SEO, or search engine optimisation, is a marketing technique engaged by businesses to help rank their company websites in Google and other search engines. As society has become increasingly technology focused in the last decade, more businesses have decided they want to invest is an online presence and as a result SEO as a practise as grown. Due to the increase in online activity, national SEO has become a very competitive game and unless you are top of your industry, your business might struggle to make the first page of Google for the terms you want to rank for. It’s not all doom and gloom however, national results can be achieved over time but for smaller businesses who want quick results, we can introduce local SEO.

Local SEO stands for local search engine optimisation and involves the same onsite and offsite elements as national SEO, the difference being local marketing targets specific town and city locations rather than focussing on the entire country. Local SEO has grown over the last few years with the increase in smartphone usage. As more people search, on the go, on their mobiles for local services, local SEO has become increasingly important.

Local SEO is ideal for smaller businesses who want to attract local custom. For example if you are a plumber in Derby, you want to attract local, Derbyshire customers rather than get enquiries from someone based in Newcastle. Local SEO will help you rank for your business keywords on a local basis so when someone searches for ‘steakhouse Sheffield’, they will be greeted with a list of steakhouses in that area rather than the opposite end of the country.

Why is local SEO important?

• With more and more people online, local SEO will help you stand out. Rather than your four man band trying to compete with a worldwide cooperation for national rankings, local SEO will help you be the top for your town.
• Attract local customers. Attracting local customers can be preferable for a lot of smaller businesses who may not be able to handle large scale contracts.
• Local SEO will help boast your brand and raises awareness of your business. It will help get your name out there and make people aware of your services/products.
• Beat your competitors. Get online and become top dog before your competitor down the road does the same. The internet has been growing rapidly over the past couple of decades and it’s not showing any signs of stopping any time soon. Make that leap online and get ahead of your competitors.

How does local SEO work?

Local SEO involves multiple offsite and onsite techniques. Firstly marketers will look at employing location keywords in your content and title tags as well as ensuring your website includes your address. Then they will look at building local citations and listings to emphasise that connection between you and the location.

Local SEO works the same as national SEO. It involves the same onsite and offsite marketing principles however it involves targeting a specific location(s). It is a great way for smaller businesses to get their brand noticed and attract local customers.

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