Introduction
If you own a business with a physical location, then it’s time to start thinking about local SEO and Google Maps. Local SEO is an important part of any digital marketing strategy for businesses with a physical presence. This guide will explain why it’s so important, as well as how to get started using this powerful tool today!
Local SEO is vital to businesses with a physical location.
The importance of local SEO cannot be overstated. It is vital for businesses with a physical location, because it helps people find you in Google Maps and Search results. Local SEO helps people find your business when they are searching for nearby companies on Google. If someone is looking to buy a product or service in your area, they’ll most likely use the search engine they trust most; this is usually Google and Bing. If you don’t have positive reviews on these platforms, then customers will not even consider visiting your website!
Local SEO also helps increase brand awareness by ranking well in local searches (a type of query). A search query may be something like “best pizza restaurant near me.” This type of query provides valuable insights about what people want from restaurants near them—and often means that there aren’t many establishments close enough to satisfy their needs!
It will improve your Google search rankings.
As you can see, local SEO and Google Maps are important because they help your business get found by more customers. You might think this means you need to go through a lot of extra work, but that’s where I come in. I have a proven system for making sure your website is optimized for Google Maps and local search, so all you have to do is let me know what keywords or phrases matter most to your business and I will handle everything else.
There are many benefits that come from having a strong online presence with good rankings in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). For example:
- It will improve your overall SEO performance because the more visible you are online; the more likely it is that someone will stumble upon your site while searching on Google or Bing
- It helps generate traffic from users who specifically want information about products/services like yours
People are searching for local businesses more and more.
The sheer volume of local searches is growing every year. In fact, according to a recent study by BrightLocal and Moz, over 85% of all Google searches are for local businesses.
This shows that more people than ever before are looking to find local businesses in their area and no longer limit themselves to simply searching for products or services on an online shopping site such as Amazon or eBay. The reason behind this is simple: people want to buy from a business they can trust and have an existing relationship with. As such, they’re using search engines like Google Maps when they have a specific product in mind but don’t know where nearby stores carry it—or if there even exists any such store at all!
You can gain new customers and improve your brand awareness at the same time.
Local SEO and Google Maps is important for many reasons. You can gain new customers and improve your brand awareness at the same time.
The first thing most people think about when they hear “local seo” is getting more customers into their business. This is true, but there’s also another big benefit you might not have thought of: improving your brand awareness in a positive way!
When someone searches for a business and finds out that it has a positive reputation, they are more likely to stay loyal to that company in the future. In fact, according to one study by Bright Local (a Boston-based local marketing agency), 82% of consumers said they would be likely or very likely to switch to another provider if they received negative service from their current provider–even if the competitor was slightly more expensive or offered inferior products or services!
Make sure your business information is accurate and consistent everywhere it appears (your website, social media, third party directories).
Making sure your business information is accurate and consistent across platforms is important for your Google Maps listing. This includes:
- Your website (URL, phone number, etc.)
- Social media profiles (Twitter, Facebook)
- Third party directories such as Yelp or TripAdvisor
Consistency also means having a single point of contact for each location. No matter where someone searches online, they should be able to reach the same person at your company.
Use photos and video on your profile to make it more engaging.
You can add photos and videos to your Google My Business page. To do this, click “Edit” on the top right of your GMB page:
In the edit window, select “Add Image” from the menu at the top:
You can then upload a photo or video from your computer or use one you’ve already uploaded to Google Photos. You may need to crop it first if it isn’t square (use an online photo editor like Pixlr, PicMonkey or Canva).
Once you’ve added an image, remember to add useful details such as location and category by clicking on the pencil icon:
Be sure to get customer reviews.
Another important aspect of optimizing your local SEO and Google Maps is being sure to get customer reviews. This will help build trust with visitors and improve how you rank on search engines.
How to encourage customers to leave reviews:
- Send out a survey asking if they’d be willing to leave a review. If they say yes, ask them what they thought about their experience with you and the services or products that you provide. Make a note of any positive or negative feedback in case there are any issues that need addressing before another visit happens, such as an employee who isn’t doing their job properly or something like that.*
- How/where should I encourage people to leave reviews? (Yelp/Facebook/Google): Yelp, Facebook and Google all allow businesses to advertise themselves as places where people can write reviews about their experiences with local businesses like yours.*
Local SEO helps people who find you through Google Maps discover you in other places online, like social media and your website.
Local SEO is the most important part of your digital marketing strategy if you are a local business. It helps people who find you through Google Maps discover you in other places online, like social media and your website.
Local SEO is important for:
- Google Search – You can rank higher in national searches with good local SEO.
- Google Maps – After users search on Google Maps, they’re more likely to click on your listing than any other form of advertising, including Facebook ads or banner ads. If they click through to your website and see a poor experience there (or it doesn’t exist), they probably won’t return to do business with you again!
- Social Media – A majority of small businesses don’t even have a Facebook page! Having a strong presence on all major platforms will help attract new customers, who are increasingly turning away from big box stores and instead buying from local shops because they want to support their community businesses
Conclusion
If you’re looking to grow your business, local SEO is a great way to start. It helps you connect with customers who are looking for your type of business in their area. By optimizing for Google Maps, you can reach customers who might not have found you otherwise.