Search engine optimization is a buzzword many business owners are familiar with. After all, 68% of online experiences begin with someone looking something up on a search engine, according to Ahrefs.com. The basic idea is that you get your website ranked higher on Google, right? That is a goal of SEO, but it’s also important to recognize who your competition is and what audience you’re trying to reach. If you’re a small business, local SEO can help customers near you find your business.

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is a subspecialty of SEO, in general. It follows a lot of the same principles that make SEO so effective in the first place. There is a focus on user-friendly web design, utilizing social media, keeping your website stocked with fresh and high-quality content, and all of those other digital marketing tactics that help your business grow.

The key difference is the aim. Say you’re a local contractor. You want to optimize your site to grow your business and increase your search engine rankings. However, you don’t want to be fighting against every contractor with a website in the US. You want to aim at the competition in and around you. You want people nearby to know you are there, not someone in another state. Local SEO specializes in getting you noticed right where you live.

How Does It Work?

Local SEO is more focused on your local town, city, or region, so the first thing to do is make sure your address and location are updated on your site. Next, you want to work on getting included in the Google map pack that shows up whenever someone searches for “X company/service/product near me”.

To do this, you will follow all of the traditional SEO practices like engaging in online reviews, posting testimonials, and producing quality content that’s suitable for a local audience, such as videos of local events you’re business was a part of. The biggest piece of the puzzle is maintaining your Google My Business profile. This is a free account you can build that will be displayed anytime someone searches for something relevant to your business. It will include the name of the business, the address, contact info, ratings, your website, and more.

Your Google My Business profile is going to be one of the most important tools in your local SEO toolkit. It will allow you to engage with customers, highlight your business, run analytics on engagement, and much more.

To get started on your local SEO campaign, it’s a good idea to reach out to an SEO agency like Fasturtle. We are a Phoenix SEO agency that helps our clients generate more new leads every month. Contact us today to start strategizing your digital marketing campaign!