Local SEO – How to Get Found by Customers in Your Area

To understand the importance, take a quick look at the statistics below:

• 46% of Google searches are for local information
• 78% of local mobile searches end in an in-store purchase 
• Businesses with an optimised Google Business Profile receive five times more views

How Local SEO Works

When it comes to local search results, Google focuses on three main ranking factors:

• Relevance – does your business match the search query?
• Distance – is your business close to the users location?
• Prominence – is your business well known and trusted?

Now let's take a look at how to get found by customers in your area with effective local SEO:

Google Business Profile

• Claim, create and verify your Google Business Profile listing
• Compete all sections including business name, category, hours, phone, website, address 
• Include high quality images and videos
• Create an engaging business description that includes local keywords
• Encourage and respond to all reviews, good and bad
• Share updates in the posts feature
• Include Q&A content

On-Page Local SEO

• Include your city or region in your title tags and meta descriptions
• Structure your content logically with header tags
• Use short and descriptive URLs that include your area
• Include location pages
• Implement schema markup with LocalBusiness schema
• Implement a local link building strategy

Optimise for Mobile and Voice Search 

• Improve your website speed, ensuring pages load in less than three seconds
• Use a responsive design
• Add conversational, long-tail keywords

Local SEO Tools and Analytics

• Use Google Keyword Planner for keyword research
• Use Moz Local or BrightLocal for local listings
• Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to track your rankings
• Use Gatherup or Reputation.com to monitor reviews
• Use GBP Insights that is included in your Google Business Profile

Metrics we recommend you track includes:

• Calls and clicks from Google Maps
• Direction requests
• Website traffic by location 
• Local keyword rankings

Conclusion

Local SEO is an ongoing process and an important part of any small to medium sized local business's digital strategy. When done correctly, it helps your business appear the moment someone searches for a local business with high intent. Whether you are a retail store, electrician, or a doctor, optimising your website for local SEO is a long term and sustainable investment. If you are looking for a reliable SEO agency to assist your business with local SEO, give the Genie Crawl team a call now.