We all know the importance of achieving (and maintaining) a top search ranking for your target keywords. The higher your website ranks, the more traffic it will receive, which subsequently means more sales or conversions for your business. But if your business relies on local, “walk-in” traffic, you’ll want to focus on Local Search Optimization (LSO).
What is Local Search Optimization?
As the name suggests, LSO involves adjusting and tweaking a website so it ranks for geo-specific keyword, or when a user who lives near website’s headquarters performs a general search pertaining to its industry. If you operate a flower delivery service in Atlanta, GA, for instance, you should focus on optimizing your website for keywords like “Atlanta florist,” “Atlanta flower delivery,” “order flowers Atlanta,” etc.
Local Searches are More Targeted
So, why is local search optimization is important? Going back to the example mentioned above, Atlanta residents who search for flower delivery services online would be more likely to purchase the services of an Atlanta-based florist than a Californian resident. Local searches are more targeted, delivering a high conversion rate when compared to non-local searches. It’s just that simple.
Search Engines Have Adjusted for Local Keywords
The next time you perform a Google search for a restaurant, store, or some other type of local service, you may notice personalized results that are tailored towards your specific location. You can test this out by searching for “Chinese food,” at which point Google will likely reveal listings of Chinese food websites and directories that are around your city. Google has adjusted its algorithm in recent years to place an emphasis on personalized, local searches. You can take advantage of this by properly optimizing your website for local keywords.
Knock Out Your Competitors
If you aren’t optimizing your website for local keywords, guess who’s going to take up the search engine real estate for those keywords? It’s your competitors. Don’t let your competitors steal your customer base; optimize your site for local keywords to maintain your throne.
If you truly want to knock out your competitors and capitalize on local search impression share then now is a good time to talk about optimizing your business for local search, not just your website.
I would be remiss to exclude Facebook from local search optimization. Facebook has been playing around with improving local search features for a while now and some of them are pretty exciting. One of the most important considerations is the simple fact that no one knows your audience better than Facebook.
“With local awareness ads, businesses can quickly and easily find new customers by showing ads to groups of people who are near that business’s neighborhood. Local awareness ads are built to be more cost-effective than traditional advertising channels like newspaper while offering more precise targeting and greater reach. We think they’re the best way for local businesses to reach people near them, and the best way for people who use Facebook to discover more useful things in their area.”
Local Keywords are Easier to Rank
While there are always exceptions to this rule, you’ll generally find that it’s easier to rank a website for local, geo-specific keywords as opposed to non-local keywords. When you include a city, county or zip code into the search query, it reduces the amount of competition significantly. Less competition means you’ll have an easier time ranking your website for that keyword.
Local-business owners want to be successful in their geographic area and the best way to achieve this kind of success online is through good local search optimization.
