why you might want to begin brainstorming and listing the types of pizza you offer. It will help you maximize your presence for queries your customers are searching for.

These are some examples:

• Pizza Dough
• New York Style Pizza
• Deep Dish Pizza
• Gluten Free Pizza
• Pizza Delivery
• BBQ Chicken Pizza

Once you have your potential list of keywords available, check on your competitor’s website. See what keywords they are using for similar products or services they have.

Checking out your competitors can help you come up with new ideas.

Local keyword research will give you local-driven decisions. Without understanding what people are searching for, how would you ever know what to market?

Website Optimization

When a user finds your Google Business profile, it is likely that they will go to your website. Whether people visit your website from a local listing or in search results, you will want to have a well-optimized website.

To see success with your local SEO strategy, here is how to improve it:

• Mobile Responsiveness: Users hate to wait for pages to load. If your site has performance issues, users are likely to navigate away and click somewhere else.
• Contact Information: Confidence among users will increase when contact information is accurate. Ensure that this matches across platforms.
• Design: A good user experience will keep a user engaged. Easy to navigate will help users find the information they need.

On-page SEO

Part of your local strategy is to make necessary changes to the contents of your website.  This is in part to help it rank higher on organic search results.

Here are some good practices to get started:

• Localize your pages for search intent
• Ensure you have meta titles and descriptions on your pages
• Create relevant blog posts
  • Success Stories
  • Local events and news
  • Local community involvement 
• Optimize your site images
• Optimize your internal/external linking
• Seek local backlinks from reputable websites

Local Link Building

As a local business, it is crucial to be part of your community. Not only to build relationships but to establish trust and recognition. Here are some things you can do:

• Get listed in local business directories
• Partner with local organizations
• Take part in community events

Social Media Engagement

Nowadays, people spend the majority of their time on social media sites. Take advantage of this and create accounts for your business. Start by sharing the following:

• Location-specific content
• Use local hashtags (from your keyword research)
• Engage with your local community
• Share local events and community news

Analytics and Tracking

Your local SEO rankings will change over time. It’s unknown why or how. Whether your rankings go up or down, it can potentially hurt your business. That is why you need to track your progress as part of your local SEO strategy.

You can start by tracking your website rankings with Google Search console. It helps maintain, track, and tune up your site’s presence in search results. 

The Bottom Line

Local SEO is not very complicated, but it can be very frustrating to a lot of people. Google’s algorithm is complicated, and the consistent changing of rules can make it very difficult for small businesses to stay on top of it. 

As a small business owner, I found a lot of information online that was not very helpful. This article I wrote comes from personal experience. I compiled the information that has helped me this far and hope you find it useful.

There are ways to track your progress, but nothing will get you there if you don’t get started. 

Ready to boost your local business visibility? Discover how our Local SEO service can help you dominate local search results – contact us today for a free consultation.