Among local-based mobile searches, 78% lead to an offline purchase. This figure suggests how crucial local SEO is to your business. Do you also want to attract those potential customers? Check out the article below as we tell you why local SEO remains important and how you can improve local SEO to gain more traffic and generate leads.
What Does Local SEO Mean?
Local search engine optimization (SEO) aims to increase the visibility of your local business in local search engine results. It is what brings up your company when people look for similar businesses in a specific location. For example, they would type “restaurants near me” or “hospitals near me.” Local SEO makes sure your business shows up when they search for your services.
Why Is Local SEO Important?
Almost half of Google queries are local searches. This means that even if people do a regular daily search, Google is still highly likely to show local businesses nearby. Also, searches that use the phrases “near me” or “today/tonight” increased to 90%. So, results for location-based searches depend on proximity, prominence, and relevance. If you have optimized local business listings, your business will likely appear in the search results, thus attracting potential customers.
To help you see why local SEO is still important, let’s look at some important figures:
- 86% of people rely on the internet to find a local business.
- One in three mobile searches was made just before arriving at a physical store.
- Those searching for local businesses at least once a week are at 29%.
- Among people who participated in a survey, 71% have searched for business locations to verify their existence before making a first-time visit.
- A total of 50% of people who conducted a local mobile search visited a physical store within one day.
- Of all people who perform local searches on their mobile devices, 50% seek things like local business addresses.
These stats show that focusing on local SEO helps you gain more traffic and have a higher conversion rate for your business.
Local SEO Checklist
After seeing how important local SEO is, you should now put that knowledge to use. That is why we have prepared the following steps on how you can enhance your local SEO efforts.
List Your Business on Online Local Directories
Citations refer to listings on local website directories. Here, you need to list information, like your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). The listing can also include other details, like a description of your product or service, your business hours, and more. Make sure to provide correct and consistent data so that search engines trust the information provided.
Getting listed on reliable citation sites is crucial so that you don’t have to fix inaccurate information or duplicate listings. Local SEO services like Whitespark, Bright Local, Moz Local, and Yext can help you create local listings faster and more efficiently.
Create a Google My Business Profile
Creating a Google My Business profile can help feature your business and show your business details in Google Search and Google Maps. Doing so can also help you track customer reviews and update your business hours.
Ensure a Mobile-Optimized Website
Note that Google’s algorithm prioritizes mobile-first websites. Make sure your website is mobile-optimized to gain more traffic.
Respond to All Reviews Regularly
Whether it’s a good or bad review, make sure to respond, because it shows that you care. If you build relationships with your customers, you can increase your overall rating and gain more customers.
Stay Active on Social Platforms
Know the platforms that your customers use the most. Then stay active on these platforms. Doing so can help make your business more visible.
Stay Ahead With Local SEO
Local SEO remains important because more and more people are making location-based searches that eventually translate into offline purchases. Stats also show that people make local searches before visiting a physical store. That is why you should prioritize your local SEO by following the steps that we have shared above. Getting local SEO services can help make the process easier for you. Visit our page to learn more about how valuable local SEO is for your business.
