Proud partner
Local SEO
Do you want to boost your local visibility? At Traffic Today , you can benefit from:
- Adapting quickly and delivering quick wins
- Results-driven strategies
- Extensive link-building network
Curious about your opportunities?
What is local SEO?
Suppose you need to go to the hairdresser. There’s a good chance you’ll use Google to find the best hairdresser in your area. When you search for ‘hairdresser’, you’ll find three detailed results for hairdressers in your area, complete with information such as location, telephone number and website. As you scroll further down, you’ll find even more hairdressers, all of whom are also in your neighbourhood. The reason you find these hairdressers – and not ones from all over the country – is local SEO.
For many businesses, local SEO offers a wealth of exciting opportunities, as no other form of search engine optimisation focuses so specifically on a particular location. If your target audience is primarily based in your local area, it is therefore very important to make use of this. For example, it’s of no interest at all to a hairdresser in Amsterdam to appear in the search results of someone in Deventer; the reverse is equally true. Curious to find out how you can best utilise local SEO? Get in touch with one of the marketers at Traffic Today!
“When people search ‘locally’, they want to find something right now. Local SEO ensures that you’re the one they find.”
Kerim
Head of SEO at Traffic Today
The benefits of local SEO
Specific targeting
Increases the conversion rate
Results are easily measurable
Builds brand awareness
Easy to implement in line with Google My Business guidelines
Competition comes solely from local rivals
The local 3-pack and your Google Business Profile
Let’s take the hairdresser example a step further: as soon as you’ve entered your search query, the first results you’ll see are three local hairdressers with detailed information. You’ll find their location, opening hours, contact details, etc. This is, of course, extremely useful for you as a hairdresser, as it makes it very easy for potential customers to get in touch with your business. These first three search results are collectively known as the ‘local 3-pack’. A trio you’ll definitely want to be part of!
The way to appear in this local 3-pack is to create a Google Business Profile for your company. This profile, also known as Google My Business, is very useful to have for various reasons: one of these is the local 3-pack. In your business profile, you enter various details about your business, including the information mentioned above. When Google determines that your business is a perfect match for a potential customer’s search query, it processes this data and displays it in the 3-pack. Ideal, then!
More about the local 3-pack
The local 3-pack is the golden trio of businesses that Google rewards with a place in the list of local businesses that have their local SEO well organised. The local 3-pack is always displayed within Google Maps, as it always features businesses in your local area. Depending on the sector in which the search takes place, Google may also choose to add a featured snippet at the top of the page.
It doesn’t matter to Google whether you run a restaurant, a pet shop, a supermarket or an online marketing agency in a particular location, as the search engine will always do its best to provide the best selection for its users.
The local 3-pack is the successor to the local 7-pack, when the search engine used to highlight seven businesses. Organic results are displayed within this ‘pack’, but in some cases Google also chooses to display adverts: the promoted pins.
Reviews of your business, as well as accurate opening hours, high-quality (product) photos and up-to-date business details on Google My Business, increase your chances of securing a spot in the local 3-pack.
6 local SEO tips
Use the right keywords
Google does not automatically recognise every page for every search query. To achieve this, you need to have the right content on your website: content that perfectly matches the search terms used by potential customers. By ensuring these search terms appear correctly within your texts, you can ensure you appear in the local 3-pack more quickly.
Set up your Google Business Profile
Local SEO is virtually impossible to implement without a Google Business Profile. However, this service isn’t just useful for that: this tool is also very handy for effective SEA, Display Advertising and Google Shopping.
Local ‘ social ’ influencers
Influencer marketing allows you to reach your target audience in a unique way. In the case of local SEO, you invite a well-known local figure to use your service. In return, this influencer shares their experience on social media, allowing their followers to see what you can do for them.
Collect more reviews
Reviews or testimonials reinforce your story, as they allow clients to express their satisfaction with your service or product. The higher the ratings, the greater the chance that Google will reward your business with a higher ranking in ‘local search’. Engaging with these reviews is also often viewed favourably.
Focus link building on local terms
If you wish to rank for terms such as ‘marketing agency Deventer’, ‘clothing shop Rijssen’ or ‘toy shop Amsterdam’, it is also advisable to implement local link building. You’ll then be targeting even more specific terms. In this context, it’s also advisable to create local landing pages, so that you can actually direct visitors to a page that’s more locally relevant.
Add photos
Avoid using stock photos on your website; instead, have a professional photographer come round. You can use these photos not only on your website but also on your local business profile. This is also useful if you have multiple branches.
Why is local SEO important?
Targeting is hugely important for any business. By targeting smartly, you focus on the right audience. If you don’t do this, you’ll spend a large part of your budget on irrelevant services, as you won’t be reaching the right people anyway. Local SEO is a good example of this: for many services provided in person, it’s only relevant to find local options. For you as a business, local SEO is therefore important because you want to target your audience efficiently. This enables you to achieve the highest conversion rate: the people who find you on Google are already interested and are in the vicinity. The likelihood of them taking action is therefore high.
To carry out local SEO effectively, it is important that you optimise your website for this purpose. We’ve already mentioned the Google Business Profile, but the content on your website is also crucial for your ranking. We ensure this through content optimisation: we tailor your content to the search queries of potential customers, so that Google recognises your page as relevant. This makes it more likely that you’ll secure a spot in the local 3-pack, thereby increasing your conversion rate.
Frequently asked questions
about local SEO
How can I improve my local SEO if my business has multiple locations?
To improve local SEO for a business with multiple locations, it is important to give each location its own page on the website. Optimise each page with relevant keywords, address details and opening hours. Also verify and optimise each location’s listing on Google My Business. In addition, it is recommended to create unique content for each location, such as testimonials or local events, to increase visibility in local search results.
How can I get my business listed on Google Maps?
To get your business listed on Google Maps, you need to create a listing on Google My Business. Enter accurate and detailed information, such as your business name, address, telephone number and opening hours. Then verify your business listing and optimise it with relevant keywords and photos.
How important are citations for my SEO?
Local citations are mentions of your business name, address and telephone number (NAP) on other websites, such as online business directories and local news sites. They play an important role in local SEO because they help Google verify the accuracy and reliability of your business details. Ensure you maintain NAP consistency across all listings to improve your local SEO performance.
How can I improve my local SEO if I don’t have a physical location?
Even if you don’t have a physical location, you can still apply local SEO strategies. Focus on targeting specific local keywords and optimise your website and content for those search terms. Make use of local search adverts and ensure your listings on online directories and platforms such as Google My Business are up to date.
Local SEO with Traffic Today
Traffic Today is your partner in local SEO! Thanks to their years of experience, our SEO marketers know exactly what it takes to provide you with all the benefits that local SEO has to offer