A common myth about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is that it’s just for online businesses. For brick-and-mortar small businesses, it’s a waste of time and money—a myth worth busting. Why? Local SEO.
If you’re a small business owner who dreams of neverending queues outside your bagel shop, local SEO is the digital marketing strategy made for you. To help get you started, let’s unpack the what, why, and how of local SEO; that way, you can leverage it like a seasoned pro.
What is Local SEO?
Imagine a Sunday drive with friends. The majority vote is a counter meal for lunch, in a pub none of you know. You take the next highway exit and google ‘pub near me’. Three pubs appear, all within a few kilometers of where you are. That’s local SEO; keywords concerned with proximity.
Like regular SEO, your keywords can be more specific than a simple geographical qualifier like near me. If you’ve been meaning to convert your cluttered garage into a home office for years, you could search ‘garage conversion in Melbourne.’ Local SEO will still consider your proximity; if you live in Fitzroy, it will give you local options first, before expanding its search radius.
For large, long-term investments, local SEO mightn’t apply to what you’re after. If you simply want a coffee to kickstart the day, local SEO can save you from spending all day trying to kickstart it.
How Does Local SEO Work?
Local SEO works the same way traditional SEO works, except for one difference; Google’s algorithm for local SEO considers proximity a main factor (its other main factors are relevance and prominence, like traditional SEO).
A surf shop in Torquay that also rents surfboards for beginners must target keywords that include a mix of words like Torquay, surfboards, surfing, hire, lessons, etc. Even during peak seasons, you must put in the work with local SEO. Collectively, we’re conditioned to search for things on our phones before window shopping. If Google deems you a top search result, you’re more likely to see those customers come inside instead of walking by.
Why Is Local SEO Critical for Local Small Businesses?
Simple. Local SEO is critical for local small businesses because it helps keep them visible year-round, to more than their core customers. Consider a fish N chip shop in a coastal village. During summer, locals and tourists visit the shop after every swim in the ocean. In winter, the hungry hordes disappear. Locals return to their kitchens. Unless the shop can afford to close during the off-peak seasons, it must win more business.
Enter local SEO. If the shop implements an effective local SEO strategy, it will catch the attention of anyone craving fish’n’chips in the surrounding area. In a village, locals don’t need reminding. In a town with competing fish’n’chip shops, it’s a way to remind everyone you’re the best choice available.
How Can I Boost My Local SEO Ranking?
Again, the approach to local SEO is very similar to traditional SEO. A bunch of methods exist you can’t ignore. Here are three of the most essential.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile
If you take no more action with local SEO, at least do this. A Google Business Profile lets you manage how you appear in Google Search and Maps. It’s a simple process. Claim your business listing, fill out your profile, kand eep it updated.
An optimized profile considers the user experience. A stunning portrait of your shop’s facade, business hours that account for holidays, and a detailed description of what your business is about; all these things will help make your Google Business Profile sparkle against lacklustre competitors.
Encourage Customer Reviews
Positive customer engagement is one of the pillars of a successful business, especially a small business. Encouraging reviews is a key part of that engagement. Reviews matter; there’s no way around this fact.
Invite satisfied customers to leave glowing reviews wherever they feel, whether it’s on social media or your Google Business Profile. These are the endorsements that make Google take notice.
Utilise Online Directories
Your Google Business Profile is one online business directory. There are more, lots more. Make sure you take advantage of any relevant to your industry and your location. Yellow Pages and Pure Local are two of Australia’s most popular online directories. Start with these. Then refine your strategy to focus on smaller directories more relevant to your local area and community.
Like any attempt to enhance your small business, local SEO is only effective when it forms part of a larger strategy. Once you’ve optimized your local keywords, keep going. Create content that sparkles when held against your competitors’ content.
Leverage email marketing to build and reward a loyal fanbase. Use social media to celebrate the community that helps your business thrive. It’s a process that feeds on your financial and emotional investment. Put in the hard work and you’ll remain a go-to local business for years.
