You are visiting a new town and you are looking for a local business to replace that broken phone screen or to get to that buzzy bakery from TikTok – how do you find it?
If you pulled out your phone and searched for “bakery near me”, you are not alone. The importance of local SEO cannot be understated as search engines try to surface the most relevant results for users locally.
And this is the same for you customers. They can find you based on how your business is optimized for your locality or they can find your competitors who are selling something similar to your offering and have optimized their local business for online visibility.
There is no going around it, a strong local SEO strategy will get people trooping in your storefront, outdoing your competitors and avoiding bidding wars for keywords on pay per click advertising. Take a look at these 9 local SEO facts and decide for yourself whether it’s the next thing for you.
FAQs about local SEO
- What is a local search?
Local search entails consumers using search engines to find local businesses serving products or services near their current geographic location. Typically local searches include a location modifier such as “Manhattan restaurants.” However, implicit searches can refer to items used locally, such as “haircut” and “restaurants.”
- What percentage of searches are local?
In 2020, 93% of consumers used online searches to find a local business (as per a BrightLocal survey of 1,013 US-based consumers).
- What are important local SEO KPIs?
A 2021 local search industry survey of 550 local marketers by BrightLocal found that the top valued metrics by businesses are: local rankings, Google organic rankings, and phone calls. You should also track your lead quality and revenue, especially while working with an external local SEO agency.
- What is local marketing?
Local marketing is a marketing strategy that targets consumers and customers within a certain radius of the physical location(s) of a business. Local marketing is also known as neighborhood marketing or local store marketing.If you have at least one brick-and-mortar business location (this applies to both local businesses and chains), local marketing is a marketing strategy you should consider adding to your arsenal. Local marketing can work for any brand that has a physical location, but it’s especially important for locally-based businesses whose primary business happens in-person (versus online, where consumers in any location can make purchases).
- Why is local SEO important?
Local marketing allows you to hone your resources on a select audience — one that can actually respond to and shop from your digital and print advertisements.
The key to successful local marketing is accurately defining your buyer personas. This process helps you better understand your target audience’s demographic and psychographic information, including their geographic location(s). This location data is how you can pinpoint where you can funnel your local marketing energy.
- How do you invest in local SEO?
Local SEO is optimizing your website to rank for locally-relevant terms and keywords. Google Trends is a helpful tool here for identifying what terms are popular in your location and for your industry.
In addition to localizing your website, create local content. Promote local gatherings, neighborhood events, and industry listings from your area. This type of content helps localize your website and paint you as a local authority.
9 Local SEO Stats 2024
- BrightLocal’s 2023 Customer Review Survey found that in 2020, 98% of consumers used the internet to find information about local businesses in 2022, up from 90% in 2019.
- 78% of location-based mobile searches result in an offline purchase. (Source: SEO Tribunal)
- “Near me” or “close by” type searches grew by more than 900% over two years according to Chat Meter.
- By 2021, mobile devices will influence over $1.4 trillion in locally-based sales. (Forrester)
- One-third of online consumers user the internet to search for local businesses daily, a per a 2019 Statista survey.
- 42% of millennials who perform a local search will visit a business most of the time and they 50% more likely to conduct local search on the go according to a November 2021 research by Reviewtrackers.
- 46% of local partners used SEO according a 2020 market report by Brandmuscle.
- March 2019 figures from ComScore also found that Google Maps is the 4th most popular smartphone app, only bested by YouTube, Facebook and Google respectively.
- 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to find local information. (Source: Think with Google)
Local marketing ideas
Here are some local marketing ideas you can consider as you work to build authority in your locality as an expert in your field:
Distribute local print marketing materials.
- Become a local sponsor.
- Invest in booth space at local events.
- Hold a contest on social media.
- Use a sidewalk sign.
- Set up a suggestion box.
Local SEO guide
Local search entails consumers using search engines to find local businesses serving products or services near their current geographic location. As such, local SEO has become an important aspect of a business looking for omnichannel marketing beyond social media and Google ads.
Hopefully, the local SEO stats in the article can help you see the importance of incorporating local optimization of your business in a bid to win more customers.
