According to Social Media Today, 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information. The data shows that 86% of consumers are using the internet to find local businesses.
Whether you have a brick-and-mortar location or are a local service provider, an SEO-optimized website can transform your business’s traffic. At Local View, we are experts at designing websites to help local businesses shine.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO stands for local Search Engine Optimization. This is how people find you went they search for businesses, in your area.
Searches often lead to purchases. As Social Media Today confirms, 76% of people who search for a nearby business visit the location within a day. Approximately 28% of these searches result in a purchase.
When someone wants to find the best coffee in town, they search for “best coffee in Lynnwood.” When your restaurant pops up on top, expect a boost in traffic.
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online visibility when people search by location or for nearby services.
When your SEO puts you at the top of local rankings, what happens? More customers. More referrals. More business.
What Affects Local Ranking?
Local ranking is determined by Google using three key factors: geography, relevance, and prominence.
Geography is based on geographic location. Relevance relates to how close is the search to your business profile. The final factor is prominence, which is how Google determines how well-known your business seems.
How Does SEO Optimized Website Bring You More Traffic?
How does an SEO-Optimized website work?
According to Sprout Social, local SEO helps you show up more prominently as it relates to the person’s search.
One of the ways you may have seen is an outlined box called snack pack results. This is a highlighted box where the top three businesses show up at the top of the search page.
If you are in the top three, the higher ranking improves your chances of getting traffic.
As more consumers search online to decide where to eat, drink, shop, find services, and find entertainment…your online ranking makes a huge difference in traffic.
An SEO-optimized website is like having advertising going 24/7 — and you don’t have to pay for new customers the way you do on a paid ad campaign.
1. Local SEO Matches How People Search
People who live in your area are searching online for convenience and ease. They want to shop, eat, or do business locally. This helps residents find you and reduce their carbon footprint. It also helps people find local services such as gardening, home repair, or plumbing.
Visitors also search online. For those who don’t know your community, a prominent ranking enhances visibility. When your business is on top in local searches, visitors are more likely to choose your store, restaurant, or service.
For recent arrivals, searching online is one of the very first activities. When you come up on top, you could be the first restaurant or store to visit.
Local SEO can be the start of long-term relationships with your company.
2. Consumers Support Local Businesses
With a global movement towards local, consumers are actively supporting local businesses. Many people know that small and family businesses are a rare and precious part of society.
According to Forbes, consumers are aware that local businesses boost the economy, create more jobs, reduce traffic, and contribute to the health of a community. Local businesses are often more innovative and value better customer service than a big chain.
When your local business shows up at the top, you are helping people choose to shop and support local businesses—and build a stronger community.
3. Customers Like Mobile-Friendly Local SEO
More people are using their mobile devices to search for services. This includes pizza, restaurants, take-out, and cafes. People search for local services such as a reputable local plumber, electrician, or roofer.
Consumers are using local searches to find dentists, doctors, physical therapists, lawyers, and massage therapists.
If your website is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and is up-to-date, it is more appealing to customers.
4. Local SEO Boosts Visibility
What happens if your competitor has a high ranking in local SEO and you don’t? Your competitor will win new clients, attract your clients, and stand out as the local leader.
If you’ve ever had this happen, you know how painful it is to have a less experienced competitor win your clients. You know the frustration, sleepless nights, and gut-wrenching pain of being invisible.
An optimized website makes your business visible. It helps convert visitors to customers. Get your website out ahead of your competition with local SEO.
5. Local SEO Is Less Expensive and Stable
One of the great advantages of local SEO works is that it’s less expensive than a lot of other ways of bringing in traffic.
Improving organic traffic from local searches is extremely cost-effective.
According to Hubspot, search engines value local content, links, citations, and social profile pages for local search. You can get listed in local listings and many of them are free. In other words, this is like getting local advertising for free. You’re meeting your local customers right where they are looking.
Local SEO strategies are also very stable. You won’t have to keep redoing your profile or updating your listing. You can get more customers to your brick-and-mortar location when done correctly.
In Conclusion
An SEO-optimized website is critical for generating traffic for your business. A high-performing site boosts awareness of your business and inspires people to come to you.
At Local View, we design SEO-optimized websites to help you connect with your community and generate local traffic. Let’s talk about how this can help you grow your business.