In speaking with business owners and potential clients, I’ve noticed many seem to regard local search engine optimization – and Google’s focus on geography in determining search engine results – to be just “one more thing to think about” when it comes to their websites.
While that’s certainly a way you could look at things, it’s closer to the truth to say that local search is a huge gift to small businesses across the country. And, it’s one you should accept with open arms.
To help you understand why, and just how big the opportunities are for your business, here are a few things you have to know about the recent trend towards localizing search results…
It Levels the SEO Playing Field
One of the biggest complaints small business owners have about search engine optimization is that it takes too long and the competition is too intense. Both of those things used to undoubtedly be true. It’s incredibly difficult for a local business to compete with a multinational corporation for search engine visibility. With a focus on localization, though, small retailers and service-based companies can actually rank ahead of their bigger nationwide competitors, since they have the local presences those businesses don’t.
Local SEO is Quick and Easy
Good search engine optimization work is intensive at first, and then ongoing later. It requires optimizing various elements of a website, then doing the hard work of generating content and building links. But all of this is made much easier, and faster, when your trying to dominate a local market. Because now Google prioritizes matching searchers with local vendors, making a handful of changes to your website can yield bigger results within just a couple of weeks.
It Encourages Buyers to Become Fans
Local buyers aren’t just easier to attract, they are also easier to get to know, and to keep for the long run. The more customers you have from your area, the more people you will probably find who are willing to keep buying from you, tell their friends and colleagues, and offer you testimonials. In other words, local customers tend to be your biggest and strongest fans, both because they get to know your business better and because it’s convenient for them to work with you. So, the local SEO work you have done is likely to be efficient and profitable.
Local Search Leads to More Small Business Customers
Because all of these advantages compound together for small businesses, optimizing a website with things like city names, driving directions, and contact details can all help the company to grow quickly and in a measurable way. At a time when more and more business owners are looking for proven strategies to boost their revenue without stretching their marketing budgets, it’s hard to find something better to recommend then a little bit of local search engine optimization.
Need Help With Local Search?
Google has replaced the Yellow Pages and other localized resources for attracting customers. For smart and savvy business owners, that’s a great thing. Why not optimize your website and make it easy to draw in new buyers from your neighborhood today? Call 630-551-0334 x1 or email our team to get started.