What is the role of local SEO in increasing brand awareness?
SEO plays a major role in formulating marketing strategies in the cooperative world. As more people are turning to the internet for their requirements and businesses are leaning to the online platform to create more awareness about their business, it is important to focus on the need for local SEO and how it is as important as the whole concept of SEO in general.
Let us first get a brief introduction to SEO. It is the abbreviation of Search Engine Optimization. It improves the ranking of the website on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) which boosts the popularity of the website and increases traffic on the brand’s website or webpage.
Local SEO, as defined by HubSpot is “the process of improving search engine visibility for local businesses, primarily those with brick-and-mortar locations”. Using local SEO, businesses can take advantage of signals such as Google My Business, Online Reviews, On Page signals, Local Content, etc can help you connect with the target audience, increase interaction, and brand awareness, and improve ranking on the SERPs.
Why is Local SEO important?
Here are some of the important facts that justify its importance in the business sector.
In a survey conducted for Local SEO, it was found that 82% of the customers read online reviews of a business during the local search and spent at least 14 minutes browsing before making a decision.
It is especially beneficial for a local business or small business to deploy Local SEO as it allows easy interaction with the people in the local area. It provides essential information such as opening and closing time, address, phone number, and images that makes it easier for people to locate your business. It also guarantees positive reviews and the possibility of a higher ranking.
Ranking factors used by Google for Local SEO
Here are some of the factors contributing to the ranking in Local SEO.
Google My Business
GMB is a free tool provided by Google that let local businesses reach users through Google Maps. It is important to be listed by Google My Business to expand the outreach toward a larger audience and to get noticed by Google.
On-Page factors
There are many things, many itineraries that are taken into consideration during the analysis of the website for Local SEO ranking. Keywords are considered as the backbone of SEO. Relevant keywords that are methodically placed at the right place are the key to get your website ranking in the right listings.
Online reviews
Reviews are an integral part of the business. Businesses must improve their online reputation to rank higher in search engines that is why maintaining positive reviews will give your website that extra boost which will get you noticed by Google and increase traffic flow on the website.
Content
Content is the means of keeping your customers and visitors engaged and updated about all that your business does. Content that is published must be relevant to the local area or the community. This will help in getting a higher ranking in the listings because it is seen that people tend to associate any brand service or product with themes about relevancy and its connection to the local area or community. Content refers to blogs, news, articles, press and events, videos, etc.
Merits of Local SEO
There are many merits to Local SEO which are as follows.
Outreach and Expansion
Local SEO, if implemented in the right way will help provide you the chance of showcasing your website to the users who will be able to locate you due to the details that are provided on the website. It also increases the prospect of high ranking on Google and Google Maps resulting in higher traffic, an increase in physical visitations, more sales, and growth opportunities.
It also helps you to stand and compete with big and established names in the business world as it becomes easier for you to be noticed by the customers and potential buyers with the optimization of your website.
Link building
Link Building is an important part of Local SEO. It is the process of getting high-quality backlinks from other websites to your own. This provides credibility to your business which if noticed by Google will aid you in getting a high ranking and attracting more users.
Relevancy of Content
Maintaining systematic publishing of relevant and high-quality content adds to the credibility of your brand and also attracts users to visit your website or blog page. It is also a means to interact with them which eventually results in the development of a strong relationship between yourself, your brand, and the people or customers.
Online Reputation
Local SEO helps in building the online reputation of your business. It includes components such as guest articles, online reviews, feedback, reaching out to websites for features, and other things. With this people can identify whether you are a legitimate and trustworthy brand or not. That is why using the right strategy will be beneficial in the long run.
End Note
Local SEO is an amazing tool that you can use to build your brand. With so many features and benefits it is the ideal strategy for marketers to use for boosting the reputation, profits, and credibility of any business. Hence, if you want your business to stand out from others, start with Local SEO now.
Natural Group offers a wide range of SEO services that can help businesses improve their local search rankings and increase their brand awareness. Their team of experts uses proven strategies and techniques to optimize our clients’ websites and content for local search, ensuring they get the visibility they need to succeed in today’s competitive digital landscape.
