GMB is a game-changer for local SEO. Customers are always looking for places close by, be it a restaurant, cafe service or shop. This is where GMB comes in, as this falls part of your local SEO, it aims to reach potential customers that are in close proximity to you and bring in foot traffic. Whenever a potential client searches for something, they’ll encounter a panel of 3 of the top local businesses in their area related to their search. Those 3 businesses are only in this panel because they have a GMB listing. Most searchers looking for a place nearby will look at those 3 results first before looking anywhere else, and the better your listing and website, the more likely they are to convert or visit your store in person.
So do all that you can to make your Google My Business profile as relevant, accurate and appealing as possible, with continuous updates and interactions with your client base to maintain your rankings and followers.
First, let’s break down some basics. Search engine optimization, otherwise known as SEO, natural SEO or organic SEO, are strategies use to improve your website rankings through optimizing its searchability and the user experience of those who visit your website, offering more value to them. SEO helps search engines provide the best search results to searchers, results that coincide with their search terms and give them exactly what they’re looking for. This is beneficial to search engines as it improves their user experience, but it’s equally beneficial for businesses because it increases their conversion rates, and ultimately increases your sales or sign-ups.
There are a number of strategies that fall under SEO. Here are some ways SEO specialists improve your rankings.
Keyword Research, to find the most relevant keywords that are the least competitive but have a high search rate.
Content Creation, crafting valuable, relevant content on a regular basis that customers find interesting and worthwhile, setting you apart as an industry leader.
Speeding up your Website’s load time, keeping waiting times low when people go to your website. The longer they have to wait, the more likely they’ll leave to find a different site.
Code and website optimization, streamlining your website navigation for both searchers and search engine spiders.
Earning backlinks, to credible websites so that your website has domain authority and multiple ways for searchers and engines to get to your site. It’s also about earning those links naturally, without resorting to black hat SEO methods.
You may wonder if your business needs SEO. The fact of the matter is that any business online, be it big or small, needs SEO, This also applies to all industries, from e-commerce to tech and beyond. Without the right SEO, your business will remain low in the rankings, or worse, your site could be penalized for bad practices that you may not be aware of. Consistent and constant SEO efforts also ensure your website doesn’t fall behind competitors and keeps up with how customers are searching for your business.
But some businesses may benefit more from reaching local searchers, and this is where Local SEO comes in.
A subset of SEO, local SEO focuses on attracting the attention of local searchers. If you were looking for electricians to fix your lights, you aren’t going to look for electricians on the other side of the country. You’re going to search for one nearby, with area-specific keywords like “best electricians in Cape Town.” If you’re an electrician in Cape Town, you’re going to want to show up on the top of the results, and that’s where local SEO comes in. Statistics show that up to 80% of local searches lead to a conversion, so it’s a worthwhile investment, especially if you run a local business that thrives on foot traffic and in-store purchases.
Besides the SERPs, local SEO has specific features that make it unique from organic SEO searches. For example, when you search for electricians in Johannesburg, you’re going to get what we call the Local SEO 3-Pack. This is a map with a box attached, showing you the top 3 best electricians in your areas.
The information we see in these 3 packs is gathered from the respective business’s Google My Business profiles, which makes having a GMB listing essential for Local SEO. We touch more on the benefits of GMB for local searches in our other blog.(Link to this blog)
When you see businesses on Google Maps, their GMB listing will look like this.
Local searches can also pull up things like flight deals, distance from your area to another, and public transport timetables. Google also offers up something called Local service ads, which function the same as PPC AdWords campaigns. These paid ads aren’t part of organic search results, but they do appear in local searches. Not all businesses and industries are eligible for Google Local Services, so you’ll have to check your eligibility.
Traditional SEO strategies can be paired with Local SEO strategies to see the best results. These strategies include:
Claiming your profiles and optimizing them to best appear on local listing sites and Google apps like Google My Business.
Keyword research, to target relevant local keywords on your website that leads to local searchers finding your site.
Review management, responding to and managing reviews for your business on GMB, social media or your local review sites as they appear.
Crafting copy that’s location-specific on your website, targeting area keywords and terms.
Keeping your details up to date, such as your name, address, phone number (NAP), business hours, and website address on your GMB profile, on your website, and on local directories.
Earning backlinks from local and reputable websites. Check out our blog on best backlink building practices to avoid penalties from Google. There’s always a right and wrong way to do SEO!
Local SEO is essential for all businesses that need sales and foot traffic, like restaurants, shops, repair services, the industrial sector, real estate agents, and more. If you’re not sure how to start targeting local searchers effectively, our SEO specialists are here to help you best optimize your business for local searches and GMB.