Local SEO For Beginners: Getting Started

One of the first questions a lot of companies ask about local SEO is: Do I really need it?

And I got it. You’re Busy – Your time, budget, and energy are valuable resources.

Do you really need something else to go along with it?

If you want to drive in-store traffic, online or phone orders, appointment bookings, clinic visits, or other business from your local consumers, the answer is yes!

Who benefits from local SEO and why?

All types of businesses that interact with and serve customers in a specific area can benefit from local SEO.

This includes retail stores, service businesses, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, banks, construction companies, and more.

Here are some examples.

Lawyers and Law Firms

One of the biggest local SEO benefits for these customers is that Google displays the call button directly in local search results on mobile phones.

So when a potential customer pulls out their phone and searches for it [(type of) attorney]They will see targeted results for their specific site.

When done right, local SEO will push the lawyer to the top of the search results for that site, and the predominant call to action will be the “contact us” button.

The reason behind this huge feature is that anyone who has ever had an accident or has some other problem will be on the phone trying to find attorneys who offer free consultations.

This route provides a way to reach these consumers exactly when they need a lawyer.

Physicians and medical practices

When someone is looking for a medical professional, they are often looking for a [doctor nearby] or a [doctor near me].

Most people don’t want to go out of their way or travel several hours to see a doctor. They want a doctor nearby who can see them regularly.

If you refer to the screenshot below, using the search [doctors near me]There are many benefits as a result of this great local package.

This local result provides the doctor’s name up front, along with an instant “directions link” that brings up the Maps app on the user’s phone.

When it comes to doctors, people are more comfortable calling to set up an appointment, and they’re more likely to look for an easy way to look up directions to doctor’s offices.

Plumbers

When someone has a plumbing emergency, do they go straight to the store?

No, they usually go to Google to search for it [plumber near me].

Google search results provide an easy way for someone to contact a plumber directly, read reviews, and reach local plumbers immediately if they have such an emergency.

Who wouldn’t benefit from local SEO?

While we’d like to see everyone take advantage of local SEO and sell these services to more clients as SEO professionals, the reality is that some companies just don’t fit in well with local SEO efforts.

Businesses such as online e-commerce stores, businesses that don’t want to share their local information, and online sellers that want to keep their information private probably aren’t great candidates for local SEO services.

Local search still needs organic SEO

Local search rankings appear as a map package on Google, but your site’s organic ranking is also an important factor. This helps Google understand your site’s overall popularity, which is one of the three main categories of local ranking signals.

SEO tricks and tactics are long gone, and search has evolved exponentially.

At present, the game is governed by user experience signals, eating, high-quality content, high-quality links, and high-quality user experience.

But make no mistake: there are still locally optimized SEO factors that need to be corrected, including:

• Finding the right keywords and topics to target as part of your campaign.
• Ensuring that your technical SEO is top notch.
• Ensure the highest possible quality of content.
• Earn links to make your website stand out enough in the eyes of Google.
• Double checking and implementing NAP information (name, address, phone number) is accurate across many link sites.
• Improved local ranking signals.

With a local focus, many of the standard organic SEO methods may change slightly compared to the traditional methods used for ranking.

Local search can also be a voice search

Now that people have more access to devices like smartphones, Amazon Echo, and Google Home, voice search has become the preferred way for many to find local information.

It’s easier to say “find a doctor near me” or “find a plumber near me” to most people than it is to say it.

Thus, it is not surprising that we see a rise in local queries based on conversational voice search.

If your industry is service-oriented, try variations of keywords that include questions.

Smrash topic search toolAnd Keyword.ioAnd the answer They all provide ways to see what questions people are searching for, as well as their search volume.

This is an excellent way to target keywords that have a local intent.

If your industry is a service-related local business, such as a restaurant, lawyer, or attorney, experiment with variations of keywords with a conversational tone and focus.

You might be surprised at the amount of search you can achieve when you do keyword research this way.

Local search is mobile search

We know that a large portion of local searches happen on local devices, and that mobile compatibility is a ranking factor at Google.

What do these facts and the mobile-first index mean for your local SEO strategy?

Google has improved Map Pack listings for mobile researchers. But it’s up to you to create that user-friendly and comfortable experience on your website – and to ensure Google understands this through good technical SEO.

Roger Monti of Search Engine Journal shares an overview of what that entails in “7 Ways a Mobile-First Index Impacts SEO,” part of SEJ’s FREE Advanced Technical SEO Guide.

Local SEO needs a custom strategy

But that doesn’t mean it has to take up a lot of your time.

In the next chapter, you’ll find a nine-step checklist to guide your new or improved local SEO strategy.

Next, we’ll look at the different aspects of it and you’ll find expert tips and tools for putting it all together.

Download the full guide for free here.

Featured Image: Paolo Bobetta/Search Engine Magazine