The local SEO revolution is well underway. Each year, more consumers turn to online searches to find and vet local businesses before making purchasing decisions. The stakes keep rising for claiming your spot at the top of search results. Local SEO services help businesses master the tactics to capture this demand and turn searchers into customers. Since the early days of SEO, optimizing for local intent has been a prime focus. Back then, basic tactics like claiming and optimizing Google My Business profiles brought fairly quick results. Ranking locally was nowhere near as competitive as it is today.
Local SEO has exploded in complexity over the past decade. As more businesses realize its impact, the competition has skyrocketed. At the same time, Google keeps evolving its algorithms and logic to better filter results by true relevance. Location-based signals, proximity, mobile-friendliness, and local keywords now carry tremendous weight. This has fueled rapid innovation in local SEO tactics and services. Agencies have developed sophisticated processes to help local businesses stand out. The high ROI potential also attracts more companies to invest in professional local SEO. For businesses, staying on top of these best practices is critical for survival.
Local SEO’s impact on buying decisions
Here are some statistics that prove the massive influence of local SEO on today’s buyers.
- 46% of all Google searches have local intent
- 90% of people use search engines to find local information
- 97% of consumers look online for local businesses
- 43% will visit a company’s website after searching
Gaining visibility in these searches makes converting browsers into paying customers significantly easier. People often assume the first results they see are the most relevant and reputable companies. Local SEO also drives phone calls directly to businesses. 50% of mobile searches result in calls to the store. Appearing prominently for local searches greatly increases your phone traffic and walk-in rates. No business today can afford to miss out on this huge stream of ready-to-buy, locally-targeted traffic. A strategic local SEO campaign targets consumers exactly when they have intent and are primed for your messaging.
Key elements of local SEO services
Comprehensive local SEO requires optimizing both on-site and off-site elements in unison.
- On-site optimization
- Structured data markup
- Local keywords and content
- Mobile Optimization
- Local business schema
- Google My Business integration
- Reviews and reputation management
- Off-site optimization
- Local link building
- Local directory listings
- Review generation
- Social media optimization
- Locally-targeted PPC ads
- Location data consistency
An advanced local SEO company near me also uses location-based tools for outreach and lead generation. It includes proximity marketing on mobile devices entering your store radius. Focusing solely on on-site or off-site tactics alone leaves potential visibility on the table. A coordinated approach delivers maximum impact on local rankings and traffic.
