Top 6 Reasons Why Local SEO Is Important

Why Local SEO Matters

Many small businesses are looking for ways to stand out from the competition, especially for local searches. You may have heard the term “Local SEO” before; however, many businesses we speak to are unclear as to why local SEO is important or what local SEO means. Before we dive into why local SEO is important, let’s establish what the term means.

Local SEO is the ongoing process of optimizing your business’s local presence to ensure that your business appears when customers or prospects search for products or services you offer. In other words, if you are a local pizza shop and someone 1/2 mile away searches for “pizza near me,” your pizza shop would be on page one and ideally towards the top of that page if you are implementing effective local SEO. For more information, check out our Local SEO page.

1. Establishes Your Business as An Industry Authority

One question we get asked a lot is, “who needs local SEO?” Put, any business that drives sales from local customers and foot traffic. An effective SEO campaign performed by an SEO Expert will build citations and links from other industry authorities. This, in turn, will show customers social proof that your organization is known and well respected and will show Google that your business is relevant. Whether you are a restaurant, medical practice, or law practice, customers want to make the best choice possible quickly.

Citations and link building are essential to local SEO. Not only do they establish that your business exists in the eyes of online search engines, but they also help show potential customers that your business is a “go-to” for everything and anything related to your industry.

2. Get more local Customers

About 1/2 of local searches are for local information. Additionally, most customers who initiate a local search end up calling and/or visiting a local business. Generally speaking, the goal of Local SEO is to get your business ranking on page one and ideally in the Local 3-Pack for relevant search terms. Businesses that rank on page one, especially in the 3-pack, tend to get the most clicks from interested customers.

Given that most customers are searching because they are ready to buy, your business must be optimized for Google so that your business is the one receiving all of the calls and foot traffic. Most small businesses we speak to do not have a local SEO strategy. By initiating a local SEO campaign, your business stands a better chance of outperforming your competition, especially when it comes to local searches.

3. Drive sales through more phone calls

One of the first things Keys2 Media does when setting up a local SEO campaign for a customer is setting up and optimizing their Google Business Profile (GBP) page. Sure, your website looks great and is optimized to convert, but the goal is to make it as easy as possible for customers to get in touch with you.

We always recommend that our customers have a well-optimized website. That being said, you don’t need a website to do local SEO for your business. Many small businesses we’ve worked with previously have felt intimidated by the idea of maintaining a website or paying for someone else to maintain it. We constantly optimize GMB pages, so they have as much relevant info about your business as possible while making contacting your business as easy as clicking a button.

4. Build Trust

Trust is another reason why local SEO is important, especially among potential customers. Have you ever looked for restaurants in an area you had never been to before? If you answered yes, you’re probably like most customers who say that reviews and photos played a large part in your decision-making process.

For many industries, being at the top of page one is enough. However, for local businesses like restaurants, most folks want to ensure that the food looks good and that other people who have eaten the food enjoy it. An optimized GMB listing will show prospects images of your products and services (perhaps featured menu items in the previous example) with relevant business updates while including feedback from previous customers. This way, prospects have an idea of what to expect from your offerings before they arrive.

5. It's cost effective

If you’re reading this, you likely understand the importance of marketing for your business. Unfortunately, one of the most common things that prevent business owners from taking action is the cost of an effective marketing campaign. Savvy business owners know that the price is irrelevant unless tied to an expected return on investment (ROI).

The good news here is two-fold. Yes, local SEO can generate more loyal customers in your local area who are more likely to return and recommend your business to other local customers. Fortunately, the cost is also quite reasonable. While typical SEO campaigns run between $2,501-$5,000/ month in the United States, local SEO typically costs a fraction of the price. Furthermore, ROI from local SEO campaigns is generally higher as we are attracting local customers searching for your services and are ready to buy.

6. Helps you reach beyond your local Area

Here is what sets apart good and great local SEO campaigns. Local SEO must include original content updates and continuous citation building and backlinks. Again, it is vital to stay ahead of the competition by growing your website’s Domain Authority (DA), which signifies that your business is the real deal to the online world.

Your GBP listing will handle many motivated buyers looking to make a quick purchase. One often overlooked benefit is the increased visibility your business will get organically for related terms. As many companies begin shifting sales online, it’s crucial to ensure that new and previous customers can find your business quickly and easily. With a better understanding of why local SEO is important, you’ll be able to inform new website visitors of how your products and services can help, priming your business to grow its e-commerce presence if applicable.