Local SEO gets your business noticed in nearby search results by submitting and optimizing your listing across search engines in your region, so customers searching for your services in their area can find and click through to your site.
The page below explains how local SEO differs from general search engine optimization (SEO), how organic results and pay-per-click (PPC) ads work, and how a local SEO specialist can handle profiles and content while you focus on running the business.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a part of the broader Search Engine Optimization (SEO) process that focuses on making your business visible online. Like standard SEO, it is an automated process that influences how a site or webpage ranks in the free, paid, and non-paid search result groupings often called “organic,” “natural,” or “unpaid” results. The difference is in the way search engines implement it for location-based queries.
How Organic Results Differ From PPC Ads
Organic search results are the pages that appear for a given keyword or phrase. They are typically created by people, not companies, with the goal of attracting new visitors and generating organic traffic. Organic results usually rank higher than paid ads because they do not pay for advertising space.
PPC, or Pay Per Click, works by bidding on keywords tied to your web pages. You pay a set amount each time someone clicks one of your ads, until the bidding period ends. PPC services often place sponsored listings on the right side of the page. For example, if a user searches Google for your local city and types “my hometown,” Google may show a sponsored listing on the right side of the browser. If your ad is clicked, you pay Google.
How Local SEO Listings Work
The example above illustrates how local SEO works in practice. Your business submits its listing to the various search engines in your local region. An editorial team reviews it, and once approved, your site appears in the search results. Users searching for your business in their area see it in the listing, and those who click the link land on your website.
Google Tools for Local Searches
Google offers several tools to help users find businesses in their area:
- Google’s local business directory is called Local Business Directories (also referred to as Local Business Centers).
- Google’s free online business directory is called Sidewiki.
Users can search Google for a business in their local region, and Google provides maps and images showing where businesses are located in their neighborhood. Search results are shaped by the user’s location, the search terms used, and the number of pages linked to the site.
Building a Website and Working With a Local Specialist
Creating a website to promote your business is straightforward. When you are ready to build the site, hire a local web design company. You need the layout, text, photos, and other graphics that make your site easy to navigate and look professional. A web design company can assist with many parts of the creation process, and many businesses choose to bring in an SEO local expert as well.
A local SEO specialist can create business profiles on Google Places, which appear in the search results for specific searches. If your business matches a search term, it shows up in the results for that term. The specialist can also optimize content for the specific location.
Using a local SEO company saves time, so you can focus on growing the business instead of worrying about website design. If you cannot meet every website design need yourself, a local SEO expert can cover them and help you grow the business and increase profitability.
FAQ
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is a part of search engine optimization that focuses on making your business visible in search results for users in your local region. It works by submitting and optimizing your listing across search engines so nearby customers can find your site.
How does local SEO differ from organic SEO and PPC?
Organic SEO results are unpaid listings ranked by relevance, while PPC ads require bidding on keywords and paying each time an ad is clicked. Local SEO targets location-based queries by getting your business listing approved and displayed in regional search results.
Why hire a local SEO specialist?
A local SEO specialist can create and manage Google Places profiles, optimize content for your specific location, and handle website design needs, freeing you up to focus on growing the business and increasing profitability.
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