How Local SEO Grows Your Business
Starting your local business is half the battle; now it’s time to grow it. Everyone tells you how local SEO helps grow your business, but how do you do that?
Understanding search engine algorithms can seem overwhelming. Gone are the days when all it took to grow your business was a great product. Now, you could have the best product on the market, but if no one can find your site, your business will never grow.
This article will teach you the importance of local SEO and how local SEO helps grow your business.
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What is local SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it’s used to increase your site’s visibility when people search for products or services related to your business on search engines like Google. People rarely look past the second or third page of Google when they search for a service. SEO helps you rank higher in these searches, which helps more people see your site – thus growing your business. Local SEO helps your site be more visible in local searches.
Ranking your site using typical SEO is a bit different than local SEO. When you search for a product or service on Google, the algorithm checks the Google index and returns a ranked list of matches based on your search. These matches are ranked in the index on popularity and prominence related to your search. Local SEO uses a similar algorithm. However, instead of checking the index for sites all over the internet, Google only searches for sites within a certain proximity. Google takes proximity into account even when the search does not include a specific location. That means someone in your immediate area searching for “candles” could come across your candle store without including the city name or keywords like “near me.”
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Why is local SEO important?
Consumers want to buy locally.
It might seem hopeless to compete against large companies like Amazon. However, a survey done by Intuit showed that when given the option, 70% of Americans will choose to shop locally through a mix of online and in-person shopping. Your consumer base is out there, but without investing your time in local SEO, they won’t be able to find you.
You’ll stay competitive.
The thing with local SEO is that if you’re not investing in it, you can be sure your competitors are.
Let’s say you’re a local coffee shop trying to make a name for your business in a town with five other local coffee shops. If even one of your competitors is using SEO and you’re not, they’ll rank above your coffee shop every time someone in your town searches for coffee.
How do local SEO services help your business grow?
Forbes found that, on average, 30% to 40% of consumers find new local businesses through maps. Local SEO ensures your business has strong map visibility. Strong map visibility is how local SEO helps grow your business.
You know that local SEO helps your business grow in general, but what about the specifics?
SEO creates brand awareness.
If your site ranks high on Google, consumers constantly see your brand’s name when they search for specific products. The more consumers see your site and brand name, the more brand awareness is built. That means before long, they’ll begin to associate that product with your brand. Brand awareness is especially important to a growing brand because even if someone isn’t ready to purchase right away, they’ll remember your brand whenever they are ready.
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It creates new consumers and improves customer retention.
Better online visibility means new customers because when they search for a product, they’ll see your business. High rankings on Google means your business is highly discoverable to potential new customers. Local SEO also improves customer retention because when your website is optimized, your conversion rate is higher. Higher conversion rates mean more sales, which means a growing business.
You can reach your target audience better.
Let’s say your new business sells candles. Even if there is a huge demand for candles in your area, if you can’t reach that audience, it does not matter. Local SEO ensures your business reaches people searching for candles in your area. Once you can tap into that target audience, your sales will increase, and your business will grow.
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It increases trust in your brand.
The average consumer doesn’t understand the strategy that goes into SEO and will equate high rankings on Google with trust in your brand. A high ranking on Google will make a potential customer see your brand as one they should not only shop at but also one they should trust. Trust and brand reputation management are the cornerstone of how local SEO helps grow your business.
You can measure local SEO results.
What you’ll soon learn as you begin marketing your business is that data is essential. Without measurable data, you won’t know if your marketing efforts are working. You could waste time and money in the wrong direction. SEO results are easily measured and provide your business with the data to determine if your website is performing the way you want or where you could improve.
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It’s not enough to have good products and a functioning website. If your target audience can’t find your business, your business will never build a consumer base and grow. Ultimately, SEO is an affordable marketing strategy every business should use to grow their brand. Local SEO will help grow your business because consumers want to shop locally. They just need to know where to find your products.
High rankings on Google will also bring in new customers and improve existing customer retention. This is ultimately how local SEO helps grow your business.
Don’t know where to start? Bend Cloud has your back! Reach out today for a free SEO consultation.
