Four Things Your Competitors Aren’t Thinking About
When potential customers look for local services, businesses need to stand out in search results. Local SEO can push a business to the top of those results, lifting visibility and offsite reputation. Below are four details many competitors overlook once the basics are in place.
How is local SEO different by industry and location?
Local SEO is not one-size-fits-all. The best way to rank for a given area is to tailor the strategy to that location. Google pulls reviews and ratings from review sites, so focusing on those sources matters. Link signals such as domain authority and quantity also play a role, which means building links from websites and domains relevant to the targeted location.
Why do local reviews matter so much?
Local SEO is more effective for local businesses than broad national or global optimization. Reviews increase online visibility and customer loyalty, and they need to be relevant to the target location so Google can rank the business higher. Customer reviews are also a direct way to connect with customers and build a strong online reputation.
What does the first page of Google mean for a local business?
The first page of Google is limited real estate for local searches, and appearing there is essential for a local SEO strategy to succeed. A website needs to reflect the area it serves in order to earn that placement. 30% of all mobile searches are location-related, and 76% of those searches lead to phone calls, so an optimized site is often the difference between getting traffic and losing it.
What about NAP consistency and multiple locations?
Consistent NAP data (name, address, phone) across every online platform is required, and businesses with more than one location need NAP+W (adding website URL) to stay consistent everywhere. Local SEO helps attract local customers because searchers are usually looking for a business in their own area, and matching that location is the most effective way to reach them.
FAQ
How is local SEO different from national SEO?
Local SEO is tailored to a specific location and relies heavily on local signals like reviews from local review sites, links from location-relevant domains, and consistent NAP data. National SEO focuses on broader keywords without that geographic focus.
Why are customer reviews important for local search rankings?
Google collects reviews and ratings from review sites and uses them to rank local businesses. Reviews that are relevant to the target location help a business rank higher and connect with nearby customers.
What is NAP+W and why does it matter?
NAP+W stands for Name, Address, Phone number, and Website URL. Businesses with more than one location need to keep this data consistent across all online platforms so search engines can correctly associate each listing with the right location.
Related coverage
- How to Use Local SEO to Improve Your Business Visibility and Boost Traffic
- Local SEO – How to Get Your Business Noticed Online
Related coverage
- How to Use Local SEO to Improve Your Business Visibility and Boost Traffic
- Local SEO – How to Get Your Business Noticed Online