What Is Local Search Engine Optimization and Why Does It Matter?

What is local search engine optimization and why does it matter

The general consensus among marketers is clear.

While 86 percent of them believe that their goals are harder to accomplish during the ongoing pandemic, the majority also agree that search engine optimization can help make their tasks a little easier.

However, small businesses will benefit from taking the extra, more specific step toward local search engine optimization.

This article examines the concept of local SEO, and why it is absolutely essential to the growth of small businesses in Cincinnati.

Let’s start with the basics.

Table of Contents

What Is Local Search Engine Optimization?

Small businesses tend to have a relatively smaller target audience to reach. This audience also happens to be geographically specific.

Local SEO involves the optimization of your online website to help potential customers within this location to find you. These strategies are designed to increase your local reach, and brand visibility within a particular area.

This is especially important when you want to market your products and services to audiences local to your business.

Local Reach and Small Businesses

Research shows that 46% percent of Google searches have a “local intent”.

If they happen to be looking for a business like yours in your geographic location, you want them to be able to find you before they find your competitors. For example, a person looking for a florist may look up “best florist near me” or “florist in Cincinnati”.

If you optimize your website for these location-specific keywords, you are more likely to be the business they find, and ultimately buy these products from.

What Matters in Local SEO

Improving your local rankings on Google, or other search engines won’t happen overnight. However, with a local SEO strategy that favors consistency, you can slowly, but surely make your way up through the ranks.

Google My Business

As the most popular search engine in the world, Google tends to favor businesses that appear authentic. Creating a Google My Business page not only allows you verification through Google but also allows for your customers within that area to share reviews for other potential customers to see.

This, in turn, contributes towards your local SEO ranking.

Optimize for Locations

Every new page on your website is an opportunity to use an area-specific keyword.

Using local keywords with high search volumes and low keyword difficulty scores will help. Try incorporating them in your:

  • Meta titles
  • Meta descriptions
  • Blog posts
  • Landing pages
  • Product pages

and more.

This will immediately make your website more relevant to your target geographical location.

Additionally, if you market your products to more than one specific city or district, you can also create location pages dedicated to each of these places. These pages can include Google maps, location-specific descriptions, addresses, contact information, and other relevant content.

Go Local to Grow Local

When you have a local audience, you have to pay attention to local search engine optimization in your strategy. This ensures that when potential customers are searching for niche-relevant businesses in your area – they find you!

Need help optimizing your website for a more relevant reach in and around Cincinnati? That’s exactly what we do! Fill out this simple form to ask us any questions or schedule a consultation with our SEO experts, today!

Jessica Rhoades

Jessica Rhoades

Jessica Rhoades is the Owner and Designer at Create IT Web Designs. Among her greatest passions are web design, SEO, helping small businesses succeed, bicycling, traveling, and making lists.

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