The Importance of Local Internet Marketing for Brick-and-Mortar Businesses
Mary W. DooleyLocal SEO is how brick-and-mortar businesses get found by nearby customers searching online. It puts your store in front of people in your area, drives foot traffic, and boosts sales. With 46% of all Google searches being local, showing up in those results directly affects your bottom line.
Why Local SEO Matters for Physical Stores
Local SEO helps local users find your business and helps your customers in the purchasing process. It puts your business closer to the consumer’s location, which matters because the majority of local searches are performed on mobile devices. Optimizing for those devices is no longer optional. Local SEO also lets you track your ranking in real time, so you can see what is working.
Mobile-friendly sites reach more local shoppers
A mobile-friendly website is the first requirement. A user in Northern Virginia searching for a restaurant will be looking for a place to eat next, often on a phone. If your site does not load quickly and clearly on mobile, you lose that customer before they ever see your menu.
Reviews and public perception carry more weight than site quality
Local businesses are more reliant on reviews and public perception than on the technical quality of the website. Setting up a Google My Business page is a core part of local SEO. Even if your website is not the best in the world, focusing on your local area can still bring in paying customers. The more people know about you, the better for your business.
What Goes Into a Local SEO Strategy
Local SEO also means putting in the effort to attract customers in your area. A great website increases your presence in local searches, and the quality of your links determines your position in the results. Your business builds more authority when it is popular and has high-quality content, which you can create through social media, blogging, and other online marketing channels.
Display your phone number prominently
Including your website’s phone number is vital for showing up at the top of search results. A website can reach a global audience, but ranking on the first page of search results is what puts you in front of local buyers who are ready to act.
Collect and manage reviews
Google collects reviews from consumer review sites and other social media sites. Make sure your business’s GMB page is included in your listings so it picks up that local traffic. A solid local SEO plan includes relevant content and local business reviews, which build trust with shoppers who have an immediate need.
How to Rank for Local Searches
To rank on Google, your local SEO strategy must be relevant to your local customers. Avoid using phrases like “near me” in your local search campaign to ensure you get a high ranking. For example, if a customer is looking for a law firm near their home, they will likely use the word “lawyer” in their search. If the search query is related to the location of your business, the local SEO strategy should be tailored to that location.
Web users are likely to choose local businesses when they have an immediate need. By using the information they find on a search engine, they are more likely to purchase your products. Being creative and unique, offering the type of service customers are looking for, and monitoring both customer and competitor behavior are what separate a successful local SEO plan from a failing one.
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