9 Impressive Benefits of Local SEO for Small Businesses
If you run a small local business, then you will want to bring in as many customers as possible. These days, one of the best ways of doing that is through your company website using a technique known as local search engine optimization (SEO).
Local SEO is great for small businesses such as window cleaners, glass & glazing specialists, painters & decorators, and more. It puts you ahead of the curve in terms of your position in the search rankings, but it can do a whole lot more besides.
So, what is Local SEO and, more importantly, what are its benefits?
In this article, we’ll explore the importance of local SEO and why your business should invest in a local SEO strategy.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a way of getting your small or local business to rank higher in the local search engine rankings.
Using services such as Google My Business, it is possible to push your companies website to the top of the search rankings so that they feature in Google’s Local Pack.
Local Pack is the map that appears towards the top of a Google search above the organic search results.
1. A Great Presence in Your Local Niche Market
Often, when searching for a niche business, users will search using terms such as “window cleaners near me”. Alternatively, they may use their town or city in the search term.
By implementing a local SEO strategy, you’ll be able to rank at the top of the search engine results pages for these niche searches.
2. Improved Search Engine Rankings
You can invest a lot of time and effort into improving your performance in the organic search results. However, if you run a small business that relies on local customers you are better off implementing a local SEO strategy.
By employing local SEO techniques, you can rise above the organic search results and feature in position zero.
3. Increased Traffic to Your Website
Because of your improved position in the search engine rankings, you will start to see an increase in traffic to your website. All users need to do is search the type of business that you are, and if they are close to you, you’ll show toward the top of the search rankings.
Very often, these visits to your website will translate directly into visits to your business.
4. More Customer Leads
Local SEO is not just about improving the position of your website in the search rankings, it is about promoting your business in the local area. 78 percent of local searches that are made from a mobile device end with offline purchases being made.
By taking advantage of services such as Google My Business and Bing Places for Business, you’ll be able to generate more walk-in customers and more phone queries.
In all, this will equate to more customer leads that you can focus on converting into sales.
5. Improved Awareness of Your Company Address
If you run a local business, your website is probably not the be-all and end-all of your marketing strategy. You need to drive people to your physical address.
Because of the use of maps, it is possible to improve customer awareness of your companies address.
Make sure that your business name, address, and phone number are listed consistently across Google My Business, your website, and any other listings sites.
6. An Increase in Repeat Trade
Bringing customers through your doors is the main purpose of local SEO. Once people know where they can find your business, nothing is stopping them from coming back.
If you run a business such as a window cleaner where repeat trade is common, then you’ll find that your local SEO strategy should drive repeat custom.
7. A Rise in Sales
Local SEO benefits your business in many ways. It will help you get more visitors to your website and lead to more phone calls and direct visitors from potential customers.
The more leads you get, the better your chances of building up your sales will be.
8. Enhanced Visibility on Google Maps
One of the best features of local SEO is the fact that you will feature on Google Maps. By investing the time and energy into creating a local SEO strategy, you will be able to ensure that your business features on Google Maps.
Setting up Google My Business is easy. Simply fill in the online forms and await your code in the post from Google to confirm that you actually are based at the address that you are listing yourself at.
9. Better Community Outreach
Your local business survives and thrives based on your ability to reach out to the local community. Local SEO is a fundamental tool in doing this.
Investing time and energy into your local SEO campaign will see you become an established business within your local community.
Whether you are just starting out, or whether you have decades of experience under your belt, local SEO can benefit your business by improving its standing in the community.
Manage Your Local SEO With the Help of Our Customer Management System
As you can see, there are many different local SEO benefits and it really does pay to invest time and effort into implementing your strategy.
Once you have started driving footfall through your business using local SEO, you will need a system to manage the customers that you have brought through your doors.
A good customer management system will help you to communicate effectively with customers that have found your business through local SEO tactics.
If you are looking for a customer management system for your business, then you should get in touch with BidClips today.