What Is the Best Strategy for Local Search Engine Optimization For Small Businesses?
Local search engine optimization (SEO) means tuning web pages and site signals so a business ranks higher in the local results of Google, Yahoo, and Bing. For small businesses, the practical playbook is research: study what competing local businesses do with their Google Places listing, then layer on tactics like article directory submissions, press releases to local business news publications, and a local blog that reaches nearby customers and audiences beyond the area.
Why local SEO matters for small businesses
Optimizing for local search gives small businesses a few concrete advantages. They can pull in traffic from Google, Yahoo, and Bing through local SEO work, and they can also reach outside audiences through paid campaigns run on third party sites. Smaller local businesses often run more successful ad campaigns using tools such as Google AdWords because they learn how the search engines actually rank pages and can climb those rankings directly.
Lower ad costs through local targeting
Local search engine optimization and local advertising usually cost less than broad campaigns. Internet users know a site does not have to sit in their home city to be relevant, so businesses find it easier to reach specific demographic groups through local SEO and ads. A restaurant in an industrial area, for example, is more likely to pull ads from companies in the same industry, and those advertisers have already shown knowledge of the products and services being marketed, so the results tend to be strong.
Wider visibility in the marketplace
The biggest benefit of local search results optimization is broader visibility. A website that shows up in Google, Yahoo, and Bing can reach a much wider audience than a web presence limited to one town or city. Building a strong presence on the search engines raises the odds of more traffic and more business. Visibility can grow further with a presence outside the actual web pages, such as a physical location that appears in brick and mortar spots around the community, giving a business an edge in its local market.
Where social media fits in
Local SEO and advertising alone will not carry a small business, because the Internet keeps expanding and larger competitors have resources to dominate niches. Many small businesses pair local SEO with social media marketing, an online advertising approach that uses networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to build exposure. A business can pick up visibility and traffic through these sites, but sloppy execution creates problems. If a local search engine optimization strategy ignores the algorithm, pages can land in the “sponsored results” section and miss the traffic a clean local placement would deliver.
Risks of skipping real optimization
Skipping real optimization can hurt a small business in two main ways. First, those results usually do not appear in Google or Yahoo’s local search results pages, so the company loses traffic it would have earned by tuning its site for those two engines. Second, the results are not personalized. A business owner can place a brick and mortar listing in specific parts of a city or state, but when people search those places they look for the product or service, not the business name they saw online. For brick and mortar businesses, the safest path is making sure the website is optimized for those two key search terms.
The best strategy for local search engine optimization
Small businesses have a few practical paths to better local rankings. Owners can research what other local businesses do to get the most out of their Google Places listing, then build on those Google Places results with local SEO work such as submitting articles to article directories and submitting press releases to local business news publications. A more thorough approach is building a local blog. A blog helps a small business get noticed in its area, in the rest of the state, and even across the country if it wants wider reach.
FAQ
What is local search engine optimization?
Local search engine optimization is the practice of tuning a website and its online listings so it ranks higher in the local results of search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
Why should small businesses invest in local SEO?
Local SEO helps small businesses reach nearby customers through Google, Yahoo, and Bing, lowers advertising costs compared with broad campaigns, and widens visibility beyond a single town or city. It also lets smaller businesses compete with larger national and international companies.
What is the best local SEO strategy for a small business?
The most effective approach is researching what other local businesses do with their Google Places listing, then layering on local SEO tactics like submitting articles to article directories, sending press releases to local business news publications, and building a local blog to attract attention in the area and beyond.