Small businesses often take advantage of local search engine optimization. It’s essentially a form of digital marketing that allows your company to gain local results on a Google search page.
If you have a brick and mortar location, local search engine optimization (SEO) can be a big help to you. Getting started with this type of marketing is easier than you think.
Keep reading for what you need to know about local SEO and how to make it work for you.
How does local search engine optimization work?
Google is smart. It knows when you’re looking for certain search results that you’re likely to want them to be in your local area. Even if you don’t use the ever-popular “near me” keyword alongside it.
For instance, say you’re looking for a book store. If you type “book store” into Google Search, it will bring up local results to your current area.
With the massive growth of mobile phones, local search is even more popular than it was a few years ago. Now, potential customers can look for local things as they’re out in the world.
That’s why it’s so important for businesses with a physical location to invest in local SEO.
How do you set up a successful campaign?
First, you want to make sure you have a great landing page for customers to come to when they click through your link. If you have more than one physical location, you should build a landing page for each.
Each page should be optimized for SEO and come with the information that matters like contact, address, and services.
You also want to set your business up with a Google business listing. This page is just for your business that houses your hours, photos, services, location, and even reviews from real customers.
Your website content also matters. You need to ensure that your website is optimized for local SEO to ensure you’re ranking when you need it most.
What happens when everything is ready?
You’re almost there. Now you need to do the technical SEO research.
Research involves keyword data, trends, and analytics for your website. This is the thought part that sometimes inspires small businesses to hire SEO experts.
If you know to do it yourself, go for it! But keep in mind the keywords you use can make or break your campaign and budget. It might be helpful to find some budget-friendly SEO tools that will generate results for you. They’ll save you both time and money compared to hiring an agency to handle it.
When should I use an SEO agency?
Using an agency is entirely up to you. There are certain points in a campaign where it becomes very time consuming, and you may not have the capacity to do it anymore. That’s when you know it’s time to search for an agency to help out.
It’s also helpful to have them on your side if you’re not familiar with setting up SEO campaigns or keyword researching. However, with a little education, you can definitely learn to do it yourself.
Local search engine optimization can help any small business thrive. Once you focus on building out your online presence, you’ll be surprised by how much it helps.
