More consumers use search engines to find local businesses and service providers in today's digital age. Unlike traditional directories and telephones, this new method is convenient, as it can help them find what they need with a few clicks. It also enables them to browse the internet anytime, mainly if they use mobile devices. For those reasons, your organisation must find ways to attract new customers and stay competitive.
Besides offering quality services or unique products, you can improve your online visibility by optimising your site for local search engine optimisation (SEO). It has also become advantageous if you're using Wix to build your site, as this easy-to-use platform offers numerous features to improve your local rankings.
If you want to improve your visibility in your locality, this article is your guide to understanding the significance of local SEO for Wix sites.
What Is Local SEO?
Businesses like contractors, solicitors, restaurants, and retailers need local SEO, as it can increase their online visibility and gain more customers or clients. A study found that many consumers searched for local businesses online in 2020, emphasising the significance of local SEO. Not practising this essential strategy can cause you to miss out on thousands of potential consumers interested in shopping in your area.
What Does It Mean to Optimise Your Business for Local Search?
Optimising your business for local search involves maintaining your Google Business Profile (GBP), managing reviews, and using location-specific keywords. You should also learn to manage directory listings on relevant websites.
Why Should You Care about Local SEO?
Local SEO is crucial for businesses with physical locations that want to attract more customers, especially for service area organisations operating in a specific region but not at their company address. Optimising your company for local search can increase your visibility and boost your chances of appearing in front of potential customers when they need them the most.
For instance, a pizza chain with many locations nationwide can show up whenever consumers search for “pizza delivery,” Google’s local search algorithm will display the top-rated pizza parlours nearby. Similarly, a plumbing company might want to optimise search queries like “emergency plumbing services.”
What Industries Rely on Local SEO?
Besides retailers, restaurants, legal firms, and contractors, industries like financial services, hospitality, automotive, and health and wellness rely on local SEO for visibility.
Traditional vs Local SEO: What Are the Differences?
While traditional SEO and local SEO are essential to helping your company improve its conversion rates, remember that these tactics differ. This section will define these strategies and provide some examples.
What Is Traditional SEO?
Traditional SEO means enhancing your website's ranking on search engines through link building, keyword research, and content creation. This optimisation strategy mainly targets online customers regardless of their location.
For example, if your eCommerce store sells gaming laptops, you may use specific keywords like “gaming laptop 2022” and “best gaming laptops” in your content to boost your relevance and search engine rankings. You can also gain more visibility by hiring freelancers to write blog posts analysing trends in the laptop industry.
What Is Local SEO?
On the other hand, local SEO improves your physical locations’ or service areas’ visibility on online platforms. This tactic helps businesses attract customers explicitly searching for products or services nearby. It focuses on search queries with local intent, like “closest restaurants” and “nearest computer stores.” Search engines like Google can detect it, even if users don’t explicitly state it in the query.
3 Factors in Google’s Local Search Algorithm
Many business owners don’t fully know Google’s local search engine algorithm, as the search engine didn’t disclose all the details. However, this section determines the main factors that dominate the local search results.
1. Distance
Google defines distance as the business’s proximity to the person conducting the search query. If someone searches for “flower shop near me” or “flower shop in Bordon,” the results will vary on the physical distance between the person and the business. However, if the person is in Bordon, the results for both searches would likely be the same.
2. Relevance
The world-famous search engine defines relevance as how accurately a local business profile aligns with the searcher’s used search terms.
3. Prominence
Google states that prominence is the level of respect and popularity a business holds. It considers factors like the company’s available information on the web, including links, articles, and directories.
5 Ways to Boost Your Local Ranking and Build Customer Trust
Here are the five best practices your business should implement.
1. Ensure Your Local Listing Is Accurate
Keeping your business information updated and consistent across all platforms, like your address and contact number, improves your local search ranking by showing your proximity to the user. It also helps customers find your physical location.
2. Set up a Local Profile
Completing your local profile enables potential customers to understand your company better. It will also improve your ranking when people search for businesses in your area.
3. Focus On Local Ratings
You can rank higher by ensuring your customers are happy and responding to all their feedback. You should also know that the keywords in your Google Business can also impact your local search engine optimisation.
4. Encourage Buyers to Leave Detailed Reviews
You can improve your business’s ranking on Google by asking customers to leave detailed reviews with a rating above four out of five. Don’t forget to follow the relevant platform’s solicitation policies.
5. Implement On-Page Local SEO
Focus on creating relevant and high-quality content and ensure your website is accessible to search engines. Remember that Wix's infrastructure supports search engines to read their site content.
Why Local SEO Is Essential for Google's 3-Pack
Local SEO impacts your position in Google's 3-pack, the first thing your potential customers see on the search engine results page (SERP) for local searches. Appearing in the 3-pack can give you a lot of exposure and help customers make purchasing decisions.
Why Should You Go Local Beyond Google?
Although Google dominates the search engine market, you shouldn’t neglect other platforms like Bing and Apple Maps. It’s because they can pull business data directly from Google Business Profile, and they’re gaining popularity. Directory sites and social media platforms can also enhance your online presence and reach potential customers in more places.
The Bottom Line
All small businesses and service providers deserve to thrive locally, as it’s the first step to success. You can increase your visibility and be more efficient by using Wix’s SEO features.
If your Wix site needs help with local SEO in Hampshire, contact Vision Marketing! Our expert team is committed to helping our clients get more leads and sales with our high-quality bespoke services. Contact us now!
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