Local SEO: Why it Matters for Small Businesses

March 17, 2025 9:20 pm Published by

Are you a small business owner looking to get more customers in the city or town you are located in? Local SEO is a powerful marketing strategy that you can adopt to grow your business online and increase your foot traffic in your office or storefront. 

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is a strategy that is formed and implemented to optimize a business’s online presence to appear higher in local search results. This makes it easier for potential customers in your geographical area to find your website or business listing and engage with it. Local searches often happen on Google or other search engines and normally include terms such as “near me” or the location’s specific name. If you are a local contractor, brick-and-mortar store, or provide services in a specific area, local SEO can be a game changer for your business. 

Why Does Local SEO Matter?

Did you know that 46% of searches on Google have local search intent? This means that 46% of the users who search on Google are looking for a nearby business. If your business ranks high in local search results, you are likely to gain more website traffic which leads to an increase in foot traffic that results in more sales. Additionally, investing in local SEO can help you outperform nearby competitors, drive more website and foot traffic, increase online visibility, and build trust with potential customers through reviews and ratings. 

Important Elements of Local SEO

  • Optimizing Your Google Business Profile

    • If you have not claimed or optimized your Google Business Profile, this is one of the best things you can do for local SEO. Optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP) allows you to take advantage of Google Search and Google Maps. Both of these tools help you drive organic traffic to your website. Google also makes it easy to create a new GBP. You will first create your profile, then verify that you manage the business, and then you are ready to begin adding content and information to it. It is recommended that you fill in as much information as possible on the profile.

  • Utilizing Local Keyword Research

    • Utilizing local keywords can help your business show up for local search results. It is essential to understand how local keywords work. Listing all of your business’s services and finding local keywords is important for local search results. For example, a handyman may assume his customers will search for “handyman near me”. Instead, he should look for keywords like “painter near me” or “drywall repair near me’. Listing out services on your site and finding local keywords broadens your search result potential.

  • Building Local Citations

    • Building local citations on business directory sites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and more is beneficial in strengthening credibility, building online visibility, and boosting search rankings. Name, address, and phone number (NAP) citations are great citations to help customers find your business and tell search engines that your business is active and trustworthy.

  • Online Customer Reviews

    • Positive reviews help build trust between your business and potential customers. Encouraging customers to leave online reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp is important for building trust with customers. Not only are reviews for building trust, but also for boosting local; search rankings. If your business is highly rated, you are more likely to rank higher for a search result.

Local SEO is a powerful tool to help you grow your local business. Optimizing your Google Business Profile, doing local keyword research, building local citations, and getting reviews on sites like Yelp, Facebook, and Google can help you dominate local search rankings.

Investing in local SEO will ensure the long-term success of your business online. Local SEO will also keep you ahead of your competitors.

Need help establishing or improving your local SEO? 

Contact our talented team today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your business goals. 

Phone: (910)-452-6345

Email: info@wordwrightweb.com

Our Website: https://wordwrightweb.com/ 

 

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