Local SEO is focused marketing aimed at a specific area or city, and it concentrates your online budget where you get the highest possible ROI. When a local company runs internet marketing that is not local, the budget gets spread thinly and returns drop. A tight Local SEO plan is also one of the easiest internet marketing strategies to execute.
Why geo-focus matters for local businesses
If you are an attorney who specializes in real estate in Sarasota, FL, it makes sense to market to people searching for Sarasota real estate in Sarasota, FL. You focus all efforts on Sarasota, FL when running local SEO for attorney services. If you want to market digital marketing in Sarasota but your website targets a different Sarasota-area location like Winter Springs, FL, you adapt your digital marketing strategy to match your local SEO goals.
Get your Sarasota pages in front of Sarasota searchers
If you focus all your efforts on Sarasota, FL and no other area, you need other ways to get your content seen by people in Sarasota, such as Facebook. Most businesses look for information on Facebook first, so you want every Sarasota-based business to have a Facebook page.
Build links from other websites
The next step is to build links to your site from other websites. For example, if you own a law firm in Sarasota, you might connect with a real estate agent who lives in Sarasota. Together you can place a link to your site and gain more exposure online. The same way you use Google Places for local SEO, you need to find other places to post your link so it is out there. If no one posts a link to your site from a lawyer’s website, the link simply will not make a difference.
Claim a profile on the largest search engine
You also want to put up a small business profile on the largest search engine in the world. Since online marketing is about getting your business noticed, this is an important part of local SEO. The only problem is that not many businesses bother with it, so if you do not have a business profile at the top of the first page of Google, you will not see any traffic from those who do have a profile.
Use local events for ongoing exposure
After you have established a large business listing, take advantage of exposure throughout local events. Think about the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups in your community. Most of them run networking events all the time. These events include seminars, conferences, and training, and many local businesses also host workshops and teach-ins throughout the year.
Why mobile devices now rank well in local SEO
Mobile devices rank highly in local SEO because more local businesses use them to reach potential clients. Treat mobile as part of your overall business page. When someone searches for “bicycle workshop in New York,” you want a search result that includes your business page. Add the image of a bicycle along with your contact information and someone is more likely to see your business page, even if they search “bicycle workshop in New York.”
FAQ
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is focused marketing aimed at a specific area or city. It concentrates your online budget where you can earn the highest possible ROI instead of spreading it thinly.
How do local businesses build links for local SEO?
Connect with other local businesses, such as a Sarasota law firm partnering with a Sarasota real estate agent, and place links to each other’s sites. Posting links on Google Places and other sites helps get them seen.
Why do mobile devices rank well in local SEO?
Mobile devices rank highly in local SEO because more local businesses use them to reach potential clients. Adding mobile-friendly images and contact details to a business page helps that page show up in local searches.