Local search is an integral part of any SEO strategy that targets customers in a specific region, city, or neighborhood.
Simply put, Local SEO is where the focus is on improving your ranking and visibility in local search results such as Google’s map pack/local pack.
Organic SEO is a method of improving the ranking of your webpage in organic search. How your website ranks in these organic search results can also have a positive impact on your Local Pack ranking.
Organic listings are a great opportunity for local businesses to appear in front of aspiring searchers when Google determines that a query has local intent.
So while local SEO and organic SEO are thus interrelated, each requires its own strategy with different optimization tactics.
Let’s start first – what is local SEO and why is local search important?
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the practice of search engine optimization for local search results.
On Google, your local pack/map pack business listings will rank higher, which means they will appear more frequently in response to more relevant queries.
Look for what you need and think about the last time you went out into the world.maybe it was [men’s shoes]Also [daycare providers]Also [coworking spaces].
Google’s mission is to provide searchers with the best answers to any query.
And when that algorithm detects that your intent is local, that is, that you’re looking for something in the surrounding area, those map pack results will appear on the first page of search results. prominently displayed.
They may also be complemented by organic search results for businesses and services in your area.
If you search for something like [Mexican restaurants open now], local search results may appear as the default view above all organic content. Google has detected that you have an urgent local need.
Information available in local search results, such as business name, address, phone number, website, photos and videos, customer reviews and star ratings, are more likely to meet your needs than simple blue links.
Adhering to Google’s webmaster guidelines and creating a great user experience on your website are generally SEO best practices.
This is essential if you want your website to rank in organic search results where Google believes the query has local intent.
However, MapPack results are based primarily on Google Business Profile (GBP) listings, so you don’t need to have a website to display them in Map Pack. It may also include information collected by Google from other places on his web and user suggestions.
Google also has another set of guidelines for local SEO. The most important of these is “Guidelines for representing your business on Google.”
These guidelines are essential for maximizing visibility in your map pack and avoiding downtime in your listing.
As you work through our local SEO guide, keep in mind the difference between local organic and map packs.
Sometimes we talk about Google search algorithms, technical SEO for websites, on-page optimization for webpages, etc. These topics refer to opportunities that appear locally. organic Display results and support ranking of map packs with website presence.
As you read about local reviews and star ratings, Google posts, and other aspects of GBP, you’ll learn about local SEO as it relates to local search results displayed on Google Maps.
Why Local Search Matters
Here are some stats that prove how important local search is to businesses.
- According to Google, 76% of users doing local searches on their smartphones visit a store within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase.
- According to Google, 30% of all searches it processes are location related.
- In a recent local search survey, 61% of consumers say they search locally every day.
- A recent local SEO study found that 82% of consumers read a company’s online reviews while searching locally, spending nearly 14 minutes before making a decision.
- 86% of people use Google Maps to find their business location.
- Yelp appears in the top 5 search results for SMB searches 92% of the time.
- Globally, 74% of in-store shoppers who searched before arriving at a physical store said they searched for: [closest store near them], [locations], [in stock near them]and other types of hyperlocal information.
- More than half of Internet users worldwide use mobile devices for local searches.
- 83% of searchers use Google Search to learn more about nearby businesses. 55% use Google Maps, 44% use Apple Maps, 39% use Yahoo, and 31% use bing.
How Google Determines Local Ranking
While Google keeps its organic search ranking algorithm highly private, it’s more open about what it takes to rank in local search results.
According to Google, the three main categories of local ranking factors are:
- Relevance.
- distance.
- and prominence.
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“How to Improve Your Local Ranking”, Google, Screenshot by Author, Jan 2022
“Relevance is how well a local business profile matches what a user is searching for.
Add complete and detailed business information to help Google better understand your business and match relevant searches to your profile.
Google defines distance as “how far potential search results are from the location terms used in the search.” If the user doesn’t specify a location in their search, we calculate the distance based on what we know about that location. “
Prominence in this context refers to how well Google knows your business. This is probably the most complex local ranking factor category, as search algorithms try to take offline prominence into consideration as well.
According to Whitespark’s ‘2021 Local Search Ranking Factors’ study, local SEO experts believe the top ranking factors for local packs are:
- GBP primary category.
- Keyword for the title of the list.
- The proximity of the company address to the searcher’s location.
- Address of the city searched.
- Additional GMB categories.
- High star rating.
- Completeness of the GBP list.
- Quality and authority of inbound links to associated domains.
- Keywords for native Google reviews.
Improve your presence in local search
As you can see, local search is an essential channel for all kinds of businesses serving local customers: franchises, retail chains, so-called mom-and-pop shops, financial services brands, service providers, enterprise brands, SMBs, and more.
In Local SEO: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Local Search Rankings, you’ll find everything you need to know to develop and implement a successful local SEO strategy.
content of study:
- Top local rankings are the signals you need to know and why they matter.
- How to create a successful local SEO strategy.
- Tips and processes for analyzing local search results competition.
- Why accurate NAP information and user experience are important for local SEO.
- How and where to find the best opportunities for local link building.
- Why reviews and star ratings matter and how to get the most out of them.
- How to fully optimize the GBP list.
- All of the different attributes you need to know to make your British Pound listing stand out and convert your customers.
- Local SEO and listing management tools that save time and improve performance.
- And many more.
Hear tips and advice to help build your business strategy from local search experts Ben Fisher, John McAlpin, Alexandra Tachalova, Marshall Nyman, Maddy Osman, and more.
Download the guide here for free.
Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal
