Retail firms might benefit from a local SEO solution to improve their online exposure in a specific geographic area. The company's ultimate goal is to boost omnichannel sales by converting more internet searches into in-store visits.
More in-store visits result in more sales revenue, and in today's retail environment, it's critical to ensure that consumers can find your business. Shoppers are constantly shopping for products and services in their immediate vicinity.
However, enhancing your online presence for your local target audience entails more than just updating your website. We'll go over why local SEO is vital for retail in this article and how to develop a local SEO strategy for your company.
What Is Retail Local SEO?
Local SEO, also known as local search engine optimization, aids local shoppers in finding your retail store through search engine results. While you may believe that SEO is only crucial for your online store, local SEO for retail is just as important for attracting local customers to your physical presence.
Paid Search vs. Local SEO
Local SEO differs from sponsored search in that it is organic, whereas paid search is paid. Both have a price tag because SEO content creation, company listing creation, and product page optimization take time and effort. Unlike paid search, there is no cost to ranking on search engines.
SEO improves your company's exposure or rankings in organic search results, whereas sponsored search allows you to pay for a high spot in search results.
What Are the Benefits of Local SEO for Retailers?
Many SMEs find it challenging to compete with Amazon. Indeed, 89% of local merchants in North America believe they compete directly with online stores. However, times have changed. Local retailers are profiting from customers' desire to support their local community as the "buy local" trend grows in popularity.
To attract nearby clients to your retail store, you must incorporate local SEO into your marketing approach. In fact, in North America, search engines are used by 57.9% of consumers to identify local companies, making it the most popular discovery channel behind consumer reviews (41.4%) and product or brand websites (35.7%).
As more people use the internet to explore stores and products, boosting your online presence to improve local SEO rankings is crucial.
According to research, 81% of US shoppers value the ability to locate a local retailer by searching online quickly.
Investing in local SEO by seeking affordable SEO services is a no-brainer if you want local shoppers eager to spend money at your store to find you.
What Is the Process of Local SEO?
Google utilizes an algorithm to choose what to show in search results for specific queries or phrases. Google's organic algorithm commands most search results, but local search results work slightly differently, and surface results are based on extra characteristics than the standard search algorithm.
The following three factors are considered when conducting a local search on Google:
Relevance
The purpose of Google is to show relevant results to the searcher's query. Relevance is important not only for local SEO but also for conventional search. It's an important factor to think about while generating local search content.
However, how can you ensure that Google and other search engines consider your company relevant? First, double-check that you're targeting keywords or phrases that local shoppers could be looking for.
Suppose you sell kitchen accessories at your Brooklyn boutique, for example. You'll want to target keywords and phrases like "kitchen accessories store Brooklyn" or "kitchen accessories Brooklyn," or you might go even farther and target specific products that your potential clients might look for. Examples include "wooden cutting board Brooklyn," "salad bowl Brooklyn," and "ceramic bowl Brooklyn."
The following are the greatest approaches to inform Google about your company's relevance:
Investing time in optimizing your on-page SEO (more on this below)
Adding schema markup to your website to aid search engines in providing users with useful results
Obtaining backlinks from relevant local and national websites
Using the correct keywords in your company descriptions and content
Producing material that is pertinent to your company and customers
When submitting your business to directories, select the appropriate category
Prominence
Prominence refers to how well your retail establishment stands out from the competition in local SEO. Google also considers the reliability of your company and the accuracy of the information and content you publish.
The more visible your company is on the internet, the better local SEO. This helps Google and other search engines identify and authenticate your firm, and a robust and active online presence helps Google designate your organization as trustworthy and legitimate. All of these elements can help you improve your organic search ranking.
Here are some ideas for enhancing and maintaining your company's prominence:
Adding your company to directories that are relevant to your industry
Creating and sharing relevant information on your website and across social media
Curating and sharing relevant content from various sources
Increasing the number of consumer reviews on your website and other platforms such as Google and Facebook
Obtaining local press and collaborating with bloggers to increase online mentions of your company
Obtaining backlinks from local news and other websites
Using social media networks and, if possible, having your profiles verified
Proximity
After relevance and prominence, proximity is the final ranking criterion for local SEO. It's also the most crucial factor in local ranking.
As a local retailer, you'll want to ensure that when consumers in your community search for relevant topics, Google returns your store in the results.
Shoppers can look for a local business in three different ways:
Non-geo-modified
Geo-modified
Near me
Consider the user intent and optimize for the various methods a potential local customer can find your products to let Google know you're nearby.
Here are some examples of each search type:
Non-Geo-Modified Search
In this search form, the user does not mention the location in their query. Although it is a larger search, it should still be considered when optimizing content. For example, a goal keyword term for your kitchen accessories store may be "kitchen accessories."
Geo-Modified Search
This search includes the shopper's location, such as city, general area, or neighborhood. If a potential customer lives in Brooklyn and seeks kitchen accessories, "kitchen accessories in Brooklyn" could be a target keyword phrase.
Near Me Search
In a near-me search, the user specifies that they want results for businesses in their immediate vicinity. For example, a customer might search "kitchen accessories near me" or "purchase kitchen accessories near me" on Google Search.
The trick is to make sure Google knows your business by including your address on your website and adding location information to your business listings, social media accounts, and wherever your company has an online presence.
Conclusion
SEO evolves at a rapid pace. You never know when Google will add new features to its SERPs for local searches, but you can always expect them. That's why it's critical to stay on top of local SEO. Consider a local SEO audit or small business SEO services provider if you don't have the time or resources to make these changes.
Even beginners can optimize their website with LionRank's step-by-step approach. When you finish one task, the next one begins. This tool is powerful yet has a simple user interface. If you're looking for affordable SEO services, contact us today!
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