Why local SEO is worth the time and investment.

SEO (search engine optimisation) is the technique used to push your business up in Google’s top unpaid search results, AKA, the organic results.

Many businesses are already implementing SEO strategies, but not all of them are taking care to include local SEO. Here’s what it is, and why it’s definitely worth your time and investment.

What is local SEO?

Not many companies have the luxury of being able to call all geographic areas their target market. Yet, whether you’re a painter or a furniture store owner, you have your very own local audience in the nearby area. And local SEO is the way to target them specifically.

For example, if someone searches ‘plumbers near me’ (this type of search is happening a lot more now thanks to voice search), you want your plumbing business to come up at the top of the results page, where it’s the most visible.

To make this happen, you’ll need to list your address on every site possible, from Google to Yellow Online, and add plenty of local content and keywords that refer to your specific area.

RELATED: eBook: The SMB’s guide to local SEO.

Local SEO stats that are hard to ignore.

Just in case you need a little prodding, here are some incredible local SEO statistics that highlight how valuable it is.

  • 46% of all Google searches are for local information (Hubspot)
  • 88% of consumers who run a local search on their smartphone either call or visit a business within one day (Nectafy)
  • Google saw a 900% increase in ‘X near me today/tonight’ searches in the space of just two years (Google Insights)
  • 76% of people who conducted a local search on their smartphone visited a store that very same day, and more than a quarter of those made a purchase (Google data).
  • Almost everyone runs local searches, with 97% of consumers searching local in 2017, and 12% of people looking every single day (Bright Local)
  • 75% of people never make it past the first page of Google’s results (Hubspot)
  • Over 80% of consumers will research online before making a large purchasing decision (Business2Community)

Despite all that, 56% of stores haven’t listed their business on Google (Local Business Institute), and there are plenty still who aren’t listed on Yellow. With a free Yellow Online listing just a click away, it’s super easy to tick this one off the list.

RELATED: 7 ways to appear in more local searches.

Need a hand?

If you’re not sure where to start, Yellow Pages can help. We have a range of SEO packages tailored to suit small businesses with prices starting from $500 a month and regular strategy consultations to ensure we’re delivering results.

To find out more visit our product page or click for a call back from one of our SEO experts.

Want to make a start with local SEO? Give the experts at Yellow Pages a call.

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