At Wolf we work with a lot of small businesses, and believe that a sustainable relationship is built on us helping our clients understand what we’re doing and – if they prefer – taking it on themselves. Local SEO is an important aspect of all good marketing strategies in the digital age, so it’s something we like to discuss with our clients and partners. But in a continually developing world, it’s becoming harder to keep on top of.
What is Local SEO
If Search Engine Optimisation is getting your site to the top of search engine result pages, Local SEO is getting your site/business in front of the eyes of local consumers – when they’re right within reach and most likely to want your services.
Local SEO – along with many parts of the industry – went under a massive shake up a few years ago with the introduction from Google of their ‘Pigeon’ algorithm, focusing on highlighting relevant local businesses to users online. But the take up on the importance of this continues to be slow across industries.
Moz, an online SEO blog, writes that surveys have shown “brands investing some $10 million in PPC vs. $1 million in SEO, despite studies… which show PPC earning less than 10% of clicks in search.”
How do I Incorporate Local SEO into my Strategy?
That’s what we’re here for! But more seriously, there are a number of things to take into account. Firstly is that the key factors are still the primary things to focus on: keyword research, content development, link building.
But there are also the locally-focussed parts: local listings development, social pages within the community, store locator/landing page development, and online review responses (often overlooked!).
And a super-important element that so many businesses ignore is the connection between the online and offline worlds. Local SEO is just that: local. Your in-store customer care is absolute vital to your local search engine rankings because consumer satisfaction still matters, both through directing others to look up your business (page hits) and, even moreso, through online reviews.
Never underestimate how your business’s work in the real world effects your results on the web.
More questions about Local SEO and how we can help? Talk to Wolf.
