Will Local SEO Work For My Business?

Every web design company worth its salt knows the power of SEO but lately we have seen search optimization step away from the global stage and start performing on the local level. Because of the shift in how tech giants like Google consider local search as part of the whole, this has lead to more small and medium-sized businesses looking at Local SEO as a better way to increase exposure. However many people ask us will Local SEO work for my business?

There are certain types of business do perform better than others at the local level for specific reasons. Let’s look into those categories that work well with SEO and discuss why to gain a better understanding and see if local SEO will provide a boost to your business.

The Best Local SEO Business Niches

• Hospitality – Bars, clubs, restaurants, boutique hotels, venues like wineries and even touring services fall into this category. This niche has a lot of turnover and because of smartphones many people both local and travelers utilize an aspect of local in searches such as “find a bar near me.” To excel on a local level your business should be connected to Yelp and other review sites along with Google My Business. The need for content is limited and instead a premium should be placed on reviews and feedback from guests.
• Real Estate – This is a tough enough business as it is and local SEO could easily give you a leg up. The key for this niche is to target specific local markets and even common neighborhood names that bigger services will overlook. Unincorporated areas are an excellent example of where long-tail keywords can be used. On top of that the way to gain attention is with top notch content that showcases local knowledge such as area history, review of local schools, the best parks and outdoor activities and top community events and draws.
• Lawyers – Lawyers are a perfect type of business for local SEO because generally speaking you want to work with someone in close proximity to you. A key for this type of business is online reviews and feedback to help let searches know you can provide them with results. Good content to use would involve directions to local courthouses, FAQs for things such as the divorce process in the local municipality, general descriptions of common problems or links to related resources to the general type of law being practiced.
• Need Based Services – This category includes businesses like plumbers, pest control, roofers that do quick repairs or even electricians. If you have a business that thrives on providing a quick response to need based services then local SEO will benefit you greatly. This is based on the idea of need-based searches which should provide results on the local level to help your right now. For example, when you get a roof leak you need someone out right away to fix it. Along with using location much like realtors, you can provide a lot of top quality content showcasing expertise with tips and solutions for small problems that have do-it-yourself solutions.
• Medical Services – This niche includes doctors of all types, therapists, dentists, hearing and optical specialists and even urgent care clinics. The way to success with local SEO for this type of business is with the content associated with these services. For example, an eye doctor might have articles on different types of vision problems or exercises you can perform to strengthen vision. It also helps to interconnect with the numerous medical directories and general directories such as Yelp.

Even if your business does not fall into one of these niches, if you can draw parallels for the services you provide then Local SEO could be a smart investment.

Top Tips for Local SEO

Here are some of the top tips for taking advantage of Local SEO:

• Use all local listing pages – Google My Business, Yahoo Local, Bing Place, the Yellow Pages, Yelp, Chamber of Commerce and every other local listing you can find should be used.
• Find the best local keywords – Take the time to explore the best options including using the city name before or after a primary keyword. Consider neighborhood names as well and even incorporated areas in addition to the nearest city.
• Get into local publications – You want small and local publications to write about your business either as current news, in connection to community events or even printing a piece on tips or useful information.
• Request reviews – You want positive feedback on local review pages like Google or Yelp.
• Add visual content – Both your website and listing pages should have pictures and videos that relate to your business or services.

The bottom line

The bottom line is that Local SEO will work for many businesses. In many cases the local approach will be much cheaper and more effective than mounting a standard campaign. Just remember that SEO results are measured in months and not days so be patient with expecting results after you launch a campaign.

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