As a local business, do you know how to optimize your web presence to attract a larger segment of your local audience? Today, as many as 4 out of 5 consumers are turning to search engines to find and connect with local businesses. If you want to get in front of your audience, local SEO is a must-have strategy for your marketing toolbox.
What Is Local SEO?
Let’s start with the basics. Most businesses online have some sort of search engine optimization strategy in place – or at least they should. The premise of SEO is to do everything you can to appease search engine algorithms and appear as high in search engine results as possible. This is accomplished through a variety of tactics.
Where many small businesses are missing an incredible opportunity is with local SEO. Local audiences want search engine results that are geographically relevant. If they’re looking for a place to meet friends for happy hour or where they can take a weekend yoga class, results that aren’t in their geographic target are going to be meaningless to them.
Local SEO is a strategy that helps your business get noticed by search engines in response to local search queries. It’s the strategy that bridges the gap between your business and your local, real-world audience. Think along the lines of local business directories, maps, locally relevant content and a keyword strategy that is aligned to your local community, for starters.
Why Local SEO Matters
We all know that there’s more competition than ever online. No matter how specialized your business is, you can trust that there are thousands (if not more) just like you. Fortunately, you’re not competing with all of them, but you are competing with businesses that you share your little corner of the world with.
This means that businesses like yours are under more pressure to attract local customers online. Without a strategic approach to SEO in place, you’ll have plenty of time to sit around and watch all your potential customers file through your competitor’s door.
Local SEO is also important because it’s designed to connect you with your mobile audience. People who use their mobile devices to search and connect with a local business will often visit that location within a day. If you haven’t made it easy for local mobile consumers to reach you, you’re missing out on huge revenue potential.
First Steps for Getting Started with Local SEO
There are lots of great strategies you can employ for boosting local SEO, including taking advantage of your Google My Business Listing and Google Maps, developing a local keyword and content strategy, mobile optimization, building local backlinks, reputation management, and more.
If this sounds like a huge undertaking, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. At Double Up Digital we’re experts at driving traffic for businesses just like yours through a range of digital marketing strategies, including local SEO. With visibility and traffic within your reach, what are you waiting for? Contact Double Up Digital today and learn more about local SEO for your business.
