/https://blogs-images.forbes.com/theyec/files/2019/11/960x0-1-1200x797.jpg)
If you own a small business with a physical location like a shop or office, local search engine optimization (SEO) is an extremely important factor in your success. Your prospects usually run and drive around with their smartphones looking for businesses like yours. The question is, will they choose you or your competitors?
It’s up to you to offer great products and services. However, local search engine optimization often determines whether or not people will join your company in the first place.
In my work in local marketing, especially text-based marketing, I’ve observed some key local SEO trends as well as best practices on how you can benefit from them.
Google continues to dominate local search engine optimization.
Google is the single most important factor in optimizing your website for local search engine traffic. Google My Business and Google Maps provide guidance and directions for local customers to find a business. Make sure you have an accurate and up-to-date list with Google My Business. Upload photos as well as information about your location, phone number, opening hours and a description of your company.
Google creates so-called knowledge panels. These are clearly visible fields in which people, companies and other organizations are grouped together. You cannot apply for a presentation as Google chooses which companies with knowledge panels to give preference. However, the more information you provide about your company, the more likely you are to be featured.
Voice search is growing.
Voice assistants like Alexa and Siri have made it easy for people to talk to their devices instead of just tapping on them. I believe voice search will become the most common type of search over time. Speaking a command is easier and more convenient than having to use a keyboard. You can do it while driving, cooking, exercising, or anything else.
Because of this, businesses need to understand how voice search affects search engine optimization. Get acquainted with someone looking for your business. When people speak into their phones or voice search assistants, they are speaking naturally rather than typing traditional keywords.
Another trick is to optimize your content for selected snippets that Google uses for voice search. Creating a list of features or an FAQ section is great for snippets.
Pay attention to the local keywords.
Think of the most common keywords customers use when searching for your business type to optimize your content for local search. This includes keywords related to your city, region, and neighborhood.
For example, suppose you have a salon in downtown Austin, Texas, near the main building. While a typed search might be “Salon Austin,” someone driving around is more likely to ask, “Where’s a salon near the capital?”
Adding local landmarks and neighborhoods in addition to your city is a great way to meet the needs of language seekers.
Local search ads are becoming more common.
Google ads are increasingly being used to promote local businesses. Ads served under Local Search and Maps penalize businesses that do not use paid advertising.
By relying solely on organic SEO, you are competing not only with other companies’s SEO but also with those that use paid ads. You may want to invest in your own local ads to stay competitive.
Reviews are more important than ever.
In recent years, the role of online reviews has changed a lot. As sites like Yelp and Angie’s List became popular, customers started searching for companies and reading their reviews. Now, with the growth of local search engine optimization, people don’t even have to search for reviews anymore. Google Reviews simply comes up when someone does a search. This makes online reviews more important than ever.
Online reviews are essential for social proof. Studies show that many people value a positive rating as much as a personal recommendation. This is why small businesses must do everything possible to encourage their customers to leave reviews.
Do not specifically ask for positive reviews as it is against most websites’ terms of service. However, you can leave gentle reminders in the form of stickers and inquiries on your website and in your emails.
Take care of your mobile customers.
The mobile device explosion is closely related to the increasing importance of local search engine optimization. It’s convenient for people to search for a company from their smartphone. If you have a brick and mortar store or office, you need to pay special attention to your mobile customers.
• Use responsive design for your website. Test the loading speed of your website. Make sure pages load quickly on mobile devices.
• Keep your pictures mobile-friendly by reducing the file size.
• Use mobile-friendly fonts and layouts. Make sure the fonts are big enough to be easily read on small screens. Single column layouts are easiest to read on mobile screens.
Every small business needs to know the local SEO factors in order to attract more customers. New trends like voice search and the growth of mobile technology make it more important than ever to optimize your company website for local search.