Local SEO: The Truth About Local Search [2020] 2020

Local SEO is one of the most effective marketing technique for businesses with a local store. Many myths are circulating around the topic of local search engine optimization, but many of them are absolute nonsense. In this article, we will take a detailed look at what exactly is “Local SEO” and which procedures you can actually use to improve your Google rankings in practice.

Contents

 

1. What is Local SEO?
2. Who is Local SEO for?
3. Why is local SEO so important?
4. What exactly is a local search query?
5. Local searches on Google
6. How does local SEO work in practice?
7. Overview of ranking factors in local SEO
8. Ranking factors for the Local Snack Pack
9. On-page tips for local search engine optimization
10. Local keyword research
11. Content optimization for local search
12. Conclusion

What is Local SEO?

In the context of search engine optimization, “Local SEO” describes all measures and tactics that have a positive influence on the ranking of your website in local search queries. This usually means search queries for regional service providers or shops (restaurants, doctors, lawyers, hairdressers, fitness studios).

One therefore often speaks of “local search engine optimization”. More precisely, local SEO means the optimization of a website for keywords that are specified, for example, by a place name and thus express a crystal-clear local reference.

However, the Google search algorithm now works in such a way that even simple search queries without a location are localized and only results from the searcher's immediate environment are displayed. This is usually done by reading out the current location (GPS), the IP address or the WLAN data.

In addition, the term “Local SEO” also includes optimization for map services such as Google Maps or Bing Places. This type of local SEO is becoming more and more relevant, especially for companies with a “mobile” target group (mostly B2C companies). After all, the first three results in the organic (unpaid) search results mostly consist of entries from map services. 

 

Who is Local SEO for?

Basically, local search engine optimization is suitable for any company that operates on a location and sells goods and / or receives customers in a shop .

The classic examples for customers in local SEO are:

• lawyers
• Architects
• car dealer
• doctors
• Bars
• Hardware stores
• Construction company
• Clothing stores
• Beauty Studios
• Furniture stores
• Retailers
• Gyms
• Hairdressers
• Real estate agent
• Car workshop
• plumber
• painter
• Massage parlours
• Restaurants
• Plumbing technician
• tax consultant
• Gas stations
• Tattoo studios

Of course, Local SEO is also suitable for companies that have different locations. In such cases, the various branches can be taken into account when creating the website and topic-relevant content with local reference can be published for each location. With the help of a clearly defined URL structure, you increase your chances of ranking in the local search results many times over.

Apart from that, a whole new market can be opened up with the help of local search engine optimization - especially for companies that prefer to sell their products and services offline. Experience has shown that the competition in such branches of industry is significantly smaller than with typical “online offers”, which is why the effort for local search engine optimization is also significantly lower than with national or even international campaigns.

Why is local SEO so important?

Local search engine optimization has become an integral part of our everyday life. After all, search queries with a local reference have long since become the norm - regardless of whether from the perspective of companies or consumers. Nowadays, nobody digs a telephone directory or a business directory out of the closet in order to find a regional service provider, for example - apart from the fact that hardly anyone has anything like it anymore.

The fact is: Our world is digital and Google is the primary point of contact for potential customers looking for the right service provider on the internet. Therefore, even small companies that have not yet placed great value on online presences should start dealing with it as soon as possible.

Mobile users who only use their smartphone for research purposes have become particularly important. Anyone who is currently on the go and needs a certain product or service in a hurry will usually grab their smartphone immediately to search for it online.

Statistics on mobile user behaviour even show that 82% of users who use their smartphones to research products or services are often just about to make an actual purchase decision and go to the relevant store immediately after their search.

Due to these specific intentions to act, the number of website visitors who convert to leads on your website is higher than with non-local search queries.

 

What exactly is a local search query?

When one speaks of local SEO, search queries with a local reference are meant - that is already clear. However, we have to differentiate roughly between three different types of local searches:

1.   Search queries with location information

2.   Search phrases without a location (but with a local reference)

3.   Looking for a specific location

This is what local search results look like on Google

At first it does not matter whether our search query was specified by a place name or not. Basically, the search results that Google suggests look something like this

If we look at the search hits, the individual results are divided into three different categories:

1.   Local Ads (Google Ads)

2.   Local Snack Pack (Google My Business / Google Maps)

3.   Local (organic) search results

We ignore the local advertisements and focus exclusively on the unpaid results, i.e. the Local Snack Pack and the organic search results . After all, the goal of local SEO is to dominate the local search results without having to spend money on advertising.

What is the significance of the “Snack Pack” for local SEO?

The three entries above the organic search results are known as the Local Snack Pack. These results are provided by Google My Business (GMB). Due to the number of entries shown, this excerpt from Google's online business directory is also referred to as “Local 3-Pack” .

If we look at the search results for our keyword, we immediately notice that the entries from the Local Snack Pack are positioned much more dominantly than the “normal” organic search results. As a result, many users will focus exclusively on these three results without even scrolling down to the organic search results.

The dominance of the Local Snack Pack is particularly noticeable on mobile devices:

 

The specialty of these results is that your website has only a small influence on the ranking within this list. Therefore, you should n't blindly focus on optimizing your Internet presence in your local SEO strategy , but also include your Google My Business account . 

We'll have a look at exactly how you can rank in Google's Local Snack Pack. Before that I want to show you the difference between our three types of search queries.

Local searches on Google

As mentioned earlier, there are three types of local searches.
These are structured as follows:

1. Search queries with location information

2. Search phrases without location information (but with a local reference)

3. Local search for a specific location

1. Local searches with location information

In short, it means search queries like for example if we want to search Local SEO Services in Nottingham in which the search is specified with the help of a location . These search phrases occur most frequently in practice, as they convey very specifically what a user is looking for or what his intention is .

For Google's search algorithm , it is therefore also very easy to recognize the user's search intent and to list relevant search hits on the basis of his search results. This is exactly why these local search queries are perfect for your own keyword strategy in local SEO . 

Of course, there are also slight modifications here , so that instead of the city name, for example, a region , a district or even a district is specified.

Search query with location information (the classic in local SEO):

Local search query specifying the region:

2. Local search queries without location information (with local reference)

But even if our search queries do not contain a place name, there is often a local reference. For example, when we are looking for service providers who inevitably act locally (e.g. local seo or restaurants).

However, it is noticeable that some of the results differ completely from our previous search. Although only local seo from Nottingham are listed here, but from a completely different district:

 

This is because Google tries to locate the IP address or the location of my device and, based on this , lists the closest medical practices possible . One speaks here of “personalized search results”.

 

This is why the Local Snack Pack is so relevant

In addition, it can be clearly seen that the results from the Local Snack Pack top our list of search results again. This personalization is not always precise, but shows impressively how important a Google My Business account is for your own local SEO strategy.

Finally, Google suggests entries from their own online business directory as the first three results. Based on the IP analysis, it is assumed that I am in the Bielefeld-Brackwede district at the time of the search and that I am looking for a doctor in the immediate vicinity.

SERP features for general search queries

Our search hits also contain SERP features , such as frequently asked questions regarding our search phrase . This in turn is due to the fact that a non-specific search such as “doctor” usually has no commercial character and does not convey any concrete need for action .

 

3. Local searches for a specific location

The third type of local search query is the search for a specific location, for example for a specific seo services within Nottingham.

The presentation differs significantly from that of our previous two examples:

 

While in the local search queries with and without location information, it was only relevant to look for WHAT in our third example we are looking for a specific location.

In the context of the search intention, we speak of a “navigational search term” or a brand search:

In short, this means for Google: The user already knows which local seo sevices they want to go to.

That's why Google's task is only to list the correct address or the contact details of the doctor of choice for the user. This is exactly why our SERPs no longer contain entries from GMB, but only relevant entries that contain the brand name from our search phrase.

Search hits are displayed even more simply and clearly on mobile devices. 

How does local SEO work in practice?

While you have already got to know the different types of local search queries , from now on I would like to concentrate exclusively on improving the local Google rankings . 

For you, this means that you will receive concrete recommendations for action and tips for the practical implementation of local search engine optimization. To do this, however, we first take a look at the extent to which the requirements in Local SEO differ from our “regular” ranking factors.

Overview of ranking factors in local SEO

Whether title tag , meta description , SEO texts  or link building - what works on a national or international level also has a positive effect on local SEO .

However, there are some special features here that we will look at in detail in a moment. More precisely, we have to differentiate again between the generic search results and the Local Snack Pack.

After all, there are various requirements that can have a positive or negative impact on your rankings in both areas.

Ranking factors for the Local Snack Pack

Let's start with the optimization of your Google My Business (GMB) account. If you do a local search, Google will list the most relevant results for you. However, we are not only shown the company name or contact details, but also other information such as Google reviews, opening times or peak hours.

 

According to the Google, various ranking factors are taken into account in order to occupy first place in these local lists :

• Thematic relevance
• Distance to the user
• Awareness of the company
• Number and average of ratings
• Complete GMB profile (including pictures)
• Awareness of the company
• Placements in organic search
• Backlinks and entries from business directories ( citations )
• Optimizing your own website

For your local SEO strategy, you should therefore also consider all of the points listed.

It can be seen relatively quickly that most local ranking factors are independent of your own website. However, positive (organic) rankings can also have a positive effect on your ranking in the snack pack.

Attention! Always use uniform company data (NAP)

In addition, you should in the course of your Local SEO strategy pays special attention to the consistency of your corporate data set that you, for example, in business directories or yellow pages specify. These entries are also known as “ Citations ” in relation to Local SEO and, among other things, have an impact on the awareness of your company.

Especially worth mentioning is " NAP " = N ame, A dress, P hone Number:

• Company name 
• Company address 
• Phone number

Basically, you should just make sure that you always use the same company name, the same spelling for your address and the same format for your phone number.

On-page tips for local search engine optimization

After we have dealt extensively with Google My Business, we now come to the On page Optimization of your website for local search. The content and the selection of local keywords play a particularly important role here. Of course, you should also take technical optimization into account in local SEO and, if necessary, fix the following things first:

• Ease of use / responsive web design
• Loading times (PageSpeed)
• Accessibility & indexability
• Fix 404 errors      

Local keyword research

Before we start the actual optimization, we carry out the Keyword Reseach . However, our focus is exclusively on search queries with location or local reference. 

Try to find keywords that are relevant to the topic and have the highest possible monthly search volume. To get an impression of what is often searched for, it is advisable to first take a look at Google search.

Use keywords for specific services

Another tactic for finding local keywords is to use specific services within the search phrase. Let us see the example of the hairdresser, the following keywords are suitable:

• "Beauty Salon"
• "Barber Shop" 
• "Haircolor"
• "Cut beard"
• "Pluck eyebrows"
• "Ladies Hairdresser"
• "Barber"
• "Balayage"
• "Hair extension"
• "Extensions"

In order to rank in the local search results for all subject-relevant keywords, it is advisable to create individual landing pages for each keyword. This increases the relevance of your website with regard to everything that has to do with the topic of “hairdressers” and maximizes your chances of numerous organic search engine placements.

 

Content optimization for local search

When you've finished your local keyword research, you're ready to start creating content. 

As mentioned before, the consistency of your company data (NAP) is again important. If your company only has one location, then it is sufficient to include the contact details in the imprint, the contact page and ideally the footer.

Otherwise, you can optimize your content in the same way as you normally do it. However, it is particularly important that your keyword (perfectly consisting of service + place name) can be found in the following areas of your page:

• Headings (min.H1 + H2)
• Body text
• ALT attributes
• Url
• Search Snippet (Title + Meta Description)
• Scheme markup

In this way you give your content more local reference

To maximize the local relevance of your content, I recommend the following tactics:

• Integration of Google Maps
• Link to the Google My Business profile
• Pictures / videos from the shop (inside and outside)
• Directions for public transport
• Presentation of the team
• Link to local press releases
• Link to rating platforms
• Integration of customer reviews
• Information about the area in which your own services are offered
• Blog posts on regional topics (e.g. trade fairs, events or other events)

 
Use the "Local Business" schema markup

Finally, I would like to give you a tip that can really make the decisive difference in practice and should therefore not be missing in any local SEO strategy . What is meant is the so-called schema markup , whereby “structured data” is mostly used .

Structured data helps search engines understand what your website is about and what its purpose is. This in turn makes it easier for the Google bot to classify landing pages. 

However, there are numerous types of schema markup, each with a different purpose. There is actually only one type of structured data that is helpful for improving local rankings: The “Local Business” markup.

This type of structured data was specially designed for location-based companies with retail stores.

To implement the markup on your website, you can use the Markup helper from Google.

 

Conclusion

Local SEO should be an indispensable component of their own online marketing strategy for location-based companies with shops and local service providers. With the help of the various practical techniques and recommendations for action from this article, you will immediately be able to increase your online presence and make more customers aware of your offer. 

As you have learned, it is not only your website that plays a key role, but also map services such as Google Maps / Google My Business, Bing Places or Apple Maps.