What is Local SEO?
Local SEO stands for Local Search Engine Optimization. This does not mean we are optimizing local search engines. Instead, it means we are optimizing your business online presence for location-specific (local) searches conducted on search engines.
Search engines like Google use the location of the computer or mobile phone of the person searching (let’s call her the “shopper”) in determining what results to show her. They do this under the logical assumption that nearby vendors are likely more relevant to the shopper. The default is to prioritize displaying nearby vendors, but shoppers can overcome this default, say in order to search for vendors in far away locations, simply by adding specific geographic qualifiers to their search such as “Allergists in Michigan.”
Your Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP) can present a variety of sections including the following in the typical order of display from top to bottom:
Ads
Pay per click (PPC) ads that companies pay to be listed at the top for specific, common keyword combinations.
Local Pack
A listing typically comprised of:
- A map with pinned geographic locations of vendor addresses
- Averages and totals of customer reviews and ratings of the vendor business
- Business address and phone number
- Whether the business is currently open or closed based on hours of operation
- Quick links to the business website and geographic directions
The Local Pack is highly coveted online real estate because it’s near the top of the Search Engine Results Page and it’s extremely visual, with all the data a shopper typically needs first. It’s not easy to rank in the Local Pack as only 3 businesses get displayed on the first page results, but that’s where we come in.
People Also Ask (PAA)
Boxes that contain a set of questions related to the original search query.
Organic Search Results
Unpaid links to webpages that cannot be influenced by paid advertising. Organic search results are ranked according to their relevance to the search term.
Similar to the local pack, organic search results are coveted since you don’t have to pay per click, making it profitable for businesses who can achieve strong organic rank. Each time someone clicks on your organic listing, it doesn’t cost you a penny.
Images
Image packs that present images Google considers to be related to the search query.
Definitions
Boxes containing helpful dictionary and Wikipedia links related to the search query.
Related Searches
Similar to the PAA boxes, but instead of questions, this section contains sets of keywords related to the original search query.
Local SEO is generally comprised of optimizing your business online presence for the two items above highlighted in purple and green – Local Pack and Organic Search Results.
Given current social and technological trends, especially the evolution, proliferation and adoption of easy voice activated local search tools like Siri, our team believes that the best current bang for the marketing buck for any local business is to focus on rank optimization within the Local Pack, and Organic Search portions of a Search Engine Results Page. In other words, Local SEO is currently the way to go.
Find out how we can help increase your inbound customer calls by 4 to 5 times
Just give us some basic info about your business, and we’ll create a free analysis of how you’re doing against your competition in local searches.