Your website gives you the chance to reach the whole world, which is rather epic. 

But what if the whole world is not your target customer? What if your target customer is near to you? This is where local SEO comes in. 

Side note – I can’t say local without thinking about Tubs from The League of Gentlemen.
“Are you local? This is a local shop for local people!”

What is local SEO

Local search engine optimization is also sometimes referred to as local search marketing. 

If you have a local business like a shop or an office where people regularly visit you, you should be optimising your website so people can physically find you. 

It is easiest to optimise for a place where you have a physical location. 

According to Hubspot, 46% of all Google searches are local. 

But it is not just about Google – think Bing, Apple Maps, Duck Duck Go etc.

Your main tool for local SEO is your content. 

Why should I care about local SEO?

Basically, you want your potential customers to find you without having to just walk past you. 

If they are looking for somewhere to eat – they search it on your mobile. 

If you’re looking for a plumber near you – you search it. 

Looking for a garden centre – you look it up online. 

If you want people to find you, you need to optimise for these searches. 

Top tips for local SEO

🔎Have a Google My Business page 

🔎 Set up Bing places 

🔎Have your address on your website 

🔎Have lots of inbound links from other local businesses

🔎Gain local reviews 

🔎It is not just digital – word of mouth and print count 

🔎People don’t just search the name of the town – a lot of people use near me

🔎Make sure your website is optimised for mobile visitors 

🔎Do your keyword research! 

🔎Get local citations (like TripAdvisor, trust a builder, your local chamber of commerce etc)

🔎Get added to directories (like Yellow pages) 

🔎 Follow the usual SEO guidelines

🔎Invite people to create guest blogs 

🔎Create specific landing pages with the location name 

But remember, as with all SEO, it is not ever done.  Finished. Finito. 

SEO needs constant effort, but it reaps long term benefits. It is well worth the time and investment. 

Still sound scary? Don’t worry. Get in touch with us and we can help you tackle your local SEO.