The internet isn’t a simple machine. The things you see when you go on the Internet are in no way accidental, instead, they’re the result of a complex algorithm and a lot of hard work. And this is where SEO comes in.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is what businesses do to get to the top of search engine results. But, the techniques for optimizing local business are much different than it would be for general online or national business. So, what exactly IS Local SEO?
In its simplest definition, Local SEO is the attempt to rank local businesses on search engines. Basically, Local SEO is trying to make your coffee shop show up when plugs “coffee shop near me” into Google.
It’s a simple concept with a not as simple execution.
Of course, the goal of Local SEO isn’t just to get your business to the top of a search engine and have it sit there. Who benefits from that? Nobody. The key goal of Local SEO is to increase business interactions.
An interaction is whenever a potential customer makes some kind of click related to your business. This could be something like pressing a like button, purchasing a product, looking you up on Google Maps, calling your business phone number, or doing more research on your name and brand.
These interactions are good, not just for Local SEO, but more importantly for your business’ revenue! Local SEO is dependent on citations and business info that floats around the Internet, and so the more interactions that come as a result of a search engine result, the more citations you’ll have through word of mouth or reviews, the better your SEO does, and it cycles itself. This is the goal of Local SEO and why we work so hard to improve it.
It’s important to note that Local SEO is not just a result of Google searching. Local SEO works on generating interactions in many places, like Google Maps, Bing and Bing Maps, and Apple Maps, among others. All of these places draw from business listings to rank your business on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
Local SEO draws from traditional sources for information and ranking as traditional SEO, like links and website content. However, they also draw from reviews, social media, and most importantly, information provided from your Google My Business profile.
So, basically, Local SEO is the attempt to rank in search engines to increase branded interactions with customers. It’s a key part of growing a local business, and businesses who don’t work on their Local SEO may not find success as quickly as other businesses that put work into.
Want to take your business to the next level through Local SEO but don’t have the time? We specialize in Local SEO for many industries and would love to help you!
