Hey everyone, and welcome back to Digital Dominance! I'm Linda Donnelly, and today we're diving deep into a topic that's crucial for every small business: local SEO.
Now, you might be thinking, "SEO? Sounds complicated!" But trust me, local SEO is actually pretty straightforward, and it's something you need to understand if you want to attract customers in your area.
So, what exactly is local SEO?
Think of it like this: regular SEO is how you get your website to show up higher in Google search results. Local SEO is how you get your business to show up higher when people are looking for something nearby. It's about making sure Google knows exactly where you are and what you do, so they can show you to the right customers.
For example, if you own a bakery in your town, you want to show up when someone searches for "best bakery near me."
Or if you're a plumber, you want to appear when someone searches for "emergency plumber in [your city]."
It's all about those "near me" searches. And guess what? Those searches are HUGE!
Did you know that 46% of all Google searches are for local information? (Source: Search Engine Journal) That's almost half of all searches!
And here's the kicker: 88% of people who do a local search on their smartphone will call or visit that business within 24 hours. (Source: BrightLocal) That's a ton of potential customers ready to take action!
Get Found: If you're not optimizing for local search, you're basically invisible to a lot of people who are ready to buy!
Drive Foot Traffic: Local SEO helps people find your physical store or office.
Build Trust: Showing up high in local search results and having positive online reviews makes your business look more credible.
It's (Relatively) Affordable: Compared to some other marketing methods, local SEO can be very cost-effective.
So, how do you actually do local SEO? It's a mix of a few things:
This is your online business listing on Google. It's super important!
Make sure it's complete: Fill out every section! Name, address, phone number, website, hours, photos, etc.
Use the right categories: Tell Google exactly what kind of business you are.
Get those reviews! Ask your happy customers to leave you reviews.
Use Google Posts: Share updates, offers, and events to keep your profile fresh.
Use local keywords: Put words like your city and state in your website content.
Add your location info: Make sure your address and phone number are easy to find on your website.
Get links from local websites: Links from other businesses in your area can help.
Make it mobile-friendly: Most people search on their phones, so your website needs to work great on mobile.
Think of these as online phone books. Get listed in the important ones!
Yelp: A big one for restaurants and local services.
Yellow Pages: Still used by some!
Industry-Specific Directories: If you're a plumber, get listed in plumbing directories.
Use social media to connect with people in your area.
Share local news and events.
Run ads targeting people in your city.
So, there you have it! Local SEO is a must-have for small businesses. It's how you get found by people who are ready to buy right now. And if you need help with this, you know who to call! Thanks for listening!
