It may be tempting to erase local SEO from your digital marketing strategy if your business serves in a global or even national market.
Resist the temptation.
Local SEO is a vital component of nearly every SEO campaign. Read on to learn why local SEO has become so important.
1. Personalized Search Results
In earlier days, search results were returned in a pretty uniform fashion for a particular query. Nowadays, this is no longer true. Google strives to give its users the most personalized UX possible. SERP’s will be tailored to a number of factors – geographic location, search history, and the type of search being initiated among them.
Even if the intent of the query is not particularly localized, Google favors locally optimized content – even more so for mobile device users. Developing and executing a solid local SEO strategy lets you stand out from your competition- especially those who never bothered with local SEO, or those who have done it wrong.
2. Capitalize on Strategically Important Markets
If certain markets stand out as being especially relevant or favorable to your company, local SEO campaigns can cultivate lead production in the areas where you most want and need it. Many companies put emphasis on large, competitive markets (such as San Francisco or Los Angeles), where emphasizing local SEO reduces competition from hundreds of thousands of companies marketing without local SEO, to several hundred (or fewer) that are implementing strong local campaigns.
Which local markets you target will vary, depending on your budget, competitive landscape, ROI calculations and several other factors — we can help you figure out the most cost-effective approach if you are not sure.
3. Local Keyword Variation
Some businesses need different keywords for different regions of the country. A great example is soda versus pop. If you are selling soda (as we say here in California), you will need to choose particular keywords relevant on the state or region you are targeting — if you use the keyword “pop”, nobody in the Midwest will know what you are talking about!
Other businesses may not have such extreme differences in language, but even smaller variations can have an significant negative impact on conversions. Local SEO allows you the flexibility to tailor your keyword and content strategies around specific locations, increasing lead production, reducing cost per conversion and thus improving campaign ROI.
Want to discuss implementing a local SEO campaign to generate more leads and better leads? Contact us now! We’d love to hear more about your needs.
