Is Local SEO Important?

 What is Local SEO?

Search engine optimisation or SEO, is a practice of setting up your website and update all of your content appealing to algorithms that search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo have in place.

While general SEO focuses on acquiring high rank in the niche-specific queries, local SEO strategy pulls geographical location into the equation.

While the way the SEO in general & Local SEO work remain the same, in Local SEO the focus shifts towards using keywords that point towards local audience or the geographical location it is intended to maximise the impact of the keywords. Same goes with backlinks as well with Local SEO.

This is like competing with fishes in the pond as compared to competing with fishes in the sea. What this means is, it increases your chances of success while there is less competition to fend off. In a pond, you stand a better chance and grow and compete with the bigger fishes in the sea some other day.

Sometimes to stand a chance to survive and grow, a pond is better than a sea and when the time comes to fight with the sea monsters you have grown enough to put up a decent show.

How does Local SEO work?

Every search engines primary goal is to search query results. 

Search engines these days are the genie that says your wish is my command. 

Take Google search for example, you just type in your query (Like - How to start a successful Ecommerce business) and results appear with tons of information for you to choose from.

This is done by the use of AI or Artificial Intelligence that crawl, index and categorically rank website based on their content and extract the best result available. The ranking of your website depends on the on-page requirements to be fulfilled for the crawling to be able to read and index your website content easily.

The geographical based keywords and back linking to location based events associate your content to the desired location and hence boost your website presence for that specific area. Indirectly increasing your ranking for people search from that location for your product and services.

There are a lot of people who provide Local SEO services and can help in developing your website traffic, but if you are the one who likes taking things into his/her own hands then learning the basic steps should help you begin and preparing a Local SEO checklist will kickstart the process for you.

Advantages of Local SEO

Focusing on Local SEO makes your more relevant to local area searchers and as mentioned above making you the competing fish in the pond and gives you realistic chance to compete in your niche. Most small business tend to focus on local SEO and reap benefits of higher visibility.

1. Online Visibility - Being on first page of the search results is advantageous as approximately 70% of the search results clicks happen in the first page. If you page does not appear in the first page of the search results there are high chances that your prospective customers don’t even know you exist.
2. Relevant traffic - More than 70% of the local searches result in an in-person visit. Now that’s a big plus as this tells us that Local SEO literally gets your prospective customer to your doorstep.
3. Return Customers - If they know you're near by, then they are going to visit. Many people  still prefer buying things from local stores and shops rather gamble on an online experience. 
4. Builds Trust- If they find you on search and can find you locally, it adds a level of trust and ease in the minds of the customers towards the brand. You are no longer a far off online store, but more approachable and reliable store that just few miles away.
5. Reduction in Costs- Local SEO not only helps attract local searchers to your store but also if done well it greatly reduces your expense of costly marketing ads and campaigns to drive in sales. It acts as a perfect marketing tool for you that if done properly pays dividend on long run and minimal cost.
6. Increases Sales - with more visibility , higher the chances of sales. More your customers can find you on their search results, more they will encounter about your products & services. This not just increases you visibility but also greatly increases your chances of converting this new found visibility into sales.

What are you waiting for Let’s get Local 

Now that we have known it all, easier to compete, more visibility, higher trust and relevance, increased sales. All these factors points us towards the advantages and the importances of Local SEO. No more spending hours on your marketing campaign and competing with unrealistic competitors whom you know very less about and get to utilise the Local SEO benefits.

Local SEO can give you meaningful insights and impressions from you exactly need them. 

More on Local SEO and Local SEO checklist in the upcoming blog.

image credits: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/online-search-tablet_11306725.htm#page=1&query=local%20seo&position=26

<a href='https://www.freepik.com/vectors/people'>People vector created by pch.vector - www.freepik.com</a>