Why Local SEO for Small Businesses in 2024? – SEO strategies are important for brands that operate digitally, but it is also possible to adopt optimization techniques for search engines in the case of physical spaces.
Restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets, beauty salons, flower shops, stores, offices and any other establishments that provide products and services in person can benefit from local SEO strategies .
After all, people search the internet not only to find websites and content in the virtual environment, but also to locate companies that are nearby.
Understand what local SEO is and see 5 ways to apply it for your business to be featured prominently in search engines.
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What is local SEO?
The term local SEO is related to best practices for search engine optimization, but also takes into account geolocation.
The goal is to appear in search results that users perform on sites like Google or on social networks, considering the proximity of those who make the query to physical establishments.
That is, if someone searches for “bakery” on the main page of Google or on Google Maps, the search engine will show the closest establishments.
However, the search engine takes into account a number of other ranking factors to order the display of results.
Businesses that operate face-to-face must put good local SEO strategies into practice, so that they can present themselves efficiently to the public.
Still in relation to the “bakery” search example, those who carry out the search will be more likely to choose not only the closest places, but also those that have resources such as photos, reviews and contact information.
Therefore, adopting local SEO strategies can attract an audience to an establishment through search engines.
How to Apply Local SEO for Small Businesses
Create or optimize your business website
It is essential to have a website that presents, at least, the basic information of the establishment.
Pages can show features such as:
- Complete address;
- Phone number;
- Map with the location of the establishment;
- Menu, in the case of bars and restaurants;
- Customer Testimonials.
It is also important that the site includes in the title, in the description of the page and in internal contents the area of activity and also the location. For example: “Pão Doce Bakery, the best bread in São Paulo”.
Terms help Google understand who the business is and where it is located, making it easier for the site to appear in search results.
Have a profile on Google My Business
Google My Business allows the company to have a profile on the search engine and be able to detail its activity.
Thus, users do not even need to leave the search page (or SERP ) to view information such as:
- Name;
- Address;
- Opening hours;
- Telephone;
- Photos;
- Location on the map;
- Assessments;
- Profiles on social networks;
- Questions and answers about the company.
With a profile on Google My Business, the company is able to show more information about what it does and appear in prominent positions in the search engine, which even has GPS resources (routes) that facilitate the displacement between the place where the user is and the establishment.
Create profiles on social networks
Social network profiles also help internet users looking for establishments nearby.
Therefore, it is essential to have pages on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest and others that are used by the company’s target audience.
In addition, social networks give the opportunity to show the work carried out by the establishment, especially if the activity has visual appeal, such as restaurants and beauty salons.
Pages on social networks are also important so that users can check reviews and comments from those who have already been to the location, which influences decision-making.
Ask for user reviews
Speaking of reviews, they are important for other people to know the opinion of those who have been to your establishment.
Both Google My Business and social networks such as Facebook have assessment tools that help give stars to a business.
Another website or app that is used by those looking for an establishment nearby is TripAdvisor, which brings tourist information and opinions on restaurants, hotels and other types of businesses.
The more positive reviews, the more authority the company will have in local SEO and the greater the possibilities of attracting more customers.
Produce quality content
Finally, the production of quality content is also a way to appear in search engines and present a brand’s solutions.
It is possible, for example, to talk about the company’s area of operation or the region where it is located, reinforcing the local character of the business.
It is also worth closing content production partnerships with influencers or other local pages.
If your brand needs a good SEO strategy, contact us and take advantage of everything that content marketing can offer you.