For businesses that are looking for a way to compete with larger corporations, it is important to develop a strong online presence. Digital marketing is one of the cornerstones of the business world today. When it comes to digital marketing, one of the most important tools to note is called start engine optimization. For those who might not know, search engine optimization that the practice of designing your online presence to boost the search results rankings. One of the most important components of search engine optimization, usually shortened to SEO, is local SEO. When it comes to local SEO, there are a few important points to keep in mind.
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What Is Local SEO and Who is it for?
First, it is important for everyone to know what local SEO for small business is. A general search engine optimization campaign is designed to help people ranked highly for certain words and phrases. A local SEO campaign is designed to help individuals and organizations rank highly for local searches. Some of the most common triggers that cause a search engine to pull up local results include phrases that feature:
- Zipcodes
- Town names
- Street names
- Queries with the phrase “near me”
When someone includes these phrases in their search, the search engine is going to track the IP address of the user and hone in on local results. In this manner, local businesses are able to compete with larger corporations. Even though everyone can benefit to some extent from a strong local SEO campaign there are some industries that will benefit from local SEO the most.
What Types of Businesses Benefit the Most from Local SEO?
While every industry can benefit from local SEO, there are two industries that will benefit more than others from this type of digital marketing campaign. Some of the biggest industries that can really put local SEO to work include:
- Restaurants: When people are going out to eat, they look for restaurants in their local area. Therefore, restaurants need to have a solid local presence as well. If someone searches for, “Italian restaurant near me,” restaurant owners want to make sure that their listing shows up. This is where a strong local SEO campaign can help.
- Home Repairs and Renovations: When someone is looking to renovate a part of his or her home such as the living room, dining room, kitchen, or bathroom, he or she is going to search for contractors in the local area. Therefore, anyone who works in the contracting business needs to make sure they have a strong local presence in the digital world. A strong local SEO campaign can help with this.
- Medical Practices: Medical professionals eats and make sure they have a strong local presence in the online world. When someone is looking for a doctor, dentist, optometrist, or anyone else in the medical industry, they are going to turn to the internet for help. There are numerous occasions where individuals and families are going to need a new local medical practice. Because most people start with Google when looking for a doctor, it is critical to have a strong local SEO campaign.
- Real Estate Professionals: Obviously, real estate is a local industry. Real estate is going to vary widely from place to place. Real estate in a rural area is not going to be anything like real estate in the middle of a big city. When someone is looking for a real estate professional, they are going to look for someone who has experience in the local area. Therefore, all real estate professionals need to have a strong local SEO campaign that will help them find new clients.
Keep in mind is that every industry is going to benefit to some extent from a well-executed local SEO campaign. Therefore, it is a good idea to understand what is involved in executing a local SEO campaign for a company.
What’s Involved in Performing Local SEO for a Company?
When someone is trying to run an effective local SEO campaign, there are several steps that are going to take place. Some of the most important facets of a local SEO campaign include:
- Claim Business Listings: It is critical for businesses to start a local SEO campaign by claiming their business listings. There are numerous places where business listings are stored including Yelp, Google My Business, Facebook, Yellow Pages, and Apple. Businesses need to claim these listings and make sure the information is accurate.
- Add Location Pages: While it might be easier to have a single location page with all addresses, this is not smart from a local SEO perspective. Businesses need to make sure they add location pages for each individual location. Make sure the hours, address, and phone number are all presented on these pages.
- Ensure All NAP Information Is Consistent: NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. In order for a search engine to pull up relevant results, the search engine needs to know where the business is located. If the NAP information is not consistent, then search engines will get confused, hurting the business’s rankings. Businesses must make sure that all NAP information is consistent.
These are just a few of the most important parts of running a strong local SEO campaign. When someone is looking for options in the digital marketing world, there are several choices to note.
What Are My Options When It Comes Time to Launch a Local SEO Campaign?
Some of the biggest options that all businesses need to note when it comes to launching a local SEO campaign include:
- DIY: Those looking for a DIY answer for local SEO might want to turn to a source such as Ahrefs for help. For small businesses, a DIY campaign might sound attractive; however, there will come a point when it will become necessary to trust trained experts.
- In-House: An in-house team can be helpful for some companies. Usually reserved for larger corporations with the resources to hire an in-house marketing team, small businesses might found an in-house SEO solution to be cost-prohibitive.
- Agency: If you are looking for a professional agency to help you manage your local SEO campaign, then look no further than BizIQ. With the latest tools, techniques, and strategies in the world of digital marketing, BizIQ uses evidence-based solutions to help companies maximize the ROI on their local SEO investment.
All businesses need to take the time to come up with a strong local SEO campaign that will help them generate leads, boost their conversion rates, and drive their revenue.
