If done correctly, Local SEO can be a gift for your business that keeps on giving. Think of it as a garden. You tend to the soil, water it, provide plenty of sunshine, and with a little patience, you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor. The moment you slack off, your crops will die. Quite frankly, so will your business if you don’t implement a strategy to stay relevant in local search results. Before you take the steps to boost your Local SEO it’s important to understand the why. Listed here are 3 reasons you should take the time and energy it takes to tend to the fruitful garden that is Local SEO, to cultivate and grow your business.
1) Customers will discover your business.
As the old joke goes, the best place to hide a dead body is in the second page of Google Search results. It’s funny because it’s true. If you want people to come to your business, they have to know that you even exist. By remaining proactive about verifying and optimizing your business listings online, you are sending a message to search algorithms on major sites like Google that you are the answer to the search query punched in by potential customers. For all the hard work that goes into refining your appearance online— validating your business information, checking for consistency across multiple directories, uploading photos— search engines will reward your business with higher ranking and greater exposure.
2) You will stay ahead of the competition.
Now that you’ve made it to the front page in local search results, your work here is done, right? Wrong. Not now, and not ever. If you want to maintain a steady stream of revenue, you must never falter in your ongoing quest to be the best. Whether they’re in need of a plumber, a dentist, a lawyer, or a taco shop, your customer won’t settle for anything less than the best. Being the best doesn’t necessarily mean having a perfect 5-star rating. Potential customers also take into account the volume of reviews your business is getting. The taco shop with a thousand reviews and a four-star rating is likely to attract more customers than the taco shop with five stars and only two reviews to their name. Likewise, search algorithms will take this into account when compiling its list of recommendations. More attention to monitoring your reviews and ratings online, makes a stronger edge over your local competitors.
3) You will build trust and brand awareness.
Optimizing your listings to get discovered and monitoring your reviews to stay ahead of the competition, both of these things work to build trust and increase brand awareness. 73% of customers lose trust in brands due to inaccurate local business listings. Every detail, from the hours of operation, down to the spelling of your business name, needs to be consistent across all your local directories in order to create a lasting impression on first-time buyers. In that same vein, if you’re smart in your approach to encouraging your happy customers to share a positive experience about your business online, you will continue to build upon that trust until your brand becomes a household name in your local area.
Now that you understand the significance of implementing Local SEO into your business strategy, it’s time to get your hands dirty. Be a good gardener. With the right tools and the right technique, you will reap the benefits of a growing business, and a respectable reputation online.
Want to learn more? Contact us today and ask how we can help your business with Local SEO!