Today we will define Local SEO or Local Search Engine Optimization which is the art of getting a website to show up on the first page of Google for local business listings without having to buy advertising.
Local SEO starts on your website with elements like a displayed Name: Address, and Phone number that will appear in all of your citation listings around the Internet.
It will also require some Geographic focus in your sites Meta Information but that's another post at a later date. For now, we need to look at listing in top citations like Google My Business, Bing Places, and Yahoo Local. Other citations can include the Better Business Bureau and Angie's List.
From there you have strong social signals such as Facebook, and Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. All must point to your domain and include the same business information supplied by your website. All of these focus on Customer interactions, ratings, feedback, and performance in customer service. The better your ratings and the more places siting your business as best in town the higher you rank and more likely you are to get a free featured listing on top of your best search terms with greater visibility than your competition's paid ads.
So how does Local SEO compare to its Global sibling?
Local business needs less global reach. It's nice to get found in rankings for your keyword outside your service area if you are for example a tourist related business, but it is vitally important to be found in local listings if the goal is to drive off the Internet traffic such as to a flower shop or grocery store.
With Local the use of Google Maps and Local Service Areas are 100% must, where a loose listing for Restaurants of the world does little to nothing for a mom and pop type restaurant with only 1 location. Even franchise businesses like McDonald's benefit from the store by store advertising on a local franchise basis in addition to their national and international campaigns.
The best way to think of the two is when you do a global search you learn names, brands and can conduct business online. If you are looking for a local business you are finding out their address and reputation etc.. Some companies value their Local Search Presence to the extent they are willing to pay more per result because the traffic is nearly always closer to the shop now point in the buyer lifecycle.
Andy Zeus Anderson
https://dotlocalseo.com
Providing Local Search Engine Optimization and Website Design to Western Arizona. We are Yuma's Local SEO Leader.