Local SEO: A Beginner’s FAQ
Today, we’ll be talking about a vital aspect of modern online marketing: local SEO. We’ll be introducing readers to SEO in general, and then addressing local SEO more specifically, discussing what it does, how it works, why it’s effective, and whether your small business needs a local SEO campaign (a vital component of which is Google Places SEO, or Google Maps SEO to some). Let’s get started!
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization – essentially the discipline of revising a website (through both on-page and off-page optimization techniques) so that is more appealing to search engines, thereby ranking more highly and search results listings, which in turn improves a site’s chances of being visited exponentially. Have you ever clicked page two of Google search results, for instance? It’s not likely – most people don’t leave page one, and as such, it’s up to SEO – and local SEO, in particular, for small businesses – to accomplish a first-page ranking. Let’s address local SEO more specifically.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO involves a more targeted, localized effort to still make the same client’s website more visible and accessible online, specifically through the targeting of long-tail keywords and Google Place SEO (Google Maps SEO); those are the two main criteria that differentiate local SEO from national, multinational, or global SEO.
How Is Local SEO So Effective?
Local SEO is essentially far easier and far less costly, because the search engines have turned their focus more toward local business now. When searchers enter in a long-tail keyword (that is a keyword containing a local modifier, basically anything that informs the engine of the searcher’s location), the engine serves up only local results, meaning all your competition at the national level is eliminated, and you only have your local rivals to compete with for that coveted first-page spot. This makes local SEO a much more cost-effective online marketing strategy.
Does My Business Need Local SEO?
The only case in which you would not want your small or local business to have local SEO is if you happen to hate your patrons – and don’t want any of them or their money. Local SEO is basically for just about every size, shape, color, industry, discipline, or field of interest. And considering local SEO’s jaw-dropping efficacy, there’s no limit to how far your business can go with a professionally implemented, results-oriented local SEO campaign.