Are you a small business owner who’s having trouble getting customers to your store, or let alone your website? Well then, you’ve definitely come to the right place.
Attracting visitors to your website can be challenging if you’ve never bothered to optimize it, especially for local searches. No matter how attractive and seamless your site is, it won’t do your business any favor if nobody can find it in search. You’ll only end up spending time and money, and of course, miss out on a highly valuable market.
This is where we tell you about local SEO.
It’s pretty much like general SEO, following the same principles and having the same goal of getting your website to rank high in niche-specific queries. The only difference is, local SEO pulls geographical location in the equation.
This means that with local SEO, you’re not competing with the major players in your industry. Rather, you’re working to stand out in your community. Implementing the right strategy can do wonders for your small business, and that’s what we’ll be discussing in this post.
Ready to find out what these awesome benefits are? Let’s explore them below!
1. Boosts Online Visibility
Since your customers are the number-one success factor in your business, you should put yourself where they are: On search engines looking for the products or services you offer.
With 75% of searchers never clicking past the first page of results, it makes perfect sense that you’d want to optimize your website for search. Local SEO will make that happen.
Ranking high means higher chances of discoverability, which means more people within your area will know about your brand. Plus, by appearing on the first page of Google and other search engines, your potential customers are more likely to trust your business than your competition, seeing that you have a strong web presence.
Using local SEO tactics, such as claiming your Google My Business (GMB) listing and creating local content, is a surefire way to help you crack into the top organic results.
2. Improves Organic Traffic
It’s always a huge no-no to use a broad SEO approach for a business that relies on local traffic. It’s only going to result in dead-end visits.
Let’s say you own a bike shop just two miles away from home. Hoping to attract more customers to your door, you create a compelling blog about your best road bikes. Despite generating a lot of traffic, you notice that only a handful of audience come from your local area.
That’s when it hit you, you forgot to use local targets.
While it’s really satisfying to land hits from all over the world, you can’t help but feel disappointed once you realize that their odds of becoming a paying customer are slim.
By focusing on local consumers, you encourage web visits from people who might actually step foot on your store. In fact, 72% of local searches led to an in-person visit within five miles of the users.
3. Attracts Return Customers
More and more people today are all about supporting local businesses, so don’t be surprised when you see repeat customers buying from you time and again – especially if you have a killer local SEO strategy.
Local SEO provides two touchpoints for nearby prospects and customers.
First is when they discover your website, stop by at your brick and mortar store, and become loyal customers after an incredible shopping experience. The other is when they see your business pop up at the top of the search when they’re once again looking for your products or services.
4. Brings More Sales
Increased traffic translates to a boost in sales.
Since local searchers are almost always ready to make a purchase, showing up as an authority in your area (thanks to your high ranking) will no doubt increase your possibilities of being their top pick to buy.
And, if they’re not planning to seal the deal just yet, your proximity and optimal availability will continue to encourage them. After all, nobody wants to spend an hour or more driving to a store, nor do they like the thought of making a blind purchase online.
5. Less Ad Costs
Spending a big chunk of money for ads is no longer necessary if you have a website that’s fully optimized for local search. You don’t have to worry about the costs of banners, pamphlets, newspaper ads, or other forms of advertising channel anymore.
If paying for ads has always been your go-to tactic for gaining more exposure, using local SEO will definitely reduce your need for them.
Landing a prime spot on the results page not only enables you to use Google as a free ad platform for your business but also brings you more valuable clicks than paid ads.
Ready to Leverage Local SEO for Your Small Business?
Whether you need to reach more local consumers online, build brand awareness, or see your sales skyrocket, local SEO can help you turn your business goals into a reality.
If you want to see maximum results without putting in a lot of time and effort, your best bet is to hire a company that offers award-winning Miami SEO services. Trust us, it’s worth every penny.
