Local search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most important parts of modern digital marketing. If your company doesn’t have a strong online presence, it will be much more difficult to connect with your target customers and establish a strong brand identity. It will also be difficult to secure a positive return on investment (ROI) for the money you spend on digital marketing; without a strong SEO strategy, the money you pay for Google Ads and other forms of digital advertising simply won’t bring the results you expect.
What Is Local Search Engine Optimization?
SEO revolves around the goal of having your website and your content appear among the top search results when a user types a query into a search engine like Google or Bing. If a user types in keywords related to your industry, your content should be among the first results – that is, if you have a solid SEO strategy in place. While it may sound like a good idea to cast a wide net and capture as much search engine traffic as possible, most smaller companies find success by investing in a strong local presence. Capturing a local market is essential for most businesses’ survival, so it’s vital to understand how local SEO works and the benefits of investing in a solid local SEO strategy.
Many small businesses that operate locally overlook the importance of SEO for Google and other search engines; they typically assume that digital marketing campaigns are for larger companies that operate on a national scale, not small to medium businesses. While the vast majority of modern consumers rely on Google to find the products and services they need on a day-to-day basis, they still prefer to shop locally when it comes to their essentials.
Small businesses that thrive on local customers’ patronage need to capitalize on local SEO if they want more customers to find them and visit their stores.
1) Local SEO Builds Brand Identity
When you invest in local SEO, your content and your website will start to appear in more searches from local customers. Google prioritizes geographic location in search results, so if you build a strong local SEO strategy, you’ll appear in more searches when local Google users search for keywords related to your industry and the content on your website. Over time, your brand will appear in more local searches and lend credibility to your brand name. This will help your business stand out to your local customers and ultimately help you build a stronger brand identity.
2) Google My Business Allows Local Customers to Find Your Business
The Google My Business toolset allows business owners to claim their businesses on Google Search results, edit their listing information, and even interact with Google users by answering their questions and allowing them to post reviews. Essentially, this tool allows you to enhance the effectiveness of your local SEO strategy by creating an authoritative listing for your business, helping you stand out among local businesses, and offering users an easy way of contacting you and finding out more about your business.
3) Strong SEO Builds Your Relevance and Authority in Your Market
Your local SEO strategy should consist of solid link and citation building. Linking to authoritative content in your own content helps build a strong link profile for your website and ultimately drives up your search result rankings. Over time, this will help establish your brand as a leader in your niche. Local customers will be more likely to investigate your brand if you appear in the top search results when they perform search queries and will quickly recognize that your business can meet their needs when you have built credibility with strong local SEO practices.
4) Strong Local SEO Boosts Your Content Marketing Efficacy
Content is a major component of modern digital marketing. Work to develop content that not only resonates with your target audience and offers them value, but also provides you with a solid ROI for the money you spend developing it. Backing up your content with a solid local SEO strategy ensures your content draws the attention you expect and ultimately increases the ROI of your content marketing efforts. This in turn will allow you to reinvest into your business, create even better content, and reach more potential customers.
Start Improving Your SEO Strategy with Imagine Monkey
Modern consumers have grown accustomed to searching online for the products and services they need before buying. Remember, just because you are close in physical proximity to your customers does not mean they can find you easily. A solid Local SEO strategy will ensure they can.
Imagine Monkey specializes in helping small businesses enhance their marketing efforts and local SEO strategies by leveraging the latest tools and methods for better marketing ROI and improved sales. If you want to take your local SEO efforts to the next level, contact Imagine Monkey today to learn more about the services we offer.
Updated: 02/20/2023
