Local SEO: good local findability = smart marketing

Introduction

Every minute, people perform thousands of local searches: from "restaurant near you" to "best hairdresser Eindhoven." For your business, this potentially means a constant stream of new customers looking for what you offer-provided you are easily findable online. Yet many local business owners are still not sufficiently exploiting this goldmine. Local SEO is the key that opens the door to more visibility, more visitors and more sales. But how do you make sure your business appears prominently in local search results and the Google Local Pack?

In this article, you'll learn how local SEO works and we'll provide practical tips to lead local customers straight to your front door.

What is local SEO?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your online presence to be found better on local searches.

Unlike general SEO, which focuses on broader, often national or even international search terms, local SEO is specifically about findability within a defined geographic area.

Local SEO focuses on searches in which users specifically search for products or services in their immediate area. Examples include search terms such as "bakery in Utrecht," "plumber nearby," or "childcare Rotterdam."

The importance of local SEO is great for businesses with physical locations, such as stores, restaurants and practices, as well as service providers that operate locally, such as handyman or consultant companies. Well-executed local SEO ensures that your business becomes visible at exactly the times when customers search for you locally, leading to more visitors, phone calls, appointments and ultimately higher sales.

Why is local findability important?

There are a number of reasons why a business might want to improve its local findability. Research shows that 46% of all searches on Google have local intent (Google, 2019). In doing so, as many as 76% of these local searches lead to a store visit within a day (Think with Google, 2019).

Greater visibility

According to HubSpot (2022), 72% of consumers click on results from the local Google Local Pack when doing a local search. This highlights the importance of prominent visibility in these results.

More relevant website visitors

Local searches attract targeted traffic, visitors with a clear buying intent. This translates directly into higher conversions: according to BrightLocal (2022), 78% of local mobile searchers actually visit a physical store within 24 hours.

Competitive Advantage

According to BrightLocal (2021), only 44% of businesses have fully optimized their Google Business Profile, so there is a great opportunity to stand out from competitors.

Trust and authority

Consumers strongly trust local search results. Research shows that 91% of consumers read online reviews, with 84% trusting these reviews as much as personal recommendations (BrightLocal, 2022).

Cost savings

Local SEO offers a high ROI over traditional advertising. Attracting customers through organic local results saves advertising costs and makes marketing budgets more efficient.

For which entrepreneurs is local SEO relevant?

Local SEO is particularly relevant for business owners who want to attract customers within a specific geographic area. These include:

Businesses with physical locations:

• Restaurants, cafes and bars
• Stores and specialty stores
• Beauty and hair salons
• Dentists and health practices

Service providers with local clientele:

• Plumbers, electricians and handymen
• Lawyers and notaries
• Accountants and consultants
• Coaches and therapists

Businesses active within a particular region:

• Realtors and real estate companies
• Car garages and repair shops
• Fitness studios and sports clubs
• Daycare centers and schools

How does the Google Local Pack work?

The Google Local Pack, also known as the "maps pack," refers to the list of three local businesses that appears prominently at the top of search results when someone performs a local search. In addition to the business names and reviews, this block includes the address, phone number, business hours and direct links to directions and website.

Factors that determine who gets displayed:

1. Proximity:

Google prioritizes businesses that are geographically close to the searcher's location. This means that even well-optimized businesses may struggle to appear in the Local Pack if they are not in the user's immediate neighborhood.

2. Relevance:

How well does your business information match the user's search query? An optimized Google Business Profile and relevant content on your website help Google understand what your business is relevant for.

3. Authority:

This refers to the online reputation and reliability of your business, based on factors such as reviews, citations (mentions on other websites), and quality backlinks.

By paying careful attention to proximity, relevance and authority, you can increase your chances of being regularly visible in the valuable Google Local Pack. This leads directly to more visibility and ultimately more customers visiting your business.

Local SEO roadmap

To be successful with local SEO you will find below clear roadmap:

Step 1: Optimizing your Google Business Profile

• Create and claim your business profile on Google.
• Provide complete and accurate business information (name, address, phone number, opening hours, photos and categories).
• Use regular posts and offers to keep your profile current and attractive.

Step 2: Develop a local content strategy

• Create content specific to local topics, events and news.
• Create separate landing pages for different regions in which your business operates.
• Integrate local keywords into your content naturally.

Step 3: Build local citations

• Provide consistent business information (NAP: name, address, phone number) on various platforms such as Yelp, Telefoonboek.nl and other local directories.
• Regularly check and update citations to ensure consistency.

Step 4: Collect and manage reviews

• Actively ask satisfied customers to post reviews on your Google Business Profile.
• Always respond professionally and timely to reviews, both positive and negative.

Step 5: Get local backlinks

• Work with local blogs, newspapers and websites to get quality backlinks.
• Sponsor local events or charities to generate more local exposure and backlinks.

Step 6: Technical optimization

• Use structured data (schema.org) to improve your local search engine visibility.
• Ensure fast load time and excellent mobile user experience to perform better in local search results.

By consistently following these steps, you significantly strengthen your local online presence and attract more potential customers from your area.

Common mistakes

Local SEO can be enormously powerful, but only if it's done correctly. Here are some common mistakes businesses often make and tips on how to avoid them:

1. Inconsistent business data (NAP data).

• Lack of consistent business information (Name, Address, Phone Number) on different online platforms can hurt your rankings.
• Make sure your business information is listed exactly the same on your website, Google Business Profile, and local citation sites.

2. No or insufficient reviews

• Reviews are essential for local visibility and trust.
• Try to actively collect reviews and respond to both positive and negative feedback.

3. Non-optimized Google Business Profile

• Failure to fully optimize your business profile with accurate data, photos, categories and regular updates limits your visibility.
• Check your profile regularly and add relevant content.

4. Ignoring local backlinks

• Local backlinks increase the local authority of your website.
• Actively look for opportunities to get backlinks through collaborations with local blogs, news sites or community events.

5. Poor mobile user experience

• Many local searches take place via mobile devices. A slow or poorly functioning mobile website can deter visitors.
• Provide a fast, responsive and user-friendly mobile version of your site.

6. Lack of local content.

• Without content targeted to your specific region or city, it's hard to be found locally.
• Create regular local content such as blogs, news and event pages that match local users' interests and needs.

Trends and developments

To future-proof your local SEO strategy, it is important to stay abreast of current trends and developments. Below are some important trends to keep in mind:

1. Growing role of voice search

Yes, now really! With the proliferation of smart speakers and digital assistants like Google Assistant and Chat GPT, the use of voice search is growing. Searches such as "restaurants near me" are more often conducted via voice. Optimize content for natural, voice searches.

2. Mobile optimization remains crucial

• The majority of local searches are done via mobile devices. Google rewards websites with an excellent mobile experience by ranking them higher.
• Ensure fast load times and user-friendly mobile websites.

3. Reviews gain more influence

• Google increasingly values reviews for local rankings. Regular new reviews increase your visibility.
• Develop a strategy to continuously generate quality reviews.

4. AI and automation

• Artificial intelligence and automated systems are increasingly being used to personalize local search results.
• Use automated tools and AI technology to improve your local SEO efficiency.

Conclusion

The importance of local SEO for your business cannot be stressed enough. By working proactively and strategically with local SEO, you will increase your visibility with customers who are specifically looking for your products or services in your area. A well-executed local SEO strategy delivers measurable results such as higher visitor numbers, more leads and ultimately more sales.

Are you ready to become truly visible to your local target audience and leave your competitors behind?

Need help with your local findability from an SEO agency? Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation and find out how we can take your local SEO to the next level.

Resources

BrightLocal. (2021). Google My Business Insights Study. https://www.brightlocal.com/research/google-my-business-insights-study/

BrightLocal. (2022). Local Consumer Review Survey 2022. https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/

Google. (2019). Think with Google: Local Search. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/local-search-behavior/

HubSpot. (2022). Local SEO Statistics. https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics/local-seo