Local SEO is now essential for small and mid-sized businesses because more customers shop online, and it lets small operators compete with larger competitors at a much lower cost per visitor than traditional marketing like newspaper ads.
What Local SEO Actually Does
Local SEO services go beyond raising website traffic volume and quality. They also increase visibility in search engine results, with the main advantage being reach into the local geographical area. Nearly half of all people on the internet today are searching within their local area. A furniture store in Durham, NC, for example, can count on some of its customers searching for furniture online, and even non-branded searches can surface that store because of its location.
Which Social Platforms Should Small Businesses Use?
Small businesses do not need to ignore Facebook and Twitter. They can get an edge on the competition by focusing on specific local SEO tactics, including creating a Facebook page dedicated to the business, using Google Places for local businesses, and using LinkedIn for professional and social networking with local businesses. Twitter is another place to do this.
Why Mobile-Friendly Pages Matter
Another benefit of local SEO services is that they provide businesses with mobile-friendly web pages. More consumers access smartphones and tablet computers from their homes or cars, so mobile-friendly content reaches more consumers than expected. A business page on a social network like Facebook lets people see company information no matter where they are.
How Can Local Events Boost Visibility?
Local events are a good way for small businesses to market to potential customers. A local business may want to add links on Facebook and Twitter to promote upcoming events, letting customers know about the event itself and providing valuable backlinks to the business listing.
Is a Business Profile Enough on Its Own?
Having a Facebook profile and Twitter account shows customers that a business has a presence in the area, but customers will not necessarily start following the business just because they found it in one of those places. It is important to get Google to list the business in its search engine results pages, and local SEO efforts are helped significantly when Google makes these moves. Google likes more local listings, and if it can give a business an even larger local SEO footprint, the company will enjoy even greater online success.
What Recent Google Changes Should Businesses Watch?
Google has made several changes recently that businesses should look out for. The amount of local SEO juice a site receives is now very important. If a search engine sees that the number of links coming from a site is less than 50%, it assumes that this is a low quality site and does not care to rank it in its search results. You can learn more about this change here.
How Do You Build a Stronger Web Presence?
Organic search results are not the only option for getting local SEO juice. Several other techniques can improve web presence with search engines. Whichever approach is chosen, having as many quality backlinks as possible pointing to the website makes SEO efforts easier and more effective. More people will connect with the website, which builds more trust with customers.
FAQ
What is local SEO and why does it matter for small businesses?
Local SEO is a type of search marketing focused on reaching potential customers within a specific geographical area. It matters for small businesses because more customers shop online, it lets small operators compete against larger competitors, and it costs much less per visitor than marketing channels like newspaper ads.
Which social platforms help with local SEO?
Facebook, Google Places, LinkedIn, and Twitter are all useful. A dedicated Facebook page builds presence, Google Places targets local searches, LinkedIn supports professional networking with local businesses, and Twitter provides another channel for connecting with local customers.
Why are backlinks important for local SEO?
Backlinks are important because Google uses the volume and quality of incoming links to judge a site. If fewer than 50% of a site’s links are seen as quality links, search engines may treat it as low quality and avoid ranking it in search results.