How local SEO can benefit your business

How local SEO can benefit your business

46% of all Google searches are looking for local information, so investing in a local SEO strategy is certainly worthwhile. In case you aren’t familiar, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation which is the process of optimising your website to improve your visibility on search engines. The twist with local SEO is that there is heavier focus on geographical location, gearing your content towards local audiences and improving your visibility in local searches.

Let’s take a look at 5 key benefits a local SEO strategy can have for your business:

Improve online visibility

Can you remember the last time you clicked past page 1 of your search results? No? That’s not surprising given than the 1st page of search results enjoys an incredible 95% of all search traffic, with 67% of clicks going to the first 5 results alone.

An effective local SEO strategy will improve your ranking on search results pages, bringing you to the forefront of your customers search.

Stay competitive with other local businesses

If you aren’t being seen by potential customers online, you can be sure that your competitors are. Having a fresh, up-to-date and locally optimised website can help you compete with your competitors online and bypass those that are still relying on traditional methods of lead generation.

More relevant traffic to your website

In contrast with general SEO, local SEO will enable you to reach more local customers. This increases the likelihood of a potential customer getting in touch or paying you a visit. Just look at these stats:

72% of consumers that did a local search visited a store within five miles.

88% of searches for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours.

Increased conversion rate

There is no denying that local SEO results in better conversion rates. Research by Think with Google report that 18% of local smartphone searches led to a purchase within a day, whereas only 7% of non-local searches led to a sale. Furthermore, it’s estimated that approximately 28% of all local searches, regardless of device, result in a sale. Winning!

Increased likelihood of return customers

Local customers are far more likely to return, well, because they’re local! Not only is it more convenient, but consumers are placing increasing value on supporting local businesses, so if they have a good experience you are more than likely to see them again.

To discuss a local SEO strategy for your business, please get in touch.

Written by: Tia Folley