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Local SEO for Small Businesses: From Main Street to Page One

Julia McCoy

Tuesday, 19th Mar 2024

Have you ever wondered how the corner coffee shop became your go-to spot, or why the local bookstore pops up first when you search for a new novel nearby? It’s not magic. It’s local SEO for small businesses. Adopting this tactic significantly boosts in-store visits and converts neighborhood searches into sales.

Think about it: 76% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase!

Yet, many small businesses overlook the power of local SEO. They’re missing out on potential customers right at their doorstep!

Thanks to local SEO for small businesses, mom-and-pop stores now have the chance to compete with industry behemoths, but only if they can master the art of local SEO to their advantage.

This untapped potential could be your golden ticket. Let me share with you some expert tips on how to transform your small business from a hidden gem to a community staple.

Benefits of Local SEO for Small Businesses

Local search engine optimization is the process of optimizing your online presence to attract more local customers.

Let’s say you own a pizza place. When someone in your neighborhood searches for “best pizza place near me” on Google, local SEO can make your restaurant appear at the top of Google search results (including things like maps and reviews).

Local SEO for small businesses has many advantages:

Increased Online Visibility: Local SEO helps small businesses appear in local search results when potential customers are looking for products or services in their area. By optimizing their website and online presence for local search queries, small businesses can increase their visibility to local customers who are actively searching for what they offer.

Targeted Traffic: Local SEO allows small businesses to target their marketing efforts towards a specific geographic area (and not from the other coast), ensuring that they attract relevant traffic from nearby customers who are more likely to convert. This targeted approach can result in higher-quality leads and improved conversion rates.

Competitive Advantage: Small businesses often face stiff competition from larger corporations with bigger marketing budgets. Local SEO levels the playing field by allowing small businesses to compete for visibility in local search results. By optimizing their online presence and focusing on local search strategies, small businesses can stand out and attract customers in their area.

Cost-Effectiveness: Compared to traditional advertising methods like print ads or direct mail campaigns, local SEO is often more cost-effective for small businesses. Many local SEO tactics, such as optimizing Google My Business listings and building local citations, can be implemented at minimal or no cost, making it an affordable option for small businesses with limited budgets.

Improved Reputation and Trust: Positive reviews and ratings on platforms like Google My Business and Yelp can significantly impact a small business’s reputation and credibility in the local community. By actively managing their online reviews and maintaining a positive online presence, small businesses can build trust with potential customers and differentiate themselves from competitors.

Better Customer Insights: Local SEO tools provide valuable insights into customer behavior, search trends, and local market dynamics. By analyzing this data, small businesses can gain a better understanding of their target audience’s preferences and behavior, allowing them to tailor their marketing efforts more effectively.

By investing time and resources into local SEO strategies, small businesses can position themselves for success in their local market and compete effectively against industry giants.

Ready to optimize your website for local search? Let’s get down to business.

Set Up Your Business Profile Correctly

The first step in getting your small business noticed online is to create a business listing.

A business listing is an online profile that contains essential information about your business such as name, address, phone number, website URL, hours of operation, and even images of your storefront. These listings are typically found on various online directories, search engines, social media platforms, and review websites. The purpose of a business listing is to make it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

Business listings play a crucial role in local SEO efforts because search engines use this information to determine the relevance and credibility of your business for local search queries. When someone searches for a product or service in a specific location, search engines like Google often display business listings prominently in the search results, along with a map showing the location of nearby businesses.

Here are some common places where you should create and maintain a business profile:

Google My Business: Google’s platform allows businesses to create and manage their online presence, including their Google business profile, Google Maps listing, customer reviews, and other information.
Yelp: A popular review website where users can find and review local businesses.
Facebook Business Page: Businesses can create a page on Facebook and include important information such as their address, phone number, and hours of operation.
Yellow Pages: An online directory that lists businesses by category and location.
Bing Places for Business: Similar to Google My Business, Bing Places allows businesses to create and manage their online presence on the Bing search engine.
Local Chamber of Commerce Websites: Many local chambers of commerce maintain online directories of businesses in their area.

Make sure all the information you put on your business profile is accurate, consistent, and up-to-date across all platforms to maximize your chances of being found by local customers.

Make Your Website Local-Friendly

So, you want to get your site noticed by locals? Let’s make it happen.

First things first: think like a local. What would someone in your area type into Google when looking for services or products you offer? Those are your golden keywords.

Add those local phrases and landmarks to your content — it makes all the difference.

Make sure each page’s URL gives a clear idea of what the page is about, and don’t forget to sprinkle in some local flavor there too.

Add localized keywords to your title tags and meta descriptions without stuffing them awkwardly.

For example:

Joe’s Java: Best Coffee Shop in Downtown Springfield

Your title tag announces who you are and what you’re good at while slipping in those crucial location-based keywords.

Now for your meta description:

Find freshly brewed happiness at Joe’s Java right at the heart of downtown Springfield.

This snippet should be a compelling invitation for casual browsers to click on your title tag.

On the blog section of your website, publish content that can deeply connect with your local customers — making it feel like it was tailored just for them. BrandWell can help you find search terms that your customers are frequently using and turn these phrases into complete blog articles that answer their search queries.

Here’s an example of a blog post that I wrote for a local bakery using BrandWell:

Using structured data markup also tells search engines exactly where you’re located, which boosts local visibility even more. You’ll be guiding potential customers straight to your doorstep before they know it.

Build Local Citations

Citations are the digital equivalent of word-of-mouth recommendations, but instead of coming from people, they come from websites.

Citations are essentially shoutouts to your business on other sites. They drop your business’s name, pinpoint its location, and ring up your contact number for all to see.

But why should you care if other businesses mention you?

Because Google cares — a lot.

These mentions help search engines like Google verify the legitimacy and credibility of your business, particularly for local search queries.

The Local Citations Trust Report from BrightLocal underscores this point beautifully. It shows that consistent information about your business across the web not only boosts trust among potential customers but also with search engines — helping improve those all-important rankings.

Visibility: Every mention increases chances for discovery by new customers.
Credibility: Consistency equals reliability both in human and algorithmic eyes.
SEO Boost: Search engines eat up this info; it’s how they know where to rank you locally.

There are two main types of citations:

Structured citations refer to business mentions on websites or platforms specifically designed for business listings, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, TripAdvisor, and other online directories. These platforms typically have designated fields for businesses to input their NAP information, making it easy for users to find and contact them. Structured citations provide clear and consistent information about a business, which can positively impact its local search rankings.

Unstructured citations are mentions of a business’s NAP information on websites, blogs, news articles, social media posts, or other online platforms where the information may not be presented in a structured format. While unstructured citations may not always provide a direct link or follow a specific format, they still contribute to a business’s online visibility and credibility. Search engines like Google can recognize unstructured citations and use them to validate a business’s existence and relevance for local search queries.

The key here is consistency — the golden rule of local SEO strategy — and accuracy because even small discrepancies can throw off consumers and confuse search engine crawlers.

Image Source: Wordstream

Social Media: The Great Equalizer

Social media has empowered businesses of all sizes, including smaller ones, to compete more effectively with industry giants. It has democratized marketing and leveled the playing field by providing businesses with a powerful platform to connect with their audiences and build relationships, regardless of their size or budget.

For a small enterprise like yours, social media is an untapped resource that puts you in front of thousands of potential customers chilling in your area.

So how do you make sure they don’t just scroll past your posts?

Show Some Local Love: People love supporting businesses that are all about their community. Post snapshots from community gatherings, give kudos to fellow local enterprises, or share news that hits close to home. This shows you’re more than just a business; you’re part of the family.
Promotions That Pop: Got a sale coming up? Launching a new product? Use eye-catching graphics and irresistible offers exclusively for your followers. Make them feel special and give them reasons why popping into your store is worth their time.
User-Generated Content Is King: Encourage happy customers to tag you in posts or use a branded hashtag when they visit. Nothing screams trust like seeing real people enjoying what you offer. Plus, it gives you awesome content to re-share – talk about hitting two birds with one stone.
Dive Into Direct Messages (DMs): Sometimes engagement isn’t always public. Answer questions through DMs promptly to show potential customers that behind the brand there’s someone ready and willing to help out.
The Power of Stories and Live Videos: We live in an age where authenticity wins. Social media marketing isn’t just about polished posts anymore. Use stories or go live to show the real unfiltered side of your business. Whether it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how products are made or a quick chat with the team, casual yet engaging content can help strengthen that connection with your audience.

Get More Reviews

Encouraging customers to leave reviews is not as simple as asking; it’s an art form.

A few tips on how to snag those glowing reviews from your clients:

The Ask: Timing is everything. Hit them up when the joy from your service is still fresh in their minds.
Incentivize (But Keep It Cool): A little nudge can go a long way. Offer something small as a thank you for their time – but buying reviews? That’s a big no-no.
Showcase Easy Paths: Make leaving a review easy by providing direct links on your site, emails, or even receipts.
Email Follow-Ups: Automate those ‘thank you’ emails post-purchase with friendly nudges towards dropping some starry love on your profiles.

A survey from BrightLocal found that 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, making it clear why getting this part right matters so much.

But what if you receive a negative review?

We all get it — seeing less-than-stellar feedback can sting like stepping on Lego barefooted at midnight.

All About Attitude: Always come from a place of gratitude and professionalism – yes, even if they’re ranting about how they think your coffee tastes more like sewer water than espresso.
Fix What Can Be Fixed: Use negative feedback as insight. Apologize sincerely, offer solutions, or ask how you can make things right. This shows that customer satisfaction is a top priority for you.
Stay On Brand: Let responses showcase who you are as a business — helpful, thoughtful, and responsive. Never lose sight of your personality even in tough conversations.

Reach Your Audience on Every Screen

In today’s fast-paced digital world, everyone is on their phones — browsing, shopping, searching … living. And when they search for local businesses like yours? You want to be the first thing they see.

Google also loves mobile-friendly websites — so much so that it prioritizes them in search results. This means if your site isn’t friendly to mobile users, it might as well be hiding in the dark corners of Pages 2 to 10 in search engine results pages.

How do you make your website shine on every screen size?

Simplify Your Design: Flashy designs don’t always translate well onto smaller screens. Keep things simple and clean.
Faster Load Times: We live in an age of instant gratification — don’t keep people waiting or they’ll bounce quicker than you can say “lost sale.” Use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to shave off those extra loading seconds.
Responsive Design: Your site needs to adjust smoothly across devices, from tiny smartphones to big-screen TVs. It shouldn’t matter where or how your audience is accessing your site, it should always look top-notch.
Optimize for Touchscreens: Make sure buttons are big enough to tap without having to use a stylus. Ensuring your site is easy to navigate can greatly reduce irritation and enhance the overall experience for users.

Attract Backlinks

A backlink from a well-respected site is worth its weight in gold. It tells search engines, “Hey, this site’s got something good going on.”

Build more backlinks: Start by reaching out to local businesses and industry blogs for guest posting opportunities. Distributing knowledge or updates that are significant to your community might pave the way for acquiring these esteemed connections.
Create compelling content: Content that resonates with people gets shared naturally — be it an insightful blog post or an engaging infographic about trends affecting your local area.
Leverage social media: Share snippets or teasers of your content across social platforms with links leading back to full articles on your site — enticing followers (and their networks) to visit and link back.

Moz’s Local Search Ranking Factors study points out how crucial link signals are — taking top spots both for Google Maps rankings and localized organic rankings. So yes, securing high-quality backlinks isn’t just beneficial; it’s essential.

Gone are the days when random links could boost ranking overnight. Nope. Nowadays, it’s the substance and not just the sheer number that counts. You need relevant connections making genuine nods toward what you offer — links that scream credibility.

Source: Whitespark

Participate in Your Local Community

Ever wondered why some local businesses seem to have a cult following while others struggle to get noticed? The secret might just lie in how they connect with their community. What could be more engaging than immersing yourself fully in local events?

It’s all about visibility and engagement. If you’re not seen, you’re not remembered. Simple as that.

Participating in events puts your brand right where eyes are already looking. Your business is not just a building or a website; it’s a character in your town’s story so be memorable.

Here’s how you can really make an impact in your neighborhood:

Sponsor Events That Resonate With Your Brand: Whether it’s sponsoring the Little League team or supporting charity runs, choose events that align with your values.
Show Up and Show Out: Don’t be shy. Set up booths, hand out samples, offer exclusive discounts for event-goers — make sure people leave knowing who you are and what you stand for.
Create Buzz on Social Media: Before, during, and after the event, share photos and stories on social media using relevant hashtags (hint: #LocalLove).

This lets even those who couldn’t attend feel involved — and perhaps regret missing out (FOMO is real). Plus, it boosts your SEO through increased online activity related to local searches.

You don’t stop when the event does. Follow-up emails thanking attendees for stopping by can go a long way, and maybe include an incentive (like 10% off) to visit again soon. And remember — ask permission before adding anyone to mailing lists.

Conclusion

Local SEO for small businesses is an investment every entrepreneur should consider. It’s a strategic approach that fuels local discovery, fosters trust with potential customers and ultimately drives sales.

By claiming your Google My Business profile, optimizing for local keywords, and building a strong online reputation, you can position your business to thrive in your community.

Don’t have the resources to create fresh, local content consistently? This is where BrandWell can become your secret weapon. Try it today and discover how AI can help you craft compelling blog posts, social media content, and website copy that’s both informative and optimized for local search.

You’ll be amazed at how much time and effort it can save you while keeping your local SEO strategy firing on all cylinders.

Written by Julia McCoy

See more from Julia McCoy