In today’s competitive landscape of SEO ranking, where giants like Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, and many more have huge marketing teams and budgets, as a business owner it might feel a little pointless to put an effort into ranking your business. This might be true when it comes to the main organic Google ranking but for businesses, there’s a secret weapon for you- Local SEO.
Whether your business is a service-based business serving a particular geographical area or a brick-and-mortar location, local SEO helps your business connect with the people in your neighborhood, town, or city. This is important considering 93% of Indian internet users find local information using search engines.
Importance Of Local SEO
Imagine you own a Book store in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. A book enthusiast who is looking for a “Bookstore in Ahmedabad” is your ideal customer. However, the organic search result is filled with directories, top 10 lists, and blogs. This makes it hard for the customer to reach your business and eventually into your store.
However, to be visible to your potential customers, your business must perform well in local SEO. This will rank your business higher on the local pack with useful information such as opening time, location, phone number, and number of reviews which is factored in by the customers while selecting your business. The book enthusiast can see that your business is close by, provides a greater variety of books, is open now, and visits your store, thus making a sale.
10 Benefits Of Local SEO
1. Better Online Visibility
Activities such as identifying local keywords, optimizing Google Business Profile, and creating NAP citations in quality and relevant directories help build better online visibility. NAP citations are a major part of local SEO involves listing a business’s name, address, and phone number, in directories, social media platforms, and online review sites. All this helps your business to be found by the right audience at the right time.
2. Targeted Traffic
As a small business, wasting time and resources on audiences who are unlikely to make a purchase from your business is not feasible. Local SEO can help you filter out unwanted traffic and target relevant audiences from your locality who are more likely to make a purchase. With 45% of shoppers using Google to research a purchase they intend to make in a physical store, this insight is helpful as it allows you to focus your resources on audiences who are more likely to convert.
3. Higher Conversion Rate
People who search for local businesses online are more intended to make a purchase or visit the physical store. By optimizing for local SEO, and ranking higher on the local search you are more likely to convert these searches into qualified leads. Local SEO prioritizes businesses that are closer to the user’s location. If your business is closer to the searcher, they are more likely to interact with your business and even visit the physical store.
4. Improved Google Maps Visibility
A part of optimizing for local SEO is optimizing your business’s Google Business Profile, which leads to a higher ranking on Google Maps. This makes it easier for the customers to find your business location and directions, which increases calls and in-person visits to your store as Google Maps was built to help users find local services and plan their journey.
This is helpful especially to brick-and-mortar businesses like cafes, dry cleaners, or hardware stores, as an increased footprint can create a buss about their business and make sales.
5. Competitive Advantage
Most businesses neglect local SEO, which gives you the opportunity to outrank your competitors and attract customers who are looking for products or services in your area. And even if a business has local SEO done for their business it is often not fully optimised which gives you an opportunity and rank higher than them. Identifying these opportunities by reviewing your competitors can pave the way for your business to boost it to another level.
6. Mobile Optimisation
Among the total searches carried out around 64% are done on mobile phones, which is a huge number. Local SEO ensures that your business ranks and is visible on local mobile searches. Mobile phone users are on the go and are more likely to make a purchase or visit your store.
7. Cost Effectiveness
Local SEO strategies are often more pocket-friendly than traditional marketing channels such as Paid Advertising, Billboard Advertising, and Print Advertising. Local SEO tactics like website optimization, Google Business Profile optimization, NAP citation listing, and reviews can be done without a significant capital investment. It is also cost-effective and offers high ROI, as it targets potential customers who are interested in your business or are near your business geographically.
8. Builds Trust and Credibility
By appearing in the local search results and directories your business builds trust and credibility among potential customers. Reviews are also a cornerstone in local SEO strategy and a key factor for ranking. The more the reviews the better it is for the local search ranking and visibility. The combination of good reviews and greater visibility are the main ingredients for higher levels of consumer trust.
9. Community Engagement
As a local business being active and engaging in the community is an integral part of building trust and credibility. It is important to regularly interact and connect with your community by promoting events, special offers, and updates through Google Business Profile and other social channels.
10. Long Term Benefits
Over a period of time, an effectively implemented local SEO strategy can establish your business as a prominent presence in local searches. In the long term, local SEO can attract relevant leads and potential customers from your area. Once established your business can continue to benefit from increased visibility and trust over time.
In conclusion, local SEO is not just a Marketing strategy but a tool for small businesses to drive sustained growth, build credibility, and connect with local communities. By optimizing for local SEO, businesses can create a sustainable lead magnet for your business by increasing visibility and brand trust. And if you are still confused about the whole Local SEO thing worry not. Our experts at Savvy Marketing Studio can guide you and help you achieve mastery over local SEO. Get in touch with us today and get yourself a Free Local SEO Audit for your business!
Leave a Reply