The growth of the internet marketplace was supposed to sound the death knell for brick and mortar businesses. With major brands taking over the internet space in every niche, it was tough for local stores in Colorado Springs to compete.
Luckily, things have come full circle and today and even the smallest businesses can compete favorably through local search. Search engines are now more adept at identifying the intent of the user in order to provide tailored results. Local search now makes it easier for any business to be found on search thus boosting conversion. Through local SEO, you are able to market your business to a targeted market at exactly the time your target customers in the area are looking for you.
The Importance of Local SEO in Numbers
Google algorithm updates, including pigeon, have made local search engine optimization (SEO) more important than ever. There is stiff competition among businesses to rank highly on search engine result pages (SERPs) for local search. A report by Google Survey published on Search Engine Land says that 50% of smartphone users and 34% of computer/tablet users who performed a local search ended up visiting a store the same day. The same survey found that more than 60% of consumers prefer local information in ads because this provides them with more relevant results.
A Go-Globe study by HubSpot shows that 87% of smartphone owners use a search engine every day. The same study shows that 18% of local mobile searches lead to a sale within one day. In a survey conducted among American adults, 60% said they use smartphones and tablets to search local information and products. Interestingly 78% of local mobile searches result in offline purchases. 71% of consumers surveyed said they look up a business’s contact information on local search before visiting it for the first time.
Leveraging Local SEO Service
These numbers should excite any internet marketer. Whether you are running a local car dealership or a restaurant in Colorado Springs, you need to harness the power of local search to boost sales and build your brand’s authority. This is where an established Colorado Springs SEO company comes in handy. By using an established SEO service in the area, you will be able to fully leverage the power of local search.
The place of local search is now more crucial than ever. Here are some of the reasons to invest in local SEO:
- Great return on investment (ROI)
- Leveraging the growing influence of mobile internet
- Higher conversion
- Better results from targeted marketing
- The popularity of local search among users looking for specific products and services in your city.
- Consumers’ increased trust in online reviews means it is easier for your business to convert if it has positive reviews on different platforms.
- Google loves local business as it tries to give customers exactly what they want.
Local SEO Strategies
If you are running a local business, your hands are already full. This makes it hard to optimize your website for local search. Once you identify an experienced local SEO service, you will have made a major step in making your brand an authority. You will start claiming your position as the business of choice in your niche by being more visible on local search. Among the strategies that you should use include:
- Google My Business – Claiming your Google My Business is an essential step in local SEO. Once this is done, you can now personalize your profile with as much business information as possible. The more information you provide, the easier for Google to find you and rank you highly on SERPs for targeted keywords. Such information includes business name, address, and phone number which must be accurate and up to date. Make sure you also have beautiful and relevant photos representing your business and products.
- Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP) – Search engines work based on available information. You have to help them find your physical business because this is how your target customers will also find you. Make sure you use a schema markup to make your NAP information consistent across different platforms. This makes your business more trustworthy in the eyes of search engine crawlers, thus boosting your ranking on local search.
- Get reviews smartly – 88% of consumers in a BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey say they trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations. This is one of the many reasons why you need to get reviews for your business. Having reviews on Google is crucial for local SEO. You can add invitations on landing pages after purchases, use emails or any other technique but never ask for fake reviews or incentivize customers to get reviews.
- Building local links – This is key for organic traffic to your site. It also shows search engines that you are running a reputable business, which boosts you ranking on local search. Listing on local directories such as Yelp is a great wayof building links to your site.
The place of local SEO is now fully established. By using a local company for your SEO campaign, it is easier to enjoy the benefits of better ranking on SERPs for your ranking keywords. With the growing numbers of mobile internet users, local businesses now have a chance to boost sales through local SEO.
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