If you’re a business with at least one physical storefront, you’ve probably heard the term “SEO” or “local SEO” thrown around.
But, what, exactly, does it mean, and should you even care?
This article will teach you what local SEO is and why it matters to your business.
Local SEO is a set of techniques that can help your business rank in local (map) searches and reach your target market.
There are many ways to make sure your business shows up in the right locally focused searches, and local SEO encompasses many techniques such as citation building, local link building, review generation and much, much more.
The heart of local SEO is your business information, and the main goal is to ensure that your business’s info (like name, phone number, website, email address, etc.) is correct all across the web.
When your business’s information is correct and consistent everywhere online, search engines like Google see that as a sign that your business is trustworthy and relevant to the search.
A Note About the Necessity of an Ongoing Strategy
This might sound simple enough, so in order for your local SEO to be effective, you’ll need to have an ongoing strategy. Here’s why:
One study found that, when left alone by the business owner, the business’s online information changed almost constantly. In order to combat this, you need to be constantly sending the correct information to the most prominent local directories.
If this sounds too complicated, we can make it easy for you.
Here are some free local SEO resources to help you get started:
In short, any business with a physical storefront needs local search marketing so that consumers can find and buy from you. Or, if you have an office and clients need to visit you, local SEO will help them navigate to your business.
Multi-location businesses can also benefit from local SEO, even if they have a prominent, established brand. No matter how popular your brand is, if people can’t find your locations, they will choose your competitors instead of your business.
So, since we said that the main priority of your local SEO strategy is to make sure your business’s information is correct and consistent across the web, you’ll need to start with that info.
Make a note of your business’s exact name, address, phone number, website URL, email address, business hours, etc.
Now, you’ll need to search. Google your business to see what kind of information is out there about you.
Once you have your results, you’ll likely need to claim listings and make sure the information in them is correct and complete.
Remember, this will need to be an ongoing strategy. This information will change over time as even little things can cause your business info to become incorrect online. You’ll need to keep an eye on it and make sure to keep correcting those changes.
Isabella Andersen, Content Contributor
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