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Why Is Local SEO Vital For Businesses?

4 Reasons Why You Need Local SEO and Why It Matters

By Adrian CrucePublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Why Is Local SEO Vital For Businesses?
Photo by henry perks on Unsplash

The truth is local SEO is not properly understood by most site owners. Simply put, most people just do not know anything about local search engine optimization and why specialists keep talking about it right now.

While “regular” search engine optimization is still very important for websites, the importance of local SEO is constantly growing. It is very effective at attracting customers for brick and mortar businesses and needs to be included in any promotion strategy.

The problem is that most business owners still do not understand much about how the internet works. They just do not know why SEO is vital for businesses. Due to this, here are some important reasons to remember.

Ranking Higher In The Local Search Engine Results

A study by Britghlocal showed that 64% of the local customers now use Google and some other search engines in order to find the local businesses. Also, half of the local customers that do make a search actually visit a store on the day when the search was made.

When you do local SEO work for your sight, you increase the possibility of ranking higher in local search engine results. This is because when you make a search with a mobile device, the proximity to brick and mortar businesses is one of the biggest ranking factors. Google now shows just relevant results in local searches and they choose based on geographic vicinity and search term.

More First-Time Visits

By Alex Person on Unsplash

As I did work as a Sydney SEO specialist, I often saw a big problem. Business owners were happy with the local customers they had so they did not understand the importance of focusing on new customers. As time passes, a business gradually loses the loyal customers. Because of this, you need to constantly look for brand new customers.

One thing you should know is that most people nowadays actually look up business location in order to confirm it before the first visit. Around one third of smartphone searches are actually made before the first visit. Simply put, people look for store locations before they visit even if they are aware of the address.

Free Advertising

By Anthony Rosset on Unsplash

It should not be a surprise to see this because many think that local SEO practically revolves around a long series of ads. This is completely incorrect. In fact, most of the work you do is take advantage of free advertising opportunities.

As a simple example, the very first step you make in local search engine optimization is submitting your business in Google My Business. If you represent a legit business with a brick and mortar office, this is completely free. Then, you submit the business to other relevant niche business directories. While many do have some sort of paid submission option, they all have a free option.

Increased Profits

By Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Let’s face it! For most business owners, the most important thing at the end of the day is making money. Local SEO helps the business because it brings in more first-time customers. If the rest of the business setup is proper, this means that you make more sales. Who doesn’t want more sales?

We can say that this “increased profits” benefit is much more important than what many think. This is because people that use Google or social media searches to find a business already want to buy something. This is different than many other popular advertising methods.

For instance, when you walk through a mall, you can see an ad for a store. You can then walk in. However, this does not mean that you want to buy something. In fact, many that take this route are just interested in doing some window shopping. When the visitors come from local searches, they want to buy so a sale is much more likely.

Final Thoughts

We reached a point at which local SEO cannot be neglected. More and more people use smart devices to browse the internet, shop and look for businesses. Local search engine optimization makes sure that your business shows up when it is relevant and brings in more interested customers.

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About the Creator

Adrian Cruce

Marketer by day, gamer by night!

Personal Blog: AdrianCruce.com

Twitter: @AdrianCruce

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