In years past, website owners have engaged in global SEO or search engine optimization practices in order to boost visibility on the Internet and drive traffic to their websites. However, in today’s world, local searches rule, which means that your SEO strategy has to change in order to capture the attention of your target audience.
Internet searches are becoming more and more localized, meaning that customers are turning their attention to businesses in their own backyards to fulfill their needs rather than those that are half a world away. And these local searches are happening more often on mobile technology rather than on traditional laptops and desktops, meaning that websites need to focus their efforts on mobile optimization. So, what do you need to know about local search engine optimization in order to refocus the attention of your target audience to your business?
According to the 2014 Local Business Search Study, there are four key components that you need to implement in your local SEO strategy in order to maximize your visibility in local searches. These include:
Understand that Consumers Use Devices Differently for Local Search: People who are using their smartphones and other mobile technology are looking for a “quick fix” answer to a particular need. This means that they have a higher conversion rate than traditional PC searches.
The Information Consumers Are Looking For Is Different on Different Websites: When it comes to local searches, the predominance of users depend on the information contained in the Internet Yellow Pages and local business directories rather than on a business’s website itself.
Consumer Search Habits Differ Between Business Types: Consumers who conduct local searches are generally looking for restaurants and retail establishments, making local SEO vital for these industries. However, many other businesses can benefit as well.
The Role of GPS in Local Search will Grow: Mobile users depend on the GPS technology in their smartphones to help them locate businesses. This trend will continue to grow as the number of smartphones in the population grows.
Rise Of Mobile SEO
PC searches still make up the predominance of Internet searches in today’s environment, they lose ground every single day to mobile searches. This makes having a mobile optimized website vital to businesses who depend on local customers for the predominance of their business. If you don’t have a mobile optimized site, now is the time to get one.
As a business owner, understanding the importance of local SEO and the role it plays in your overall business strategy is vital to the long term viability of your business. This means that in order for your business to remain competitive, you need to focus on your local SEO efforts and spend the time, money and efforts to make your website mobile-friendly. These efforts are generally very low cost, however they pack a very powerful punch and can increase your website and physical traffic exponentially if done right, providing you with one of the largest ROIs you will ever experience on any of your marketing efforts.
