What is local SEO?

Local SEO is used to improve your business’s visibility in search engines for location-based searches. These are searches with geographical qualifiers such as city, province, near me, etc. For such searches, Google uses the person’s (geo)location to show search results from that area.

Why is local SEO important?

Local SEO is important, especially if you have a physical location or shop. Research by Forbes shows that 95% of mobile users use their mobile device for local searches. 61% of this group actually visited the business. Research by Search Engine Watch shows that 70% of mobile users use the local search results to call the business directly from Google.

Based on the research above, we can conclude that being visible for location-based searches is a crucial way to get in touch with potential customers. This group is mainly looking for products or services your business offers in the region where your business is located, so you can assume these are qualified leads.

Another important reason to optimise your website for local SEO is securing a spot in Google’s local 3-pack. A coveted spot when it comes to search engine results. Below we briefly explain what Google’s local 3-pack is.

What are Google’s local 3-pack results?

For local searches, among others, Google shows the most popular businesses in that region. The local 3-pack results show the addresses, phone numbers and directions links of three of the most popular businesses in that region.

Benefits of local 3-pack results:

According to a study by Moz, 44% of people who searched locally clicked on a local 3-pack listing, while only 8% chose to load ‘more local results’. This shows that people searching for local listings make a choice from one of the available local 3-pack options. That makes securing this spot valuable, because it brings an enormous amount of traffic and potential revenue. A good reason to apply local SEO.

Who benefits from local SEO and why?

Below are examples of 3 types of businesses that benefit from local SEO:

Overview of the unpaid online marketing channels:

Lawyers and law firms

If you have never done SEO for lawyers, here is a little secret: one of the biggest advantages of local SEO for this type of client is that Google shows a call button directly in the local search results on mobile phones.

So when a potential client takes out their phone and searches for ‘[type] lawyer’, they see targeted results for their specific location.

If done well, local SEO will push the lawyer to the top of the search results for that location and make sure people click the call button.

The reason this is such a huge advantage is that anyone who has had an accident or has another problem will be on the phone looking for lawyers who offer free consultations.

This is a way to reach consumers exactly when they need a lawyer quickly.

Doctors and medical practices

When someone is looking for a doctor, in my experience they are always looking for a doctor nearby, or a doctor “near me”.

Most people don’t want to go out of their way or travel for hours to see a doctor. They want a doctor nearby who can see them regularly.

If you look at the screenshot below for the search ‘doctors near me’, there are several advantages to this large local pack result.

This local result shows the doctor’s name up front, together with a direct ‘directions link’ that opens a map application on the user’s phone.

When it comes to doctors, people find it easier to call to make an appointment, and they are probably looking for an easy way to look up directions to the practice.

Plumbers

Another type of business that benefits from local SEO is plumbers.

Think about it: if someone has a plumbing emergency, do they go straight to a shop? No, they usually go to Google to search for [plumber near me].

Google’s search results give someone an easy way to call a plumber directly, read reviews and get immediate access to local plumbers when they have an emergency like that.

Restaurants

These businesses get the most benefit from local SEO because of the customer reviews and local address information that are so common.

The convenience of this information leads potential guests to a good restaurant in the shortest possible time.

In addition, people can see quite efficiently which restaurants nearby offer the best quality food and service.

3 tips to improve your local SEO results:

1. If your business address hasn’t been updated or added in Google My Business and other online directories, it won’t be shown when a customer searches for the business name ‘near me’ or ‘in *location name*’.
2. Make sure your business’s NAP (name, address and phone number) is consistent across all online directories where you are listed. If there are differences, Google will most likely prevent your business from appearing in the local 3-pack.
3. Make use of citations, by using a third-party website as a point of reference. The citation can contain your business’s name, location or contact details. A backlink to your website isn’t required.
   An example of a citation is a food blog that mentions your restaurant as a good place to dine in your city. This helps Google understand that your business is trustworthy, and increases your chances of earning a position in the local 3-pack results.