Local SEO

What Is Local SEO and Why Is It Important?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Local SEO is an offshoot of search engine optimization. Its primary objective is to help websites rank higher in local searches and obtain more traffic. But exactly what is Google local SEO, and why is it so important to businesses?

In this article, we’ll be answering the question, “what is local SEO?” 

What Is SEO?

Before we look at local SEO, we must first take a look at SEO. SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s the practice of getting your website to rank as high as possible on the search engine results page to get organic traffic. 

There are several sides to SEO. These include:

  • On-page SEO – which is the practice of generating content to help your website rank
  • Off-page SEO – which involves promoting your website through link building
  • Technical SEO- which entails managing the backend of your site to help it rank higher
  • Local SEO – for helping brick-and-mortar and local businesses drive traffic and footfall through their doors

This SEO company can help you with much of the work involved in optimizing your website. 

What Is Local SEO?

If you own a local business that seeks to attract customers from the local area, you’ll want to appear on searches for your type of business “near me” – local SEO lets you do just that. 

81% of all local searches for small businesses are unbranded. That means they’ll be using terms such as “lawyer near me” or “plumber near me.”

Google’s Local Pack is where all of the action happens when it comes to local SEO. This is the small map that appears at the top of local searches that highlight local businesses relevant to the search query. 

To get featured in the local pack, you’ll need to register your company with Google My Business. From here, you’ll be able to create a profile that’ll help put you in the right position to get plenty of local business clicks. 

What Are the Benefits Of Local SEO Marketing?

As previously mentioned, most local searches are unbranded, which means that there’s a lot of scope for your business to attract attention from these local searches. 

Local SEO helps your business stand out from the crowd. Even if you don’t have a website, you can still harness the power of local SEO to drive footfall to your business. 

Because the searches that you’ll rank for will be directly relevant to your business, you’ll also be guaranteed to have a high conversion rate. 

Getting Your Website Ahead In the Local Rankings

To get your business’ website ahead in the local search rankings, you need to know the answer to the question “what is local SEO?”. Use tools such as Google My Business to help improve your ranking position and appear in Google’s Local Pack. 

For more helpful articles relating to SEO, check out the rest of the site.