In this article you can see how your local business will improve with the help of SEO applied in search maps.
But let’s start at the beginning, it is important that you value if you are interested in local positioning and if it will improve sales in your local business.
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is the optimization for your business to appear in Google search results based on a location.
You can get people who are close to your business to find you online, when they search by location. The classic example of local SEO, you do not find the house keys and quickly search online for an emergency locksmith in your locality. If you were a locksmith, what would you be interested in being among the first? The same would apply to any business that offers products or services in a particular locality. You are interested in being yes or yes.
Another option is the Local Pack, which are prominent companies at the top of local search results. That part is paid and you would make sure you are in the top positions.
A good strategy is to start with the Local Pack and once you are positioned by local positioning (organic search) stop paying for paid ads. This way you make sure you are always up in that locality and service.
The potential of local positioning
Local searches are a valuable tool for businesses looking to reach customers in a certain location.
You will be able to reach new customers: more and more people are using their mobiles to search for companies near them, having a strong online presence optimized for local search is crucial and essential if you do not want your business to be left behind.
You can become a benchmark in a certain region: positioning yourself for certain services can be complicated, but competition is reduced if you add a region with little competition.
Your visitors will have a better user experience: you will be solving a problem that they need to solve in their local area.
With a proper focus on local SEO, a business can increase its online visibility and attract more local customers.
But keep in mind that it does not work for all types of businesses, only for those who have a physical address, for example, for ecommerce it is not recommended.
Ranking factors in local SEO
Before commenting on the ranking factors I will show you what comes out in Google searching for “locksmiths A Coruña”. If we see an example, it will be better understood.
As you can see in the image, before the results of web pages, a local map comes out with different professionals in that category. You can easily see the phone, website, how to get there, schedule, ratings … of the businesses that are in the top positions.
To appear in local search results, businesses must optimize their online presence for Google ranking factors.
Ranking factors in local SEO fall into three categories: popularity, relevance, and proximity.
- Popularity: Popularity refers to the quantity and quality of links from other websites pointing to the company’s website. The more quality links point to the company’s website, the greater its popularity and therefore its likelihood of appearing in local search results.
- Relevance: Relevance refers to the relationship between a user’s search and the information displayed in search results. To improve relevance, a business must ensure that its online information (name, address, phone number, business category, description, etc.) is current and complete.
- Proximity: Proximity refers to the physical distance between the user’s location and the location of the business. If a user searches for a business in a specific city, Google will show the businesses that are closest to that location. To improve proximity, a business must ensure that it has an accurate and up-to-date physical address.
In conclusion, local SEO is a valuable tool for businesses looking to reach local customers. By optimizing their online presence for Google ranking factors, businesses can increase their online visibility and attract more local customers. To achieve successful local SEO, businesses need to focus on the popularity, relevance, and proximity of their business.
