What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing the presence of a business in the Google Search, Google Maps, and other local-based search engine's organic (unpaid) search results.

For example, it can make your Google Business Profile rank better within the local pack.

The local SEO also has the capacity to increase your rankings in the standard search results or the blue links.

The search results are mostly personalized with respect to the country the user is from. Local SEO spills outside the country and is concerned with reaching the individuals in more specific areas like cities and districts.

Approaches to local SEO such as this are helpful to companies with physical stores (for example restaurants, dentists, and mechanics) and local service providers (for instance plumbers, tutors, and dog walkers).

Why Is Local SEO Important?

Local SEO is important because it ensures that a business is visible in searches that are happening within the locality, in a way therefore attracting the customers within the area as well as increasing the sales.

Google serves billions of local searches in a month and being at the top when individuals search for related queries will therefore make it easier for you to get customers.

Google displays the local results if Google finds that users are seeking nearby items, services, or facilities-or in a particular range.

Local keywords that were found using Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool include:

"mexican restaurants"

"mexican restaurants near me"

"mexican restaurants in dallas"

Businesses that are well-optimized locally seem to be at the top for such keywords and this increases the likelihood of them being found and interacted with by many users.

It does not matter the nature of your business or where it is located as you can probably serve potential customers through

How Local SEO Works

The local SEO can help to push your ratings up on the search networks when people enter applicable queries due to the fact it will help Google to discover where your business is located and what services it provides—and it may also increase a rating of Google on your business as popular and trustworthy.

Things that Google takes into account while listing businesses in Google maps and local packs include:

• Relevance: How applicable the business is to what the user is looking for
• Distance: Distance from the business to where the user is likely to be.
• Prominence: The fame and the number of reviews of the business.

For the conventional search results, factors that Google takes into account when ranking web pages include:

• Relevance: How good your webpage is in relation to what the user is searching for
• Quality: How useful and reliable your content is
• Usability: How effective your webpage is (in terms of such parameters as speed and mobile-friendliness)

How to Do Local SEO

Create a plan to increase your local rankings and boost traffic by following these steps:

Do Local Keyword Research

Local SEO keyword research is focusing on researching search terms that people enter if searching for local products and services.

Search engine ranking for these keywords delivers laser targeted local traffic to your website, and it could possibly bring you more customers.

Create a short list of keywords that people can use to search for your local business. Then either use one or more of the methods below.

Research Your Competitors

Use Semrush’s Keyword Gap tool and find out keywords your competitors rank for.

Enter domain for your business and up to 4 competitor’s domains. The tool will offer you suggestions to help you.

Select your target country and press ‘Compare’.

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Scroll down to the Keyword table and click on "Untapped” to show keywords with at least one competitor and you have no rankings for, potential opportunities.

There is also the option to filter based on:

Volume: keyword search volume- average number of searches for the keyword

KD%: The keyword difficulty score, which determines how difficult it is to have a high position in the keyword search resultstc

Intent: The purpose of the search, broadly (transactional, commercial, navigational and/or informational)

Filtering the above metrics and analyzing the result will enable you to know the most suitable keywords for your local SEO strategy.

Use Google Autocomplete

Google Autocomplete completes the queries when you type something on Google, and it will enable you to find your valuable long-tail keywords for local SEO because predictions use your location to some extent.

For instance, the phrase “best [product/service] in” a given city may provide such suggestions as the following:

These locations are near the searcher’s location.

To find valuable local keywords, start typing terms related to your business to uncover local keyword suggestions:

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is a free listing which is able to be in Google results.

By optimizing your profile, you become more likely to show on the search results when prospects search for any relevant keyword which makes you more likely to be contacted or visited.

Add and/or verify your Business Profile to start – and complete profile completely.

Provide details such as:

• Contact information
• Opening hours
• Photos and videos
• Business attributes (e.g., Wi-Fi availability, outdoor seating, etc.)

Keep Your Business Profile Active

An active Business Profile shows Google and users that you're an engaged business owner, which can improve rankings and attract more customers.

When it comes to being active and ensuring that the users have accurate and comprehensive information, updating your business details (e.g., holiday hours or new addresses) is one of the most important things you can do.

Also think of posting Business Profile updates on news, events, and offers.

Provided you have Semrush Social, it is easy for you to schedule your posts.

The more Google finds consistent NAP citation for your business, the more it becomes sure that your business is legitimate and reliable. 

In this case, try to get stable quotations from as many reliable websites as possible.

One of the convenient tools that you can use to monitor your local listings and then publish them in authoritative directories is Semrush’s Listing Management tool.

First of all, enter your company name and choose the appropriate address from the drop down list.

To understand the keywords that trigger a local pack, you will need to visit “SERP Features”, click on the circle on the chaos page and select “Local pack”.

Alternatively, you can use the “[domain] doesn’t rank” option in order to spot places where you do not rank and which belong to the local pack.