How Local SEO Can Help Businesses

Local SEO is a powerful tool that helps you connect with customers right on your doorstep.

It’s more than just about getting more traffic to your website from any old source—it’s about being found by the people who are looking for services or products exactly like yours that are close to you and likely to convert.

What Is Local SEO and Why Does It Matter?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is a strategy that helps businesses appear in searches related to their physical location. When potential customers search for something like “plumbers in Preston” or “coffee shops near me,” they want relevant, local results. Search engines know that there is no point in telling someone searching for “parking” that there’s a free space miles away from where they are.

Google and other search engines provide these results based on various local signals, from where the searcher is located to how well-optimised a business’s online presence is.

For local businesses, ranking higher in these local searches can lead to more website visits, phone calls, and foot traffic to your physical location so it’s important that you don’t overlook this part of your organic strategy.

What Are The Benefits of Local SEO

Local SEO isn’t just about showing up in search results—it’s about giving your business a real chance to connect with people who are actively looking for what you offer. Here’s how it can benefit your business:

Reaching Local Customers

By focusing on local SEO, you can help your business get seen by people in your area who are ready to make a purchase or schedule a service. Someone searching for “SEO Preston” or “plumber near me” is likely looking for immediate solutions close to them. Showing up in these searches means you are more likely to attract these customers.

Setting Customer Expectations

A well-optimised website doesn’t just help people find you—it also helps set the right expectations before they even walk through your door.

By having the right information on your website like opening hours, the services you offer and prices for those services, you give potential visitors everything they need to know about your business.

For instance, if you run a restaurant, your menu, reviews, and photos can help people decide to visit you instead of a competitor. Clear and accurate online information leads to better customer satisfaction because they already know what to expect when they arrive.

Strategies to Boost Your Local SEO Rankings

It’s all well and good knowing how local SEO can help your business, but it’s another to know how to develop and execute a strategy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, we’ll be happy to help you map out a plan to grow your local presence and we can even help you execute it if you’re struggling to find the time to manage your marketing. Here’s how we’ll help you get seen locally.

Optimise Your Google Business Profile

One of the best steps you can take to improve your local SEO is making sure your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is optimised and up to date. This profile appears when someone searches for your business on Google Maps or in local search results and can help they get directions to your shop. There’s a lot you can do with this platform but here’s where to start.

• Make sure all of your business information is accurate and complete, including your address, phone number, website, and hours of operation. MAke sure to add in any special business hours for bank holidays, festivals or personal holidays where you won’t be available.
• Choose the right business categories and add relevant services or products to give potential customers a clear idea of what you offer. You can also take advantages of other features in the tool to let people know if you’re in an accessible location and anything else they need to know about your location.
• Regularly post updates, photos, and respond to reviews. Yes, even the negative ones. This helps to keep your profile active and encourages more engagement from searchers.

If you’re not sure how to set up your profile or if you’re struggling with any of the tools on the platform, we’ll be happy to help.

Use Local Keywords in Your Content

We’ve long spoken about the benefits of content marketing and how it can improve your visibility. To rank for local searches like “SEO Preston” or “best bakery in Blackpool,” it’s important to include these kinds of phrases naturally throughout your website.

One important thing to keep in mind is not to write nonsense with the keyword repeated several times for no reason. Everything you write should make sense and have a purpose. The rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t find it helpful or be able to read it, neither will your customers.

Use Local Schema Markup

Using schema markup is a more technical aspect of local SEO but can significantly help search engines understand the context of your business. For all everyone likes to speak about Google and other search engines like their sentient beings making decisions about your website, they are ultimately a machine.

Schema is code that their machines understand that you can add to your website that helps search engines better interpret your business information, like your name, address, phone number, and business hours.

When done correctly, local schema can improve the chances of appearing in rich search results, such as those that display business details directly in the search results. This can make your listing stand out from the competition and increase the likelihood of clicks and conversions helping you get seen by your local customers.

Everything we’ve suggested is all about making sure your business is visible to the people who matter most—those who are nearby and looking for you.

By optimising your online presence, from your Google Business Profile to your website, and using local SEO strategies, you give your business the best chance of being found by local customers.

Whether you’re just starting with SEO or looking to fine-tune your existing strategy, focusing on local SEO can have a big impact on your business’s success.

We know it can be overwhelming thinking about managing all of these elements and running your business at the same time. We’re here to help you get seen at a local level and grow. If you’d like to know more about local SEO, how we can help with your Google business profile, or if you’d just like to talk through some options we’d love to chat.