With more businesses getting online, the competition to appear on the first page of Google and other search engines is going to get stiffer.

Surviving in this environment is going to require some level of creativity and differentiation. The small business is going to have to narrow down on its online target audience if it is to survive. Local optimization might just be the solution.

Local SEO marketing is not to be taken for the sole purpose of differentiation so as to survive the stiff competition, though. It will allow small businesses to reach customers close to their stores and prompt them to take action by inviting them to pay a visit.

According to a Google study, 50{f57cecc76329659856f00bd01f529e319bb36b58f42dc9ec00a8ea65b2ecec80} of mobile users and 34{f57cecc76329659856f00bd01f529e319bb36b58f42dc9ec00a8ea65b2ecec80} of computer and tablet users performing a local search will actually visit a local store on the day of the search. The same study also reveals that 18{f57cecc76329659856f00bd01f529e319bb36b58f42dc9ec00a8ea65b2ecec80} of local searches lead to a sale.

These findings show that a person performing a local search is more likely to buy than someone who is doing a general search. The number is actually more than double that of the general search which stands at 7{f57cecc76329659856f00bd01f529e319bb36b58f42dc9ec00a8ea65b2ecec80} of searchers. Small businesses can leverage this opportunity to get big returns on marketing expenditure. It doesn’t actually cost a lot of money to optimize your site for searches that are being made locally.

The area is still largely underutilized. This is about to change as more and more businesses hire experienced SEOs to help them with their local SEO marketing. You should jump on board as soon as possible. There are a lot of benefits that come with being one of the first to take advantage of an opening in the online marketing world. While optimization for local search is something that many businesses have been doing for some time now, it is not yet as fiercely competitive as general SEO.

The businesses that join now will have gained some authority by the time it becomes mainstream and every business starts to optimize for local search.

Things Not to Miss During a Local SEO Marketing Campaign

People performing local search tend to be further down the purchase funnel. They literally have their wallets out looking for a business owner to give money. The person who adequately addresses their concerns and does so conveniently will get their business.

Search trends reveal that these people are often looking to know:

  • business hours
  • business addresses
  • directions to various stores


You want to make the above information easily accessible to searchers in your area. Your local SEO marketing campaign must incorporate this information.

It is good business practice to train advertising towards getting prospects to take action. Including the above information prompts them to take some form of action. The details about your location and business hours might just make them visit your store. You may also want to include your phone number to increase the likelihood of them calling you.

It is easier to sell to someone who has taken the time to call or visit your store as they are now more invested in the process.

A noteworthy piece of information from the study is that a significant portion of searches are performed while people are on the go. They are mainly done on mobile devices.

Failure to optimize your site for mobile devices will make your business lose a lot of sales. No one wants to go through a desktop layout on their mobile phone. They’ll promptly click the back button to choose a site that offers them a better experience.

You can have your site optimized for mobile by having a responsive design that scales according to the screen the searcher is using. You can also choose to have a dedicated mobile site.

Take Action Now

Local SEO marketing is by far the most effective online marketing campaign a small business can run at the moment. You don’t even have to do it yourself. You can hire a professional who knows what they are doing to do it for you. Our company offers affordable local SEO services and we can help you figure out the needs of your business as far as local SEO is concerned.

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