Local SEO, what it is, how it is used and how important it is

The most relevant business locations are located on the first page of the search results, i.e. the search engine results pages (SERP). Users will also be provided with a list of local locations based on their proximity, with directions on the map. Today, to be found online and noticed, you must be the tallest tree in the forest. If you don't already have a website or online presence, you should seriously consider providing information about your business online. 

About 46% of searches are for local information. 18% of local smartphone searches lead to a purchase within 24 hours.

However, just having a website or social media account doesn't mean you will finally get those customers who are channeling your competitors.

What Is Local SEO?

Local search engine optimization  (SEO) can be used by companies of any size, regardless of the number of positions you may have, to rank relevant search terms such as Google that attract your customers on search engines like Google  . 

Local search engine optimization strategies send signals to Google and other search engines for the location or services of your business. If you've ever looked for a key term like "gas station near me" or "locksmith near me", then you've already seen some local SEO. The central point is to increase online visibility for your business by communicating what your business offers or sells and WHERE supplies or sells. Communicate this information to the search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) via local signals.

How Is Local SEO Used In 2020?

Search engine optimization has been used since the dawn of search engines. Twenty years ago, it was easy to implement SEO strategies. You could spam keywords all over the website and be number 1 in SERPs in a few hours. Nowadays, one has to be creative on how to proceed with SEO strategies. Search engines have guidelines that prevent you from implementing some of the "simpler" strategies of ancient times. Everything changes and new updates are made to keep up with the competition. Local SEO is now used to direct customers to your store, call your services, promote commercial offers and lead potential customers to events.

Search engines and companies not only collect user data online, but also geolocation data. If a customer enters your shop, there are now ways you can send them a notification with an offer they can use in the shop.

The Most Important Data

The strongest signal and the most important factor of local SEO is the accuracy of the  name  ,  address  and  telephone number  of your online business. If you have a website, adding your company name, address (or managed area) and a phone number for direct contact with that location will allow Google and online directories to verify your business. You can go one step further by including a map of your location, which substantially increases credibility.

Proximity is all about search engines. Recently, the giant of Google search engines has undergone a massive update on Google Maps which correlates to the proximity of a user. A user's latitude and longitude when they search on Google will give them different results as they move through a city, province or even neighborhood.

Locate the website and rely on an agency

The process of "localizing" the website means focusing on optimizing the website for local searches. Many local businesses with websites lack valuable information that they communicate to Google and the customers in which they are located. To locate your website, include the city or area where your business is located or the services on the pages of your website. Enter the name of the city in the header, content and even the title of all the videos you uses. Be careful not to overdo keyword optimization by keyword spamming.

Now that you know the basics of local SEO Services, it's time to decide how to officially get started. Do you do the strategies yourself or hire a marketing agency to do them for you? You are an entrepreneur, which means that you already have many responsibilities. Whether it's physical work, accounting, training new employees, you already have enough on your plate. If you feel comfortable spending the time necessary to learn all that is possible about local SEO to beat your competitors, implementing strategies alone is not a bad idea.

On the other hand, it takes hours of reading, concentration, patience and tests to learn local SEO NYC and derive its ROI. If you don't have time to devote to this, contact an agency that knows and understands the difficulties of being a small and medium-sized entrepreneur.