Local SEO Checklist: Essential Steps for Small Business Owners

If you're a small business owner, you might be asking yourself: "Why do I need to pay attention to local SEO?" The simple answer is: because about 46% of all Google searches are for local information. Yes, you heard it right. Local Search Engine Optimization (Local SEO) is not something you can afford to overlook if you want your business to thrive amid local competition.

But, let's take a step back! ‘SEO’ might be a jargon word for you. It stands for Search Engine Optimization, which involves strategies, techniques, and tactics to increase the visibility of your website by obtaining a high-ranking placement in the search results page of search engines. And when we talk about Local SEO, it involves optimizing your online presence to attract more business from local searches.

So, how familiar are you with the term 'Local SEO', 'reviews', 'Google My Business' or 'video marketing'? Don't worry if you're not. This comprehensive Local SEO checklist is designed to guide you through the steps you need to take to boost your online visibility in your local area. Let's begin this exciting journey together!

The Importance of Local SEO

Local SEO, sometimes overlooked in the grand scheme of digital marketing strategies, is slowly proving its indispensability, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. It serves a significant role in placing your business front and center in your local community, aiding companies to establish themselves as top-of-mind options for customers in their vicinity. From its influence on consumer internet usage to the quantum leap of voice search, let's dig into why your business should prioritize local SEO.

Consumer Usage of Internet for Local Businesses

Did you know that an overwhelming 98% of consumers utilized the internet to discover local businesses in 2020? That's right! According to BrightLocal's 2023 Customer Review Survey data, nearly all consumers are digital-first when it comes to finding local services or products. That means if you're not optimized for local search, your business is likely invisible to almost all prospective customers in your area.

Percentage of Google Searches Seeking Local Information

Google, being the world's primary search engine, plays an instrumental role in how customers discover local businesses. An astounding 46% of all Google search queries are seeking local information. Your potential customers are frequently using this search giant to find businesses like yours. With a good local SEO strategy, you have the opportunity to turn those curious searchers into your regular customers.

Increase in Consumer Use of Google for Evaluating Local Businesses

The allure of Google doesn't stop at discovery. The internet giant's influence extends to how consumers assess and select local businesses. Google's not just where we go to find businesses - it's also where we turn to assess their worthiness. In 2022, 87% of consumers turned to Google for evaluating local businesses, up from 81% in previous years. Without local SEO, your company's visibility in Google's search results may wane, affecting how consumers perceive the value and reliability of your business.

Rise of Voice Search for Local Businesses

Adding an exciting twist to the SEO game is the meteoric rise of voice search. More than half the consumers surveyed, 58% to be precise, used voice search to seek out local business information in the past year. With the increasing popularity of smart speakers and voice-enabled devices, this trend is only expanding. Failure to optimize for local voice search could result in missing out on significant business opportunities.

Significance of Google's Market Share

Finally, let's take a moment to address the undeniable sway of Google's market share in the world of search engines. It's reported that Google holds an impressive market share exceeding 85%. That alone indicates the importance of having a robust and effective local SEO strategy aligned with Google's search algorithm.

Emphasizing local SEO is no longer a matter of choice but a necessity. The stats drive home the point that it is an invaluable strategy for businesses keen on cementing their local footprint and keeping their cash registers ringing.

Key Local SEO Strategies

In the digital age, small businesses can no longer ignore the power of the Internet. In particular, successful local SEO strategies have become a must-have in the toolkit of any business aiming to maximize their online visibility. By adopting a handful of essential strategies, local SEO ensures your business is seen by the right people at the right time. But what exactly does a successful local SEO strategy entail? We'll be exploring the top three tactics: cultivating positive reviews, providing essential business information, and making use of video marketing.

Cultivating Positive Reviews

When it comes to influencing customer behavior, few things are as powerful as good old-fashioned word of mouth. Today, that venerable tactic has moved online in the form of customer reviews. Strikingly, reviews' weightage for local pack or finder rankings has skyrocketed from 12% in 2018 to 17% in 2021.

Just by encouraging your clients to share their candid feedback, you can create a steady stream of user-generated content that not only endorses your offerings but also impacts your SEO appearance. Just remember, adopting simple techniques like promptly responding to reviews and providing excellent services can transform casual shoppers into brand advocates.

Providing Essential Business Information

Did you know that a whopping 54% of smartphone users search for business hours before deciding to purchase a product? Moreover, a staggering 18% of these local smartphone searches directly lead to a sale within a day. Hence, it's essential that accurate, up-to-date business information - including your name, address, phone number, and opening hours - is easily searchable across various digital platforms.

Igniting visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) doesn't involve rocket science, but merely accurate representation of your key business details. After all, a well-informed customer is a satisfied customer and is more likely to commit to a sale.

Making Use of Video Marketing

Last but not least, video marketing invigorates your local SEO strategy like nothing else. Statistics show that 91% of users reported video marketing as a significant boost to not only their site traffic but also their lead generation statistics.

From showcasing your premises, presenting customer testimonials to demonstrating your products/services, video content helps potential customers feel a closer connection to your business. Plus, video marketing allows your business to rank in video searches on Google as well as on YouTube - the world's second-largest search engine.

In essence, by nurturing online reviews, supplying vital business details, and creating engaging video content, you can sculpt your local SEO strategy from an uncut gemstone into a sparkling diamond. Remember, a meticulously planned local SEO strategy enters your business into the local competition, opening up a world teeming with potential customers.

Impact of Local SEO on Consumer Spending

Known as the lifeblood of local economies, consumer spending does not merely exist in a vacuum. An intriguing facet of growth in this area is the influence of Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization). As businesses compete for consumer dollars, Local SEO has become a significant force in influencing those all-important purchasing decisions. Would you believe if we told you that consumer spending on local businesses reportedly increased by over 71% from 2022 to 2023? Talk about powering economies!

What's the Deal with Local SEO?

First, let's break down what we mean by Local SEO. It's a subfield of SEO that focuses on optimizing a website to be found in local search results. This could mean anything from adjusting site content with location-specific keywords to garnering positive customer reviews to amplify online reputation.

Here's a mind-boggling fact: "88% of consumers who do a local search on their smartphone visit or call a store within a day." Basically, Local SEO is the secret sauce letting consumers quickly find businesses right when their need arises.

How Does Local SEO Propel Consumer Spending?

Now, let's debunk the 71% spike in consumer spending using the lens of Local SEO. Here is what unfolded:

• Employing the Right Keywords: Web content tailored around location-specific keywords helped businesses appear in local search results, connecting them with consumers precisely when they search for those services.
• Leveraging Online Reviews: A strong online review portfolio can boost visibility in local search results. With 97% of consumers reading online reviews for local businesses, a collection of positive reviews can be a powerful convincing factor.
• Optimizing for Mobile: Businesses that optimize their websites for mobile devices cater to the significantly large group of consumers who use their phones to search for local services. No points for guessing who they're more likely to choose.
• Localizing Social Media Advertising: Ads catered for local audiences have been fruitfully employed to guide purchasing decisions, hence such a soaring growth in consumer spending.

In a nutshell, Local SEO is much more than a digital marketing strategy; it's a powerful tool transforming the way consumers spend, forging a path for growth in local economies. It's no exaggeration to say that Local SEO is changing the world, one local business at a time.

Conclusion

While cruising through the vast avenues of digital marketing, local SEO sticks out as a vital aspect that you cannot dare ignore. For any small business owner aiming to grab a chunk of their local market, implementing the strategies we've discussed is an absolute imperative. From increased consumer engagement to more sales, the benefits of local SEO are indeed profound.

Boosting your local SEO, however, isn't a walk in the park; it's a journey that requires time, effort, and precision. Adopting an efficient keyword research tool like GetKeywords can propel you a great deal on this path. With its emphasis on local SEO, real-time trend data, and ample insights on consumer behavior, GetKeywords can be your faithful guide on this local SEO journey.

Remember, SEO is not a one-time activity but a continuous process. So, keep fine-tuning your strategies, encouraging more positive reviews, and maintaining an updated business profile, and most importantly, keep tracking your progress. Here's to excellent digital visibility of your local business!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is local SEO and why is it important for small business owners?Local SEO refers to the process of optimizing a website to rank higher in local search results. It is important for small business owners as it helps them target local customers, increase online visibility, drive more foot traffic to their stores, and ultimately boost sales.
2. What are some essential steps for small business owners to follow in their local SEO checklist?Some essential steps for small business owners in their local SEO checklist include: 1. Claiming and optimizing Google My Business listing, 2. Setting up NAP (name, address, phone number) consistency, 3. Creating localized content, 4. Obtaining positive customer reviews, and 5. Building local citations.
3. How can small business owners optimize their Google My Business listing?To optimize their Google My Business listing, small business owners should provide accurate and detailed information about their business, select the appropriate business categories, upload high-quality images, encourage customer reviews, and regularly update their listing with new content and offers.
4. What is NAP consistency and why is it important for local SEO?NAP consistency refers to ensuring that your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online platforms. It is important for local SEO as search engines rely on this information to determine the credibility and relevance of a business for local search results.
5. How can small business owners build local citations?Small business owners can build local citations by listing their business in local directories, chamber of commerce websites, industry-specific websites, and online review platforms. It is essential to ensure that the NAP information is accurate and consistent across all citations.