What is Local SEO & How Does it Work?

It is always great to have your own business, but running it effectively also requires good skill and hard work. Adding to that, if your business has a local & physical presence that serves a specific geographic area then it’s important for you to focus on Local SEO.  In order to understand local SEO you must get familiar with Google Search Engine.

Do You Know How Google Ranks Search Results?

Google uses several different processes to rank different websites in the blink of an eye. These processes are generally referred to as algorithms. The algorithm runs and goes through various on-site and off-site factors. This concludes which websites appear when you search. Consequently, every relevant website gets displayed in the list and ranked by prominence. As a business owner your goal should be to rank on the 1st page for all your keywords. This will generate the best revenue for your company.

Finally referring to on-site and off-site factors, the algorithm, at last, finds out which websites answer most appropriately to the search queries. If you try to improve SEO, it influences relevancy and link popularity factors for your website. Optimizing the right elements shows your website up higher in more search results. You must be careful though, as Google can also bring your rank down for various reasons.

Local SEO is Unique & Different

Google search engine has analyzed the behavior of different users during trillions of searches. This makes them understand that most people seek certain types of businesses that need to be restricted to their immediate area. Thus Google’s local search algorithm got introduced, which included the proximity factor. It can benefit any business that serves a geographic area and has a physical location. Moreover, it can help you grow your business if you search Google for any important keywords related to your business and a map with three listings appears beneath it (also called a map pack; Googles 3 Pack). The amount of leads you will get from being in Googles 3 pack will be extremely rewarding.

What Refers to Local SEO?

Local SEO helps your business by becoming more visible in local search results. It comes under the category of SEO which focuses on a certain location to make the business rank in that particular area. A good local SEO strategy allows a website to appear when a user expects results only from that area or at the top of local search results.

Local SEO isolates search from your location (or any location you are targeting) and aims those people so they see more of your pages, eventually leading them to where you are. For a better approach, you can avail professional SEO services tailored to the industry in which your company operates. Also, you can request them to adopt local SEO initiatives on your campaign.

How does Local SEO Operate?

Google controls about 92.05% of the global search engine market. As Google is the most popular search engine, let us concentrate on its ranking factors first.

Google ranks websites using hundreds of factors. With millions of web pages, ranking and being found by a user requires more than simply matching a phrase or word on your website to a phrase, a user types in the search.

Backlinks or links created when other websites link to yours are now one of the ranking factors of Google. You must be working on generating backlinks on a weekly basis in order to ensure you continue to move up the totem pole towards your local 3 pack rating. Once you reach your goal you must continue all the hard word to ensure you stay there. As a successful business owner you must not get relaxed stop this process. If you do not remain consistent a competitor will over take your ranking. This is one of the many reasons why SEO takes a bit of time to work as well as can be very time consuming work.

With the different criteria Google uses to rank websites, it also takes into account how many people are looking for local businesses. With this change in user behavior, Google now takes the user’s location into account when performing a search. You do not need to add extra words, such as your location or the words “near me” or “nearby,” as it takes care of it automatically. Simply you need to Google “Website Design Agencies” or even “Dental Appointment” to get a list of places close to you.

Conclusion

Different factors manipulate the visibility in the searches, but once you can start improving each important signal area, you can successfully serve more customers in your geographic region. Local SEO is extremely beneficial due to the fact that you do not have to spend any type of ad budget. All leads from SEO are 100% organic.

These days, a growing number of companies are realizing that they must be accessible to mobile users. There has been a substantial rise in mobile users over the years. This is because how simple it is to pull out your phone and type in a search. Local SEO helps local services or products grow and become more visible, which in return make them popular.

Contact Shutter Up Creative Designs today for a free local SEO Audit!