Did you know that 20% of all searches on Google are for local information? This means that everyday, there are about 600 million Google searches for this local information.
Local search marketing has become a huge opportunity for businesses in all industries as more and more consumers look to resources on the Internet, such as the major search engines, to find the local products and services they need. If you have a physical store, regardless of whether you are a restaurant or any other type of business, then local search is going to be an important component of your overall SEO campaign.
So why is this important? The bottom line is that if you have a physical store, then local leads are more valuable and far more likely to convert into sales. Additionally, local searches are often done on mobile devices. These mobile leads are also more qualified because these mobile users are more likely to take an action such as to call your company or to go to your store. So mobile, local leads are the most qualified and valuable to your local business because they are the most likely to result in sales for your company.
Taking advantage of local search marketing is important to capture these users to gain profit. So how do you do this?
A study done this past February by MerchantCircle analyzed the most effective advertisement and marketing channels used by local small businesses in the United States. This study found that the two most effective ways to advertise was through search engine marketing, with about 40% of all businesses using this technique, and social media marketing, with about 37% of all businesses using this technique.
We agree that integrating local search marketing into your existing search engine optimization campaign is very cost-effective and efficient. Just like with traditional SEO, with local SEO, you will similarly optimize your website and content, such as title tags and meta descriptions, to include your company’s physical location. By optimizing your website to include your location in your content, you will be able to attain higher local search rankings for your business.
Additionally, social media marketing through advertisements as well as by having a profile on these different sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, can be a great way to go about local search marketing. We think a combination of search engine marketing and social media marketing can be a great way to go about local search marketing for your business. Regardless of how your company decides to delve into local search marketing, making sure your company has a local online presence will be important to the future online and offline success of your local business.