Did you know that 46% of online searches contain local intent? In other words, this means nearly half of all web searches are for local products, services, and businesses. But how do you ensure your business appears to local web users? Local SEO.
What Is Local SEO?
Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of enhancing your website so that it appears high on search engine results in pages when users in the nearby area query relevant keywords. For example, if someone in your town searches for a “general contractor,” and you offer these services, local SEO helps to present your business to the web user ahead of the competition.
Local SEO vs. SEO
You’ve likely heard of SEO as a separate service from local SEO, but there are some minor yet impactful differences. Where local SEO attempts to capture nearby clients, SEO casts the net wide, aiming to entice as many potential customers as possible regardless of their likelihood of conversion.
Benefits of Local SEO
So, if SEO casts a wide net, why would you choose local SEO instead? Here are just a few reasons to consider.
Target Interested Customers
Local SEO users highly targeted specific keywords to capture specific customers most likely to be interested in your services. For example, you might target the long-tail phrase “general contractors Orange County.” Who is likely to be searching this unless they have a vested interest in finding a local contractor?
If you were running a regular SEO campaign, you might simply target “general contractors” or “general contractors near me,” which are not location specific. “Near me” is meaningless to search engines and casts the net across the whole country. As a result, local SEO is an excellent way to target genuinely interested customers.
Cost-Effective Marketing
By and large, local SEO can be executed at no cost, as all it takes to start an SEO campaign is updating your web copy with relevant keywords. Of course, this alone doesn’t unlock local SEO’s full potential. Even so, there are many affordable local SEO software solutions and marketing agencies willing to work with any budget.
What’s more, local SEO’s cost-effectiveness becomes most apparent when used as a long-term strategy. Chances are, you’re not going to capture any clients using SEO in the short term, but long term, you’re likely to entice a high-yielding client base.
Build Credibility
Credibility is essential for your business’s continued success; if customers don’t feel like they can trust you, they are less likely to purchase your services. Local SEO is instrumental in building credibility within your local community.
Local SEO helps to build credibility through exposure and positionings. If your website appears high in search results, it signifies that the search engine sees your business as a credible site; this perspective is passed onto the end user. Additionally, the more someone is exposed to your business, the more likely they are to see it as trustworthy.
Improve CTR and Rankings
By targeting the right people, local SEO is an excellent way to improve your website’s click-through rate or the rate at which web users see your site on search engines and actually click on the site. CTR is an important SEO parameter that most search engine algorithms consider.
As a result, the higher your website’s CTR, the higher it is likely to rank on search engine results pages, thus increasing credibility, traffic, and general online exposure.
Local SEO Marketing From Idea Maker
Has this article convinced you about the benefits of local SEO? If so, you should consider hiring our team at Idea Maker to help you maximize your marketing potential. We have a dedicated team of professionals at your disposal. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more.
