Local SEO for Small Businesses: 7 Ways to Invest in Organic Growth

In
this
article,
we
cover:

Local
businesses
often
face
the
challenge
of
standing
out
in
a
crowded
marketplace
and
finding
new
customers
to

grow
their
business–especially
when
advertising
budgets
are
limited
and
there
may
not
be
a
full-time
marketing
person
to
manage
the
company’s
online
presence.

If
you
own
a
local
business
that
relies
heavily
on
foot
traffic
and
word-of-mouth
referrals
to
drive
sales,
you
may
want
to
start
incorporating
local
Search
Engine
Optimization
(SEO)
into
your
online
marketing
strategy.

Nearly
5
million
businesses
are
established
every
year,
but
58%
still
don’t
prioritize
local
SEO,
according
to
research
by
marketing
platform
Brand
Muscle.
This
means
there’s
a
huge
opportunity
for
you
to
take
advantage
of
your
local
market.

In
this
guide,
we’ll
explore
how
small
businesses
can
invest
in
Local
SEO
to
enhance
visibility
and
drive
growth.

The
Importance
of
Local
SEO
for
Small
Businesses

Local
SEO
is
a
powerful
tool
for
small
businesses
to
increase
their
visibility
in
local
search
results.
When
potential
customers
search
for
products
or
services
online,
search
engines
like
Google
and
Bing
prioritize
local
results
based
on
relevance,
proximity,
and
prominence.

Businesses
that
optimize
their
online
presence
for
local
searches
can
improve
their
chances
of
being
in
the
coveted
“Local
Pack”
or
“Map
Pack,”
which
appears
prominently
at
the
top
of
search
engine
results
pages
(SERPs).

How
to
Invest
in
Local
SEO

So,
how
do
you
invest
in
Local
SEO?
Here’s
the
process
to
follow.

1.
Claim
Your
Google
Business
Profile

The
foundation
of
any
successful
Local
SEO
strategy
is
claiming
and

optimizing
your
appearance
on
Google.
Ensure
that
your
listing
is
accurate,
complete,
and
up
to
date
with
essential
information
such
as
business
name,
address,
phone
number,
website
URL,
business
hours,
and
categories.
Using
high-quality
photos,
customer
reviews,
and
relevant
keywords
will
also
go
a
long
way
in
enhancing
your
GBP
listing.

2.
Optimize
Your
Website
for
Local
Keywords

To
improve
visibility
in
local
search
results,
businesses
should
optimize
their
website
content
for
local
keywords
and
long-tail
search
phrases
relevant
to
their
products
or
services.

Local
keywords
are
search
terms
that
include
specific
geographic
locations.
They
are
used
by
individuals
seeking
products,
services,
or
information
within
a
particular
area,
and
can
include
phrases
like
“restaurants
near
me,”
“dentist
in
Los
Angeles,”
or
“plumber
in
New
York
City.”

While

long-tail
keywords
are
highly
specific
search
phrases
containing
three
or
more
words,
such
as
“family-owned
Italian
restaurant
with
outdoor
seating,”
or
“handmade
custom
wedding
invitations.”

For
example,
a
bakery
in
New
York
City
might
target
keywords
like
“best
bakery
in
NYC”
or
“fresh
pastries
in
Manhattan.”

3.
Make
Your
Website
Accessible
for
Mobile
Devices

With
an
increasing
number
of
people
using
smartphones
to
search
for
local
businesses,
it’s
essential
to
optimize
your
website
for
mobile
devices.

Ensure
that
your
website
is
mobile-friendly
and
loads
quickly
on
all
devices
to
improve
your
user
experience.

57%
of
local
search
queries
are
submitted
using
a
mobile
device
or
tablet,
according
to
research
by
Review
Trackers.
If
your
website
loads
quickly
on
mobile
phones,
you
can
increase
your
click-through
rate,
thereby
enabling
you
to
rank
higher
in
mobile
search
results.

4.
Build
Citations
and
Local
Business
Listings

Citations
are
mentions
of
a
business’s
name,
address,
and
phone
number
(NAP)
on
other
websites,
directories,
and
online
platforms.

Building
consistent
citations
across
reputable
local
directories
and
platforms
helps
search
engines
validate
a
business’s
legitimacy
and
authority,
thereby
improving
its
local
search
rankings.

While
building
citations,
ensure
that
their
NAP
information
is
consistent
across
all
citations
and
listings.

5.
Earn
Local
Backlinks

Backlinks
from
local
websites
and
authoritative
local
sources
can
significantly
impact
a
business’s
local
search
rankings.

Thankfully,
small
businesses
can
earn
local
backlinks
by
participating
in
community
events,
sponsoring
local
organizations
or
charities,

collaborating
with
other
local
businesses,
and
offering
expertise
or
resources
to
local
publications
or
blogs.

You
can
also
take
it
a
step
further
by
leveraging
local
partnerships
and
collaborations
to
earn
backlinks
from
relevant
local
websites.

6.
Create
Local
Content

Content
marketing
plays
an
important
role
in
Local
SEO,
as
it
allows
businesses
to
target
local
audiences
with
relevant
and
engaging
content.

Your
small
business
can
create
blog
posts,
articles,
videos,
and
infographics
that
address
local
topics,
events,
trends,
and
interests.

If
you
provide
valuable
local
content,
your
business
can
attract
local
audiences,
increase
website
traffic,
and
improve
search
engine
rankings.

7.
Encourage
Customer
Reviews
and
Engagement

Positive
reviews
play
a
significant
role
in
influencing
potential
customers’
purchasing
decisions.

Encourage
satisfied
customers
to
leave
reviews
on
your
GBP
listing,
as
well
as
other
review
sites
like
Yelp,
TripAdvisor,
and
Facebook.

Respond
to
reviews
promptly
and
professionally,
whether
they
are
positive
or
negative,
to
demonstrate
your
commitment
to
customer
satisfaction.

How
to
Measure
and
Monitor
Local
SEO
Performance

Small
businesses
can
use
a
variety
of
tools
and
metrics
to
measure
and
monitor
their
Local
SEO
performance,
including:

• 
  Google
  Business
  Profile
  Insights:
  GBP
  provides
  valuable
  insights
  into
  how
  customers
  find
  and
  interact
  with
  a
  business’s
  listing,
  including
  search
  queries,
  views,
  clicks,
  and
  actions
  taken.
• 
  Website
  Analytics:
  Tools
  like
  
  Google
  Analytics
  and
  Google
  Search
  Console
  offer
  insights
  into
  website
  traffic,
  user
  behavior,
  and
  search
  performance,
  including
  organic
  search
  traffic,
  keyword
  rankings,
  and
  click-through
  rates.
• 
  Local
  SEO
  Tools:
  There
  are
  numerous
  Local
  SEO
  tools
  available
  that
  can
  help
  businesses
  track
  rankings,
  monitor
  citations,
  analyze
  competitors,
  and
  identify
  opportunities
  for
  improvement.

Increasing
Business
Visibility
with
Local
SEO

As
you
implement
these
strategies,
make
sure
you
emphasize
products,
services,
and
features
that
reflect
your
local
audience.
Local
SEO
is
one
of
the
most
cost-effective
ways
to
improve
online
visibility,
attract
more
customers,
and
drive
growth.

And
if
you
find
yourself
in
need
of
financing
as
your
business
grows,
check
out
our
options

here.
Or

contact
us
directly
to
talk
to
a
finance
expert.
Your
business
growth
starts
here.