What is Local SEO?
Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps your local business increase visibility. If you aim to be reachable within your specific geolocation, you will need this strategy.
It is a process of helping your local business to reach more customers through search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.). It is a strategy that benefits your local business.
For example, if you want to look for a ‘workplace café near me’ Google will show results for local businesses, services, or products that are relevant to the search intent or query.
Why is Local SEO important?
We are in the modern time, where the internet plays a role in every individual. It is not just the new generation that is using it, but people learned to adapt to this new way.
People nowadays will look for things they want online because we want easy and instant results or answers for our queries.
Local optimization is the best practice for your business to show in local search results. It helps your business reach more customers or clients to visit your store and purchase your products and services.
2 Types of Google showing Local Search Results
The local search result is shown in two parts in the SERP (Search Engine Result Page).
1. Google Local Pack
Local Pack is the first three listings shown on top of the SERP (Search Result Page). It is a response to the search queries when a user searches for local businesses.
Google Local Pack is also called ‘Local 3-Pack’. These top 3 listings consist of a Map (which shows its exact location), the specific name of the store, reviews, address, and operating hours.
Google My Business helps you run and optimize your Google Business Profile. Google Business Profile is the listing for a business that has a physical store.
2. Local Organic Results
Organic results are lists of non-paid results in the SERP (Search Engine Result Page) and influenced by SEO by having relevant and high-quality content. Local organic results are located after the Local 3-Pack
Local SEO Ranking Factors
These are the lists of ranking factors to consider in optimizing your local business:
Google My Business
Google My Business helps you run and optimize your Google Business Profile. Google Business Profile is the listing for businesses that have a physical store. You can provide all your business information such as physical store location, photos, contact information, all important details of your business, and what your business has to offer. Optimizing this will help your local business to be more visible to users. It will only show in the SERP for relevant search queries.
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (GBP) helps local businesses to set up or create a business profile with the necessary details.
As mentioned above, Google Business Profile is the listing for a business that has a physical store. You can provide all your business information like physical store location, photos, contact information, dominant details of your business, and what your business has to offer.
Google Business Profile Ranking Factors
- Relevance – refers to how well your Business Profile is optimized in a way that can satisfy the search queries/intent and the user/searcher.
- Distance – refers to the calculated distance location of prospect customers to the local businesses.
- Prominence – refers to how famous your local business is. For example, you will search for ‘best coffee shop’ or ‘most visited tourist attractions in Australia’.
On-page SEO
On-page optimization is concerned with how your site or page content is optimized. There are different things also to consider; your URL, meta title tags, meta description, the H1 header tag, images, videos, and more.
This optimization happens within your website/page. Another area also considered in your On-page SEO is internal linking. Internal linking is a process of connecting/pointing your page to another page.
Online Reviews
Online reviews benefit your business and improve sales and reputation. Online prominence is necessary when it comes to business. It helps boost your business authoritativeness and trustworthiness.
Local Citation
A local citation is called the NAP (Name, Address, and Phone number). It is a mention of directories around the web. Citation helps your local business to be discoverable by the user. It can influence your local ranking.
Local Content
Every local optimization should not forget localized content on their website. Searchers may be looking for content that can help them understand or be updated on your products and services. Optimizing it can help capture users’ attention.
Please feel free to provide your thoughts and comments to this article based on your experience.
Reach out if you are looking for support with implementing the right SEO practices for your business.
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