SEO is one of the oldest digital marketing methods which has helped a lot of business organizations achieve success. For many marketing practices, old usually means bad, but when it comes to SEO this is not the case. SEO has evolved a lot during its history and this is why it’s still relevant today.
One of the many changes that SEO brought is local SEO. This means that websites can now be optimized for their local audiences for businesses that try to target customers located near them. If you own a local business, having a website with good local SEO can let you bring in a lot of new customers.
Here is how this SEO practice can help you achieve this.
Many people search for local businesses near them
You might be surprised, but a lot of people actually use local searches to find products and services in their vicinity. First of all, today Google prioritizes sites based on your location and gives you a few close choices that are best optimized.
A lot of services or products can’t be ordered online and customers will always have the need to get them in person.
The second important thing to know is that a lot of people have set their search browser on their local subdomain, which prioritizes local searches as well. On top of that, a lot of people use location-specific keywords when looking for the products or services they need.
Many customers still don’t want to get things online – they want to find a business that is close to them so that they can go there and check everything out in person. If you are not pursuing those local searches and keywords specific to your location, then you will lose a lot of new customers.
The local audience converts really well
What’s important to understand about local searches is that they are specific. If a customer is looking for SEO services in Brisbane, one of the go-to search phrases they will type is “SEO Brisbane.” This means that the person who is searching for these keywords lives in Brisbane and wants to visit a marketing agency in person, learn about their services, and negotiate a deal right on the spot.
Furthermore, when a person is looking for a specific service or product in a specific location, it means that they already know what they need, but just don’t know where to find it. These kinds of leads are half-way ready to become paying customers and this is why it’s essential to make use of local SEO searches.
At this point, being ranked in the top positions on a search queue is very important because customers will know that you are nearby and that they can easily get information about your location online. They can then drop by when they have the time.
Local SEO has great ROI
Local businesses that focus on customers nearby are usually smaller than those focusing on international customers and they have smaller budgets. This means that they don’t have a lot of money to invest in marketing, especially for large long-term digital marketing campaigns. Local SEO is also an exception in this case, as it has a great return on investment.
Similarly to “regular SEO” this technique also requires long-term work but it doesn’t require a lot of money. At the same time, a lot of local businesses still don’t exploit the potential of local SEO, meaning that you won’t be competing with many other businesses, making it easier to rank high.
At the same time, you will start to see the benefits of your campaign much earlier and all the money you’ve invested will start coming back to you. With proper keyword research, you can find multiple keywords to rank for and work on, all of which will bring you new website visitors.
All businesses that rely on local customers to make sales can benefit a lot from investing in local SEO campaigns. Even though SEO has gone through many changes, it is still one of the most effective digital marketing techniques. It can help companies build a foundation that can keep them going for a long time.
