How does local SEO work for small businesses?
If we ask ourselves the question: how does local SEO work and how can my local business benefit from it; it is probably best to go back to the basics of SEO.
In our view, the aim of using search engine optimisation (SEO) should be to connect with audiences online, whether commercial or informational, and plant good seeds with them that contribute to your business’ future growth.
So if SEO aims at connecting a business with their audiences online then local SEO aims connecting a business with their local audiences online.
Through the use of business directories, Google business profile (or Google my business, depending on your location) and other online platforms, a bricks and mortar business may not necessarily need to have a website indexed on Google in order to connect with audiences online and push sales.
That being said, if you were looking to be a part of the group who cover all their bases, then it’s probably best to also have a website in order to use SEO to better effect.
Why local SEO is important?
I’ve been a part of the crowd that have asked why local SEO is important? Ultimately it’s as important as any other tool, with the right intentions and prudent approach it can be the roadmap that is followed to connecting with local audiences through search engines and having fuller sales.
What is Google my business or Google business profile?
What is Google my business or Google business profile? Google business profile is effectively a business directory which is built into Google’s search engine. When setting up an account it takes a few extra steps, to qualify your business activities and locations of service, when compared to other digital business directories.
By doing this, as well as integrating Google business profile and their users into Google search, Google make efforts to match audience with seller across both services and products.
Google business profile should be thought of as the current best case scenario business directory citiation and all other business informations online should be consistent with the information shown on the Google business profile platform.
It’s that near me local SEO traffic that is most SEOs the target
Some could say that it is that near me local SEO traffic is the traffic that most SEOs seek for their clients. As with everything in life, nothing can be guaranteed; but there are a few things we can do to make efforts towards that near me local SEO traffic.
Firstly, for each near me search, there is usually a keyword involved. So our task is to signal to Google’s crawlers that we are a) targeting those particular relevant keywords and b) that we are serving the area relevant to the searchers location.
Keyword targeting can be done on-page on the website through keyword positioning in domain names, titles, URL slugs, headers and bodies of text as well as through data highlighting (or schema markup) and also directly through the Google business profile platform.
Location targeting, again, can be done on-page through keyword positioning and data highlighting as well as directly through the Google business profile platform.
What are local directories in SEO and why are they important?
The headscratcher that we found ourselves faced with - what are local directories in SEO and why are they important?
Local directories are important in SEO for a few different reasons - they are ultimately a relevant backlink that also lends credibility to a business’ location. It gives the business another digital reference point where more consistent information can be located.
For the near me and other location based searches NAP (name, address and phone number) information are going to play an important role in Google’s decision making process regarding which vendors they bring forward.
Local directory citations are therefore recommended in most cases, even for remote businesses and freelancers they can be useful.
When it comes to local SEO NAP consistency is advised
When thinking about off-page local SEO NAP consistency is always advised. Analogous to page cannibalisation; if 10 different directories signal 10 different locations, then where can Google actually be confident in showing you to the near me search traffic.
Sure, it can pick any of the 10 locations, but when compared to other local competition with more consistent NAP information listed, you may fall short of ranking well in the local business results.
Is maps search optimization even worth it?
We won’t beat around the bush; maps search optimization is pretty much the same thing as local SEO. The same efforts will get you optimised for Google maps as will get you optimised for Google local search.
Is it worth it?
As with every relevant directory, we believe that while ever there is a relevant audience who browse a directory, it is a directory that is relevant for a small business to be cited on.