A study conducted by Hubspot discovered that 72% of people who conducted a local search ended up visiting a store within five miles. What’s more interesting is that 97% of people learn about a local business through the information they find online.
If you run a local store, or your business has a brick-and-mortar location, you are letting lots of opportunities pass you by if you don’t have an online presence. In fact, local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) should be at the core of your online marketing strategies.
Still not convinced? Here are the top five reasons why local SEO is important to your business.
Reason 1: Local SEO Is Highly Targeted
The reason why people search for local information is that they want something within reach that fulfils their needs. A nationally renowned kitchen brand is great, but it offers a person no benefits if it doesn’t deliver to where he lives or there is no local store nearby.
Customers are interested in knowing your contact information when they search locally. By giving them the information they need, at the time when they need it, you increase your chance of getting a sale.
Reason 2: Only 44% of Businesses Have Claimed Their Google My Business Page
Google My Business is the cornerstone of local SEO. Surprisingly, only 44% of businesses have claimed their Google My Business listing, even though it’s completely free to do so.
What does this mean to you? There are plenty of opportunities available to dominate the competition and become the best in your chosen niche if you utilise Google My Business better than your competitors.
Reason 3: People Are Using Mobile Internet More
As mobile devices become more and more versatile, people are getting more comfortable doing what they normally do on a computer on their mobile. This includes shopping, making reservations, booking tickets, creating videos, etc.
Did you know that 88% of all mobile searchers ended up calling or visiting the business within 24 hours? Given how important mobile has become, your site can risk losing its organic rankings if it’s not mobile-friendly. By optimising for mobile local SEO, you can tap into the growing market.
Reason 4: 88% of Customers Trust Reviews
With local SEO, you can manage the reviews left by happy and not so happy customers. Given that 88% of customers trust online reviews and use them as a means to determine the creditworthiness of a business, you shouldn’t neglect your local listings if you want to come out on top.
Reason 5: You Need to Dominate the Local Market First Before Branching Out
If you have a local skincare store, what’s your edge against national or international brands like The Face Shop or La Roche Posay? You’d be too small to compete against them on a national level. However, all big brands have to start from somewhere, and that somewhere had better be your local home town.
By utilising local SEO, small business owners can make their brands known and loved locally. This then provides a strong base for them to attack larger markets.
Conclusion: Build a Local Brand That People Love
If your business is still struggling to establish itself as a leading local brand, you need to make some changes to your local SEO strategies.
Worried about negative reviews? By having the right approach, you can turn those negative reviews into positive ones and show potential customers how much you care about them.
Don’t let the seemly complex nature of local SEO scare you. If you don’t have the required skills or knowledge, work with a marketing agency that has experience with local SEO will help you achieve what you want while committing the least number of mistakes.
Contact us today for all your marketing needs!
