In the recent past, the search behavior of Internet users has changed significantly. Within the last few years, the share of local search queries in particular has risen massively, which is not least due to the spread of mobile devices. Everyone is permanently online, more than half of all search queries are already local today. In such a search, users expect useful and up-to-date search results, especially in a foreign city.

Google now returns local results for almost every search, even if you don’t search locally at all. Personalized search results can also be displayed based on location data. But what should companies actually know regarding this topic?

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is about optimizing the entire web presence for a regional area. Both offpage and onpage SEO measures are used. In local search, other ranking factors must be taken into account than in classic SEO. First of all, a strategy should be chosen. This includes, for example, locating competitors and rivals, defining the respective catchment area, etc.

In order to optimize locally as successfully as possible, the company website in particular must be designed to be visitor and search engine friendly. Above all, contact information and opening hours must be directly visible to the potential customer, and in the best case a description of how to get there is also included. In any case, the page must also be accessible from mobile devices (responsive) and should have fast loading times.

Google My Business and Co.

An essential part of local SEO is Google My Business, because this is a very strong local signal. Anyone who forgoes a company entry here is giving away a lot of potential and is at a clear competitive disadvantage compared to competitors who have such an entry. The advantages of the entry in detail:

• the potential customer sees all relevant data at a glance (phone number, e-mail, address, opening hours etc.)
• the profile can be highlighted with the company description
• by means of posts it is possible to create interesting content, which can appeal to the potential customers
• Events and special promotions can be announced
• there is the possibility to communicate with customers or to answer their questions, for example
• you can get ratings
• the product range or the range of services can be listed

In addition to Google My Business, there are other systems, such as “Places for Business” from Bing or “Apple Maps” – it can be well worthwhile to be represented there, especially because the respective entries take each other as a reference. In addition, it is also quite advisable to be represented in some reputable local business directories. An SEO agency specializing in local search engine optimization, such as seonorth.de, can help advance the local SEO strategy and develop a holistic concept.

Not only interesting for local companies

Unlike classic SEO, which transcends local and often country borders, local SEO is less competitive. A local search query is usually associated with a specific intention to contact or buy. The competition is rather manageable and therefore companies should not disregard local SEO when it comes to increasing sales. Behind almost every local search query is a potential customer. Moreover, local SEO is by no means exclusively interesting for local retailers. Companies with a larger catchment area can also take advantage of local SEO. For this purpose, all generally valid websites are optimized on a supra-regional basis. Furthermore, separate local subpages are created for all locations or catchment areas. These subpages can then be optimized for local search.

Ali Oukassi

Mohamed Ali Oukassi ist Gründer und Inhaber von eBakery. Er hat mehr als zwölf Jahre Erfahrung in der E-Commerce Welt. Mit seinem Team aus Experten kann er jeden Bereich abdecken und lebt den Full-Service-Gedanken, egal ob es um die Erstellung / Umstellung eines Shops, die Berartung hinsichtlich des richtigen Shopsystems, Marketingfragen, SEO oder auch das Thema Social Media Integration geht. Gut vernetzt und mit einem leistungsstarken Personal im Rücken, nimmt er sich jeder Herausforderung im E-Commerce an.