What is SEO?
What are the origins of local SEO?
Why is local SEO important?
Local SEO v regular SEO
In short, regular SEO aims to make your site searchable both nationally and internationally, whereas local SEO focuses specifically on searches within your local area. Ideally, your strategy should include a blend of the two.
What matters for local search?
The map pack
Ever searched for, say, Italian restaurants in the town you live near, and found that a map pops up on Google showing pinned locations and the top 3 options relevant to your search?
This is what we’re talking about when we refer to the map pack. Any business looking to make the most of local search traffic should want to appear on maps for relevant searches. Google can determine a searcher’s current location, but the map pack can also be triggered by ‘near me’ or ‘near [location]’ search terms.
The map pack is reliant on a thoroughly filled-out Google Business Profile.
Does my business need local SEO?
What are the local SEO ranking factors?
Why choose 427 for your local SEO marketing?
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of local business does Google recognise?
Google acknowledges the following business types:
- Bricks and mortar locations - this includes shops and restaurants
- Service Area Businesses - such as plumbers, caterers or photographers
- Home based businesses - this could be a daycare centre, or a psychotherapist with a home office
- Multi department business - this could be anything from a hospital to a car dealership
- Multi practitioner business - like a solicitors, beauty therapists, or a dental practice
- Hybrid businesses - this could be a restaurant that also delivers to people’s homes
- Multi brand business - such as a car dealership with multiple franchises under one roof
- Mobile businesses - like coffee vans, or street food vendors
- Co-located and co-branded business - a good example of these are when Post Offices are located in premises such as Co-Op, or WHSmith
- Solo practitioner businesses - like one solitary solicitor operating in more than one area of law
- Multi brand business - such as a car dealership with multiple franchises under one roof
- Kiosks and cash machines
Can you set up my Google Business Profile for me?
Yes we can. Working together using your details we can help set up your Google Business Profile. However it may be easier for us to walk you through the steps of setting up your profile to make sure all details are correct.
I have a physical premises but I also sell online -can I still do local SEO?
Yes! Both local SEO and regular SEO will benefit you greatly.
I’ve heard replying to reviews is good practice - does it help local SEO?
Yes, it does - one of our top local SEO tips is to reply promptly to all your Google reviews, regardless of whether they’re positive or not so positive.Yes! Both local SEO and regular SEO will benefit you greatly.
I cover multiple areas - should I have a location page for each one?
This depends. If you have several different locations you operate from then yes by all means have a GBP for each location. However if you operate from a single location but service a wider area, use the service area selection tool within your Google Business Profile to select which areas you provide your services for.
I share a business location with several other businesses - will local SEO still work?
Yes! It's common for businesses to share locations, such as shared office spaces; rest assured, local SEO can still work for you based on your address.
What is the most important ranking factor in local SEO?
As with all forms of SEO there is no singular silver bullet and it’s important to cover all bases in local SEO. However we would say that without a Google My Business profile, you’re on to a loser. It’s essential if you want to be found locally in the map pack.
How quickly does local SEO start to work?
As with regular SEO, there is no set-in-stone time frame for local SEO to start working, and it’s highly unlikely you’ll see instant results. However, with the right care and attention, you local SEO efforts could begin to pay off after around 3 months, with even more encouraging results happening from the 6 month mark onwards.