If you’ve been around the block online, it’s likely that you’ve heard the phrase search engine optimization (or SEO) a fair share of times. Local SEO is similar to regular SEO in the fact that they follow largely the same general structure and strategies. The main difference is that local SEO emphasizes optimizing websites based on local search results rather than national search results.

An example of phrases that are a part of local SEO are:

• Chiropractors near me
• Roofing companies near me
• Chiropractors in Sonoma County
• Roofing companies in Sonoma County

Each of these phrases is deemed part of a local SEO strategy because it uses geography-based phrases to help improve rankings specifically in the geographies you do business. At its core, local SEO is a strategy that focuses on optimizing webpages and content to drive traffic to local businesses, both online and at its respective brick-and-mortar locations.

A coordinated marketing strategy of on-page optimization, content marketing, and linkbuilding works to create strong local SEO results. When done correctly, these tactics work towards a common goal of getting businesses found online by its community. However, the signals of being local need to be consistent across the company’s online presence, wherever that may be. If they aren’t, the company’s strategy may become dysfunctional and the results may not be as strong as anticipated.

SEO at large is an incredibly useful tool for helping companies grow its presence online with long-term strategy designed to promote increased traffic, relevant content, and strong backlinks. Local SEO is a solid option for any small to medium sized business looking to grow its web presence in the community and surrounding areas.

Why is Local SEO Important for Your Business?

Local SEO is becoming increasingly important as our world becomes more technologically connected. Mobile phones make up a large percentage of all online searches and, with built-in geographic location settings, share our locations with Google. This, in turn, helps Google show results to users based on their location which means that the stronger a business’s local SEO is, the more likely it will get in front of potential customers.

This trend doesn’t show any sign of decreasing. As voice search and mobile queries becoming increasingly common, local SEO is going to continue to remain important for many businesses. Both of those search methods return results based on geographic location so Google knowing your business’s precise location and areas of service will be crucial.

Who Stands to Gain from Local SEO and Why?

Broadly speaking, any business with a physical location can stand to gain from utilizing local SEO, regardless of its size. The Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP) provides web visitors with a wide variety of information spanning from phone numbers and reviews to addresses and website links. While a great many types of businesses can benefit from local SEO, here are a few specific examples of how these efforts can be valuable to businesses.

Plumbers: When someone has an emergency, they don’t necessarily take the time to scout out and find the best deal or most reputable plumber. Oftentimes, they search a phrase like “emergency plumbing near me” and click on the first result. When situations like these arise, a plumber with strong local SEO is going to rank higher than one who isn’t practicing local SEO and, in turn, will have received the job.

Construction Companies: When homeowners are looking online to find a contractor to hire, they are going to be partial to finding one who is local. Using a local contractor will ensure that they find one who is familiar with their city (or county) building codes and permit systems. Being found online, and known, as local gives all manners of construction companies a leg up when it comes to being found online.

It’s quite easy to see that, through these few examples, local SEO can prove to be a huge boon to companies who are trying to increase business within its sphere of influence. This was only several concrete examples of how businesses can benefit from local SEO but the list continues. All sorts of businesses including: chiropractors, roofing, auto body shops, and more will see benefits from increasing these efforts.
Who is less likely to Benefit from Local SEO?

While a large variety of companies benefit from local SEO, these are namely companies with physical locations. There are several kinds of businesses that won’t see as strong results with local SEO. This includes e-commerce businesses whose sales are entirely online and businesses that don’t want to share its information (such as physical location). These businesses would find minimal difference between local SEO efforts and traditional efforts. In fact, local SEO may reduce the size of its potential audience when compared to efforts that aren’t based on specific geographies.

What are the Important Parts of Local SEO?

The structure of local SEO is simple in concept with the core being content, backlinking, and keyword research. The main difference is that these efforts are all focused on a specific, local geography rather than a larger geography. For more information about SEO practices and how they help improve your business’s presence online, you can see here.

Why is Content Important for Local SEO?

Content marketing is a way for your business to showcase expertise in your field. When it comes to local SEO, knowledgeable content with a focus on depth and local experience can do wonder for increased results. Knowing how to structure your content is just another step in refining your local SEO efforts. The style of content should change based on the industry you are writing to and what your potential customers are looking for.

One thing is for sure though, it is imperative to ensure that your content is not dry. It should be informative, but still interesting to read. Long-form content may provide the most information, but if someone isn’t reading to the end that information is lost.

Proper NAP Management

A key part of developing local SEO is continuity of your business name, address, and phone number (or NAP). Ensuing uniformity of your NAP between your Google Business listing, website contact information, and local business directories helps communicate where your business operates. Additionally, when you spend time to appropriately curate your business information Google can tell that your online presence is actively being worked on. This is something that can translate to increased gains in SEO.

All of these efforts working together improves not only your business’s local SEO, but also your results in areas outside of your targeted geographies. It’s easy to see that this is an absolute win. Geography-based SEO practices can be incredibly beneficial to a company who is looking to drum up traffic and business from its immediate surroundings.

Is your business proud to be a part of your community but not being found online as much as you’d like? WSI Smart Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency located in Sonoma County. Our team has the know-how and the expertise to partner with your business and help you get found online. Call us today at (707) 843-3714 to schedule a free consultation or fill out this form.