For small businesses, ranking in the top spots in organic search results can be a challenge. Especially for keywords that have a high search volume, the competition is fierce, and websites with a high level of authority can make it almost impossible for you to rank first on the respective Google results page.

A top SEO Agency recommends local SEO for local and brick-and-mortar companies. Why? This is because it is not absolutely necessary to rank for keywords that have a high search volume. Here it makes sense to implement a niche strategy and optimize your online presence for local search queries in the context of your own SEO efforts.

A Further Look at Local SEO

When consumers make search queries via Google, they are increasingly doing so on their smartphones. According to a study by Semrush that analyzed data from the 1,000 largest website domains for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020, 66% of all recorded website views were made via a mobile device.

In this context, it is particularly interesting that many search queries made from smartphones or other mobile devices have a local search intent. According to Google, 30% of mobile searches are related to the user's location. Search queries such as “stores that are open now” or “stores near me” have doubled over the period analyzed by Google. The increase in mobile search queries with local intention offers promising growth potential for you and your entrepreneurs.

Local searches and results pages

In the context of local SEO, it is important to understand how Google defines local search queries and how result pages with local information are structured.

• The SERP (Search Engine Results Page) structure of local search queries is divided into two areas from the point of view of organic rankings.
• The so-called Map Pack (also called Local Pack) is a SERP feature that shows the most relevant providers locally from Google's point of view. The map pack contains the location of the respective company in the form of a Google Maps map, as well as relevant company information and contact options.
• Organic results. The organic search results, i.e. no paid advertising, usually appear under the map pack on local result pages.

Important Factors For Successful Local SEO

1. Google Business Profile

The Google Company Profile or Google Business Profile (short: GBP, formerly Google My Business) can be understood as an entry in Google's own company directory. In your GBP you store relevant information about your local business such as an address, opening hours, and contact details. Without a GBP it is not possible to rank in the map pack.

Google automatically creates a GBP listing for businesses after a period of time-based on the information Google has crawled and indexed. However, you should not rely on this automatic entry as it may be incorrect and incomplete.

Google itself states that users are 70% more likely to visit businesses that have a completed GBP. The same applies to a purchase consideration with a 50% higher probability. Also interesting: Consumers rate companies with a complete company profile as almost 3 times more serious.

So there are numerous reasons for you to fully fill out and optimize your GBP. For the best possible design of your appearance in Google's directory, use our resources:

2. Online Reviews

This ranking factor includes both reviews your business receives on your Google Business profile and reviews on other major platforms. From Google's point of view, both are relevant for a corresponding ranking.

3. On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization includes all measures to adapt text content, tags, meta titles, meta descriptions, images, URLs, or internal links on your own website. In this context, keyword research is of great importance in order to develop content and pages that match the search queries and intentions of potential customers.

When it comes to keyword research, you don't necessarily have to use a paid tool. For example, google the service you offer + the location of your company and analyze the content of the competitors, which rank well ahead in the map pack and the organic results. You can also scroll down the SERP and find more suggestions for interesting keywords and page content under Related Search Queries.

Include your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information as prominently as possible on your website. Important: NAP information should be identical no matter where you post it.

4. Backlinks

Backlinks are links that link from other websites to one or more of your own pages. The quantity and quality of these backlinks have an impact on your own ranking. The quality of backlinks is defined by the popularity or authority of the website that links to your content.

When updating or moving one or more websites, generated backlinks can be lost because, for example, a new URL is used for the pages. Use redirects to regain backlinks.

5. Directories

In addition to Google, there are other directories where you can store your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information. This increases your reach and at the same time entries in directories also act as backlinks for you.

In addition to Google, the following directories are relevant: Facebook, Instagram, Apple Maps, TripAdvisor, and Yellow Pages.

Just like backlinks, the quantity and quality of directory listings can affect your ranking. Make sure that your NAP entries are identical across all directories.

6. Mobile Optimization

Local search queries are often made from mobile devices. It is therefore relevant that your website is optimized for smartphones etc. in order to offer your prospects and customers an excellent user experience.

Even without a technical background, it is now easy to optimize your website for mobile devices and implement a responsive design. Most website builders allow you to customize your content automatically.

Conclusion: Local SEO for Small Businesses

Small businesses should focus on local SEO as it is the most effective marketing strategy for these businesses. Seek professional services (trusted SEO Agency) in terms of local SEO. When people search online, they often turn to the first results that they find. This means that if you are targeting a local area, SEO is the best and most effective marketing strategy for your small business.