Local SEO for Small Businesses: A Complete Guide

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a multifaceted marketing strategy for all businesses. However, local SEO for small businesses is particularly important for modest enterprises that depend on foot traffic and community support.

This type of SEO for small local businesses can yield a 500% or better return on investment (ROI), so it’s definitely worth implementing. What is local SEO, and how can you get started with it?

This comprehensive guide provides what you need to know about local SEO for a small business.

What Is Local SEO for Small Businesses? 

Local SEO is a strategy for improving your online presence and visibility when people search the web for nearby businesses and services. Making local SEO work for small companies involves using tailored techniques that maximize your marketing budget for a healthy ROI.

This targeted approach is a subset of general SEO and digital marketing, but it focuses on location-specific strategies. For example, regularly publishing high-value content is always important for successful SEO, no matter the audience. Local SEO for small businesses focuses on creating content with subjects and keywords that are relevant to the local market and attract that clientele.

Why Local SEO Is Important for Small Businesses

See why you should embrace local SEO by considering a few of its benefits.

1. Enhance Exposure and Brand Awareness

People can only become customers if they know you exist. However, a sea of competitors can bury your web pages and online profiles if you don’t prioritize local SEO for your small business.

Local SEO ensures the people looking for your products and services are more likely to see your company. People usually search online before they buy, even for local items, so you need local SEO to connect with your target audience. 

2. Increase Conversions 

Local SEO puts you in front of buyers who are further along in the sales funnel. They are at least at the point of interest and are likely at the consideration stage because they are actively searching for your products and services. 

Also, most local searches are on mobile devices, indicating that many of those consumers are on the road and ready to buy. Data shows that 88% of mobile local searches result in a store visit within a week and 76% visit within a day. Those people are more likely to see and use the top results, which is why you need local SEO for your small business.

3. Stay Competitive 

Almost half of small businesses are not investing in SEO. These companies are missing out on valuable visibility and competitor insights. 

Effective SEO involves market research, giving you data about your competition and what your audience wants to see and hear. This information lets you emulate and improve on what’s worked for others. These tailored campaigns ultimately help you outperform your rivals.

4. Gain Trust and Credibility

An important part of local SEO for small businesses is customer reviews and interaction. These provide social proof that you are a trustworthy company. 

The benefits compound because search engines see you as even more valuable to users and keep you high in their rankings. Additionally, your site becomes a reputable reference that other companies want to link to as a source. That credibility and brand recognition can also lead to profitable professional partnerships.

Key Ranking Factors for Local SEO for a Small Business

With local SEO for small businesses, your ranking factors influence your position in two important areas: search engine result pages (SERPs) and Google’s Map Pack. Consider the most impactful elements for each.

SERPs

Your position on SERPs is as important for local SEO as it is for general SEO where you target a wider audience. Your ranking largely depends on the quality of your web domain. A user-friendly website that’s easy to search gets increased traffic, which earns higher SERP rankings.

Google also looks for E-E-A-T, which refers to site content that shows your “Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.” A primary indicator of E-E-A-T is the type of sites you link to and the sites that link to you. This way of connecting with other domains through link building boosts your SERP position.

User engagement (or “behavior signals”) is another important ranking factor in local SEO for small businesses. If people are regularly interacting with your site and profiles in a meaningful way, you’ll earn higher SERP rankings. Such engagement includes clicks, appointments, and time on your pages.

The Map Pack

The Google Map Pack is also called the Local Pack and the 3-pack. It’s a list of three local businesses that show up at the top of a SERP for queries with location-based intent. 

For example, if someone searches for “dog groomers near me,” three business listings appear at the top of the SERP. The listings usually include the following elements (if they’re available):

• The business’s rating (on a 5-star scale)
• The business category, city, phone number, hours, and whether it’s currently open or closed
• One of the top customer reviews
• Buttons that link to the website and directions to the location
• Posted photos and videos

Underneath the Map Pack will be a “More businesses” button. It links to Google Maps and shows more businesses in the user’s location.

Those top three selections in the Map Pack are prime digital real estate you should target using local SEO for your small business. Ranking in the Map Pack is mainly influenced by your Google Business Profile (aka, GBP or Google My Business profile). Google examines your GBP for the proximity of your business, its relevance, and its prominence. 

Your reviews are also important. Businesses in the Map Pack are often those that rank the closest to 5 stars. Depending on the industry or number of competitors in the area, the number of reviews matters, too.

Local citations also impact whether you can get into the Map Pack. A business with a consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP) across other trustworthy sites and directories indicates a reputable business to Google.

Local SEO Strategies for Small Businesses

Local SEO for small businesses is like other aspects of marketing. It continually evolves, and you can never rely solely on yesterday’s tips and tricks. However, there are many core strategies you can start using right now to boost your brand awareness.

1. Build and Maintain a Mobile-Friendly Website

Fluid and intuitive websites win higher SERP rankings for many reasons. Primarily, responsive sites get more traffic because users quickly leave slow and clunky domains. Also, web crawlers for indexing can more easily review and rank sites that don’t have technical issues. 

Now that most web activity occurs on mobile devices, Google and other search engines index the mobile versions of pages first. Improve your SEO by designing a responsive site with images and content optimized for mobile devices. 

Just as you have to maintain your physical locations and make them easy to shop, take good care of your digital store by continually testing it for accessibility and usability. Your core audience will be more apt to stay on your pages, and you’ll earn better rankings with this important technical aspect of local SEO for your small business.

2. Optimize Your GBP

People will often reach your GBP before your website if they’re likely to find you during “near me” searches. Be sure to claim or create your GBP. 

Fill out as much of the profile as you can. Don’t just put your NAP and business hours; select the appropriate categories, add images, and provide helpful info in the Q&A section. Regularly post to your profile and respond to customer posts and questions. 

3. Create High-Quality Local Content 

SEO content is not about simply stuffing keywords into your web pages, blog posts, and profiles. Quality matters more than ever in local SEO for small businesses. Write relevant information that your ideal customer wants to read, but make sure you provide specific local value. 

For example, a moving company can write blogs about the best schools in its area. Families who are looking for a place to live will be searching for that information and end up on the mover’s web page, putting the company one step closer to a conversion.

4.  Use High-Value Location-Based Keywords 

SEO keywords are the words and phrases your customers use to find your products and services online. Your content needs to include enough of these keywords to show that your business is relevant to the search but not so many as to be unnatural. Put keywords in web page meta titles and descriptions, too. 

Confirm that your selected keywords fit the search intent of customers in your locale. Intent may vary by region because words have different meanings in different areas. For instance, soft drinks are either soda, pop, or Coke, depending on the market.

Use keyword research tools to find competitive keywords that aren’t already dominated by others. In local SEO for small businesses, these keywords include the names of the states, cities, and neighborhoods you serve.

Some pages on your website should target location-specific keywords. For example, our SEO agency has seen that law firms benefit from having pages for specific cities and neighborhoods. A firm in Charlotte, NC, that wants to capture more upper-income clients could create specific pages using “lawyer in Providence Crossing” or “accident in Myers Park,” which are affluent neighborhoods.

Finally, voice search is becoming more popular, especially on mobile. Figure out which keywords people are likely to search for through speech to capture middle- and bottom-of-the-funnel buyers.

5.  Optimize Your Listings on Other Directories

Google ranks other popular directories in SERPs, so ensure your listing is accurate and active on these. For instance, Yelp is common, as are LinkedIn, Angi, Facebook, and Foursquare. Also, verify your information in industry-specific directories to optimize local SEO for your small business.

6. Encourage Reviews and Respond to Them

After every positive transaction, ask customers to leave a review. Simplify the process for them with links and URLs that take them to the right page. 

As much as possible, thank customers for their kind words. Even better, say something specific about how great the customer was if you can. Be even more responsive to negative reviews, showing that you care about quality customer experiences.

7. Build Backlinks 

A top way to demonstrate authority and credibility is when other sites link to yours. Building these backlinks is one of the hardest parts of local SEO for small businesses, but the strategy can be impactful.

Network with other businesses and find organic ways to ask for these links. You can also build natural backlinks with the help of a top-notch SEO agency. However, stay far away from companies that offer quick results with scammy black-hat link building.

8. Support Your SEO With Social Media and Paid Ads

Your social media posts support your SEO by boosting your visibility and providing a popular avenue for people to reach your site. Pique their interest with intriguing posts. 

Paid ads can also help. While pay-per-click campaigns are almost always more expensive and have a lower ROI than local SEO for small businesses, they can provide a quick bump in traffic that you can parlay into long-term relationships through your SEO strategy.

9. Regularly Audit and Improve Your SEO 

SEO requires steady attention and constant tweaking. Acquire the data you need for measurable progress with regular audits of your site and business profiles. These evaluations show what type of content you need to add to your site and profile, as well as what assets you should eliminate or replace.

SEO tools are necessary for an efficient audit. Software like Semrush and Moz are favorites among many small businesses. If you lack time and want to eliminate the learning curve, work with experts from an SEO agency.

10. Play an Active Role in Your Community

Build genuine goodwill, gain organic links and mentions, and learn more about your audience by participating in community activities and events. Donate to schools and charities or volunteer with public programs and initiatives. These can get your name and website on .edu and .gov sites, which have the highest domain authority in local SEO for small businesses.

BKA Content Boosts Local SEO for Small Businesses

Are you having a hard time keeping up with or starting your local SEO strategy? You can’t afford to neglect this integral part of your marketing plan.

Fortunately, BKA Content provides a cost-effective solution for small and mid-size companies. Contact us today for a quick chat to see how we manage local SEO for small businesses.