What Are The Benefits Of Local SEO?

What is local SEO? Simply put, local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a practice that helps Google identify exactly what your business is and where it is located. This optimization strategy helps your business be more visible for local searches made by nearby customers that are looking for your products or services.

Think of Local SEO as signage to a shop or business. The more signs or billboards you have for your business the easier it is for customers to find you. Local SEO does the same thing, just on a digital level.

If you are a small business owner interested in understanding the benefits of localized SEO you have landed at the right place. Read on to find out just how vital and beneficial local SEO is for sustained business growth!

The Importance Of Local SEO

There are plenty of reasons why local businesses are constantly striving to be amongst the top links for localized searches on select keywords. In fact, it is thanks to local SEO that many small businesses have been able to survive the marketing might of large-scale retailers, big businesses, and national brands.

If you own a local brick-and-mortar business, having local SEO is simply a must. In fact, if you don’t have a localized organic presence on Google for your business you are likely losing out on potentially hundreds if not thousands of new customers.

According to Hubspot, more than 40% of all searches made on phones are location related. Nearly 80% of these searches result in a customer visiting a business (within a five-mile radius) on the same day!

If these numbers aren’t enough, how about the fact that 92% of customers that do a local search pick a business that is on the first page of Google listings? Not having local SEO is not only leaving money on the table but enabling your competitors to get ahead.

The Benefits Of Local SEO For Your Business

Here are eight incredible benefits that local SEO can provide for your business.

Increased Local Traffic

Any brick-and-mortar commercial location is likely to rely on foot traffic but would also want to attract customers from nearby areas. Optimizing your business for localized searches based on the products and services offered can lead to increased traffic which leads to more sales and more profit!

No Advertising Costs

Unlike Google Ads, SEO is an organic form of marketing that doesn’t involve any ongoing advertising costs. You don’t have to constantly pay for ads to appear on the top of Google rankings or do up posts like you would on social media.

Targets A Local Audience

Local SEO simply focuses on optimizing your business for your local target audience. This way, anyone looking for your service or product, nearby, comes across your business first.

The higher you are to the top of the listings the better chance you have of closing the deal and attracting customers to your website or storefront.

Improved Conversion Rates

Customers are always a lot more likely to buy locally. As such, when they do a local search for something there is a 28% chance that their search will result in a sale for a business near them.

By targeting only a local audience and being the authority in your given niche there is a fair chance that the conversion rates on your local SEO efforts will far surpass that of any other type of online or offline marketing strategy.

Easier To Maintain Rankings

When done right, local SEO can provide long-lasting results with minimal effort and upkeep on your part. If keyword searches relating to your business are resulting in customer queries and interest you will automatically maintain your top ranking without having to put in additional money or time to constantly generate more leads.

This is why organically ranking your business is so important. It leads to long-lasting rankings and a steady trickle of leads and conversions that don’t require constant advertising spending or extensive marketing efforts on your part.

Allows customer To Leave Reviews

A recent statistic by Bright Local claims that nearly 87% of all online users read customer reviews of local businesses before contacting them. If you are providing honest and trusted service, you are likely going to get a lot more positive reviews, which can automatically help you rank better and lead to even more customers.

Asking happy customers to leave a review on your local listing can greatly benefit your business and give you a competitive edge over your competition. This is only possible with local SEO.

Being In Google’s 3 Pack

The goal of any local SEO effort is to get into Google’s 3 pack. This means showing up in the top three searches on the first page on select keywords.

As customers are most likely to choose a business from the top three results, being in Google’s 3 pack is the main goal of any local business as it greatly helps increase visibility and conversions.

A case study for getting into Google’s 3 Pack

The following images show the improvement in local results between the 1st of March and the 1st of September in 2021. Within a mere 6 months we brought the website of Horton Automatics to position 1 in the "3-pack" of local search results. The numbers in the circles represent the ranking in Google search results in that precise location.

Mobile Searches Are The Future

Mobile searches have been on the rise for the past decade and this trend isn't showing any signs of slowing down. As more people use their phones to make purchases it has become essential for local businesses to ensure that their website is compatible and optimized for mobile and tablet use.

This is a part of local SEO that is essential for improving online business visibility.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have a thorough understanding of 'what is local SEO?’ and the benefits it can provide, wait no more! If you don’t think you have the time or expertise to manage this by yourself, get in touch with marketing firms that specialize in doing just that!

If you are seeking a trusted and reputable online marketing company that has an exceptional track record and a friendly and knowledgeable staff look no further than Mawazo Marketing. We are local SEO specialists that have helped many local businesses achieve and surpass their online marketing goals.

What are you waiting for? Get in touch with one of our experts today!

Read more about our local SEO results for A1 Security Systems and Horton Automatics of Ontario