What is local SEO?
Local SEO (search engine optimisation) is the strategy of making your business visible for searches tied to a place. It lets you promote your products and services to local customers while they are searching for them online. If you want more local business, you need local SEO.
Who needs local SEO?
If you have a website and serve customers in a particular area, local SEO applies to you. You need it if:
- You run a local business or are a small business owner.
- Your business has distinct service areas.
- You are a franchisee or franchise owner.
- You want more leads, traffic and sales within specific market areas.
- You want to tidy up your listings across online directories.
- You want to show up on maps and in Google's local pack.
How do you improve your local SEO?
Claim your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is a block of information about your company. It appears when someone searches "in [city]" or "near me", in a box at the top of results known as the local 3-pack.
Use relevant keywords on your site
Include the terms local customers search for on your pages. Keywords are what activate results.
Make your site mobile-friendly
Your site must perform well on mobile. Many mobile searches are about a location or finding local businesses, so the page needs to look right and work well on a phone.
Keep your listings consistent
Google expects your business name, address and phone number to match across your listing and other sites such as Yellow Pages and Yelp. Inconsistent details can hurt your standing.
Earn and respond to reviews
Reviews do not directly affect your ranking. They do affect whether someone chooses your business over another.
What are the benefits of local SEO?
- Reach more customers. Better rankings bring more visitors to your online profile, and some become customers.
- Increase traffic. More visitors means more chances to sell, and it spreads the word about your business.
- Reach your target audience. Relevant keywords put you in front of people already searching for what you offer.
- Improve conversion rates. The traffic is already interested in your product.
- Stand out from competitors. A business with optimised local SEO has an edge over one relying on traditional marketing alone.
- Build brand awareness. The more people see you in results, the more likely they are to look for you again.
- Support continuing growth. More traffic and better rankings lead to more leads and sales, which feeds further growth.
Should you hire a local SEO company?
Search engines change their local ranking factors often, and keeping up takes time. Running a business and learning SEO at once is a lot. If you want a hand, talk to Tussle Digital about how local search fits into your wider marketing. See our content marketing service or contact us to get started.
Questions we get asked
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is the strategy of making your business visible for searches tied to a place, such as 'in [city]' or 'near me'. It lets you promote your products and services to local customers at the moment they search for them online.
Who needs local SEO?
Any business with a website that wants customers in a specific area. That includes local and small businesses, businesses with distinct service areas, franchisees, and anyone who wants to appear on maps and in Google's local pack or tidy up their directory listings.
How do I show up in Google's local 3-pack?
Start by claiming your Google Business Profile, which appears at the top of results for 'in [city]' and 'near me' searches. Then use relevant keywords on your site, make it mobile-friendly, keep your name, address and phone number consistent across listings, and earn reviews.
Do reviews affect local SEO rankings?
Reviews do not have a direct effect on your ranking. They do affect whether someone picks your local business over another one, so earning reviews and responding to them remains an important part of local SEO for any small business.
