What is Local SEO?
Local search engine optimization is a branch of SEO that focuses on optimizing a website to be found in local search results.
Local SEO is the process of increasing the search visibility of brick-and-mortar businesses — those with physical locations. These businesses include storefronts, professional services, and restaurants that serve their communities from a specific location.
A website that practices local SEO is built for a specific location or locations. For example, if you own a plumbing company in Dallas, Texas, you want your website to be found when someone searches for “plumber in Dallas.” Local SEO helps you do this.
Benefits of Local SEO
Local SEO has many benefits when compared to traditional advertising methods like the Yellow Pages – especially considering that most people now turn to the Internet to find local businesses:
With local SEO, your business can build a marketing strategy that targets your specific community and growing customer base.
Local SEO allows you to take advantage of keyword research, link building, and on-page optimization as part of your marketing efforts.
Local listings give potential customers all the information they need about your business – location, hours, phone number, etc. This makes it easier for them to get in touch with you.
Local SEO uses many of the same tactics as other forms of SEO, but adds an extra layer of complexity due to the factors that influence local search results.
Google has changed its algorithms over time to favor local results more prominently, especially for mobile users. In fact, Google now includes related local businesses in the knowledge graph at the top of the results page for many queries about local businesses.
