Why Local Listing is Crucial for Your Business?!
With today advancements and dependencies on search engines… let’s just says it, the Google era! We are all familiar with grabbing our phone and quickly researching by starting a question; where is the nearest clinic, restaurant, bar? OR searching for a specific brand. As a consumer for either products or services, we are all doing it daily!
As a real-life example; just the other day I organized a reservation for friends at a new restaurant bar and grill, my friends were informed of the time of the reservation. Easy, right? But some people within my group didn’t know the locations, they pulled up their iPhone for directions and were guided to a location 4 miles away from the restaurant. Why? Well it appeared the restaurant focused millions on their property, menu, and staff, but missed the important details of their online presence.
Why with the importance of Google and all other search engines do business owners still neglect their local SEO strategy? It’s simple, they just don’t understand the true importance of this. Along with understanding the multitude of factors that go into optimizing your businesses local listing.
First, What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a marketing strategy designed to promote your business’ within location-based searches. This includes searches with certain geographic qualifiers, such as city, state, and zip-code. This is the ‘near me’ searches that we are all familiar with. With the location of the person executing the search, Google and other search engines will display the most relevant businesses. So simply put, if you do NOT tell Google where your business is located, you simply will not be displayed with the best ranking.
Local SEO is More then Important…
With access to so much information at our figure tips, this is another marketing mechanism brick-and-mortar business are adapting toward. With Local SEO your business information will then become accessible 24/7 allowing you to draw customers into your location.
A study by Forbes shows 95% of smartphone users use their devices to perform local searches. Out of those people, 65% called the business and 59% visited the business.
This tells us that leads from location-based SEO searches are quality leads as they’re specifically looking for your brand, product type, or services. These searches can lead to either a restaurant reservation, clinic appointment, or product sale. The opportunity is endless for any local based business.
Local SEO Listing Can Impact Your Business…
With the appropriate local listing management, you’ll setup your business for success and rise above your local competition. Below are THREE benefits of local SEO;
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- Expands your discoverability; if a potential customer already knows of your business, they’ll easily be able to find you. BUT if you’re looking for NEW customers for your product or services, local searches often originate from non-locals who are looking for the services you offer.
- Easy access to information; with search engines like Google, they have adopted a philosophy of ‘Click-Zero’ where all of the information you’re looking for is listed directly with the Local 3-Pack, Knowledge Panel, or within a Maps. Presenting easy access to hours of operation, menu, location, frequently asked questions, reviews, and upcoming events. (Plus Much More…)
- Trust and credibility; Having a solid Local SEO plan will allow you to present your business as trustworthy and credible. When searchers find your business containing all the information, they’re searching for, a new relationship is developed.
Now, there are many, many more benefits and strategies to establish a successful local SEO strategy, but hopefully this sparks your interest toward understanding the importance of local SEO. Don’t be like the example provided in earlier, spending millions on your business, but failing on making your business visible online. To learn more on how to maximize your SEO local listing contact us or call us directly at 1-866-477-4420.
