For all the hype business owners suffer through with sales calls from wanna-be SEO professionals, it’s easy to believe that SEO is the most important part of your marketing strategy. But if you take a close look at a search engine result page (SERP) you will see that for transactional search terms (think “business+near me”) you will see there are zero traditional “organic” search results. Google has taken control of the transactional end of search and will show consumers its own SERP features (ads, Map Pack, Google Business Pages, People also ask, et.). When seen through this lens, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that SEO is no longer important. The reality is that SEO has drastically changed and that the way SEO is practiced requires a different approach, one that focuses on Local SEO.Some of the key benefits of local SEO include:
- Increased visibility in local search results: By optimizing their website for local search, businesses can improve their visibility in the search results when users search for keywords related to their products or services in their local area. This can help to drive more local traffic to their website.
- Improved Google Business Page listing: Local SEO can help businesses to improve their Google Business Page (formerly Google My Business listing), which is the information that appears on the right-hand side of the search results when users search for a business by name. This can include the business’s address, phone number, hours of operation, and reviews.
- Increased engagement with local customers: By optimizing their website for local search, businesses can make it easier for local customers to find and engage with their brand. This can include providing local customers with relevant and valuable information, such as directions to the business, information about products and services, and special offers for local customers.
- Competitive advantage: Local SEO can help businesses to stand out from the competition in their local market. By optimizing their website for local search, businesses can improve their visibility in the search results and make it easier for local customers to find and engage with their brand.
Overall, local SEO is an important tool for businesses that serve a local market, as it can help to increase their visibility and attract more local customers to their website. However, it is not the same local search landscape it once was.
Staying Ahead of the New Local Search Landscape
Google has pushed its own properties to the front of organic search. In most primary business search terms, users will have to scroll past a full screen of ads and google properties to even see a traditional organic listing. Because of this, our approach to Local SEO focuses on optimizing your website, primary citations, and brand properties like Google Business Profile (Formerly Google My Business), Facebook, and Bing Places, which increases the likelihood that your business gets in front of more customers looking for your products and services. Additionally, we monitor and maintain these properties as their features and functionality evolve.
For local businesses that want to leverage their organic presence, we have developed a specialized approach to Local SEO. Our service is based on the latest trends and opportunities to get the best results for small businesses. Find out more about Local SEO and other marketing services here.
