Local SEO to dominate your region (1/10)
In this first in the course on Local SEO, we'll talk about how Local SEO differs from regular SEO and why it's important.
Most people don't realize that Google uses very powerful algorithms to return the most relevant search results. Search engine optimization, commonly called SEO (Search Engine Optimization), is the strategy of optimizing parameters within and outside of a website to influence how the site appears when specific keywords are searched for.
When most marketers and business owners talk about SEO, they're talking about regular, traditional SEO that targets Google's traditional algorithm and promotes the business's website. But Google uses a different algorithm to return local search results, and Local SEO is the parameter optimization strategy for targeting that particular algorithm. So if you are a business owner with a physical location (catering services, hotels, doctors, craftsmen, etc.) and you want someone looking for something related to your service/product in your area to find you, then this article is definitely for you.
How Google's algorithm for local results works.
Google is able to analyse the billions of queries it receives and has found that for certain types of businesses, even when the user does not include geographic identifiers in a search query - something like a city, neighborhood, or a phrase such as "near me" or "near" - he or she the user still needed the search results are from his or her region.
I like to use the pizza example here, and not just because I'm a pizza nut... If you're in a city you don't know that well and want to get a pizza, you'll go to Google and do a search for something like "pizza deli". Google will show you pizzerias that are near you, even though you didn't specify a location. Even if you are familiar with the area, you never know when some fantastic new pizza place will open.
This is Google's local algorithm in action. Even if the best SEO in the world optimized a small pizzeria in Athens, Google's algorithm is smart enough to show you only pizzerias in your area. It doesn't want you to eat your pizza cold. 😉
How to make sure the local algorithm applies to your business
Any business with a physical storefront or that serves customers in a specific geographic area needs Local SEO. The easiest way to check if the local algorithm applies to your business is with a quick Google search. Search a handful of the most important keywords for your business and see the search results.
If you see a map packet - a map with three results underneath, this is a clear message that the local algorithm returned these results and that means your business needs Local SEO.
See below a search we did with the word "restaurant". We did not use the term "near me" however it did bring us results from our area.
But local SEO is not just about the map package. With Local SEO, you also target local organic effects and searches in Google Maps. The physical location of your business is important, as is proximity - how far away you are from the searcher.
The radius for local search results varies considerably between different partitions and even different cities. Usually, the more concentrated the competition, the smaller the search radius will be.
In the following lessons of this course, we will cover all the important parameters that affect your visibility in local searches.
Introduction to Local SEO: Course Summary
So that's the first lesson in Local SEO. We hope you learned something useful for your own business. We look forward to the next lesson where we will see what criteria Google uses to rank you in local user searches.
For any questions you can contact us.
If you need help understanding how we could help your local business too, we are at your disposal. With no obligation, we can do a free consultation session and suggest improvement strategies so that even more of your customers discover you.
