Everything About Local SEO Services

Why should businesses opt for local SEO services

Many local businesses find it unrealistic to allocate the amount of commitment necessary to carry out a successful local SEO campaign.

When you choose to delegate the task of cleaning staff uniforms or maintaining your property’s appearance by hiring a landscaping service instead of doing it yourself, it is also typical to hire a local SEO agency or consultant to manage your local search engine marketing.

By outsourcing, you not only save time but also gain the assurance that a specialist is managing tasks that have the potential to significantly impact your local search visibility.

In order to make sure you select the right partner and have the required local search engine optimization tactics handled, it is beneficial to comprehend the responsibilities of a local SEO specialist and the ways they can assist. Although there may be certain aspects that you are willing to deal with internally, there are other tasks that are more appealing to entrust to a qualified professional.

What does a local SEO specialist do

The task of a local SEO specialist involves assisting local businesses in enhancing their visibility in local search results. This involves performing various tasks such as optimizing the website of the local business, managing reputation, and optimizing the Google Business profile.

What is local SEO and why is it important

If your business has a local client or customer base, implementing local SEO can be advantageous. By utilizing local SEO, Google search can associate your business with location-based searches, emphasizing your business’s importance within the local area.

Local SEO not only focuses on reaching your local customers but also aims to connect your business with specific geographical areas.

If you run an events company, it is important to be discoverable by anyone hosting events in nearby venues or within your service area. It doesn’t matter if they are local or not, as long as they are searching for event planners near their selected venue, you should be easily found.

What are local SEO services

If you are considering outsourcing to an agency partner or consultant, the local SEO services to consider are:

1. Localizing your website

The process of localizing your website involves seamlessly incorporating the name of your city, county, state, or region into various parts of your site content, such as the footer, contact page, page titles, H1 headers, and meta descriptions.

By following this process, you provide search engines with valuable information regarding the appropriate local search results where your website should be displayed. The significance lies in establishing your website’s relevance for local search results.

When it comes to multi-business locations, it is not recommended to localize the main site for a specific location. Instead, it is advisable to create separate pages for each individual location or store. These pages should be tailored to the specific surrounding area. Additionally, each location page should incorporate the location keyword into its URL structure.

2. Local link building

Local links are crucial for local SEO as they contribute to increased online visibility and offer new ways for local consumers to find your site. Additionally, links have been a significant factor in local SEO rankings for a long time.

When it comes to link building for a local business, one will typically need to engage with and reach out to the local community. Local links can originate from various sources, such as local media establishments, chambers of commerce and business groups, directory sites, community groups, and even neighboring businesses.

Identifying potential sites for obtaining a local link and contacting potential customers is a task that requires a lot of time. Nevertheless, a competent local SEO agency or consultant should possess various strategies for building local links, such as creating valuable content, sponsoring events, actively participating in the community, or supporting local charities.

Link building can also increase the visibility of your business and enhance the credibility and authority of your brand.

3. Google business profile setup and optimization

Claiming your business listing and ensuring it is fully optimized is a crucial part of any local SEO strategy because Google Business Profile information is utilized to fill local search results, the Local Pack, and Maps. Google Business Profile signals are prominently featured among the top 15 influential local SEO ranking signals, and their significance continues to grow annually.

The setup of your profile is crucial for the overall success of your local business, as indicated by data from Google.

Local consumers are 2.7% more likely to view your business as reputable if the Google Business Profile is complete
50% more likely to make a purchase and
70% more likely to visit your location.

Several features within the Google Business Profile, such as Q&As, Google Posts, and Google Reviews, offer valuable information to local search users prior to their decision of visiting your website.

Even if search users do not visit the local business website, the information visible on the local search results page can still affect their opinion of the business and provide them with knowledge about its products and services.

4. Google business profile posts management

Using Google Business Posts allows businesses to share news, events, offers, and company announcements with local consumers, serving as the local search equivalent of social media updates.

Local search users have more information about your business
They can easily access product announcements and special offers directly from local search
You can engage local consumers with timely information and locally themed content
You can promote your special offers, sales, and discounts within the local search results
Offer a better customer experience with easy access to the most up-to-date information about your business
Share engaging images and videos to capture the search user’s attention

GBP Post Scheduler is a local SEO service that can significantly modify the game by reducing the time and complexity involved in creating posts at scale.

5. Google business profile and maps spam fighting

The existence of Google Business Profile spam presents a continuous danger to the visibility of your search results. Your own business listing may be relegated lower in the local search results due to fraudulent profiles actively vying against it. Similarly, false reviews have the potential to mislead local consumers with a negative perception of your business.

Spam is a common occurrence on Google Business. According to Google, in the year 2021 alone, they prevented over three million fraudulent attempts to claim Business Profiles, took down over three million fake Business Profiles, and eliminated more than 55 million reviews.

For the average consumer, it can be challenging to identify a fake or spam profile. Additionally, although monitoring for spam can be tiresome, it is crucial to safeguard your local search presence and reputation.

By flagging up fake reviews and reporting Spam Profiles, you won’t be wasting time and resources battling non-existent businesses or competitors attempting to boost their rankings through unethical methods. It is possible that fake profiles may require multiple flags before Google takes action to remove them.

To report misleading or spam profiles on Google Maps, there are two options available: using the Redressal Form or utilizing the ‘Suggest an edit’ feature on the profile itself.

6. Reputation management

With local consumers reading more reviews and more frequently, online reviews have become increasingly important. They assist consumers in establishing shortlists, comparing local businesses, and ultimately making a decision on where to spend their money, contributing to the aspect of trust.

Reputation management consists of:

Being proactive about requesting reviews to build your review profile
Monitoring for new reviews
Responding to good reviews
Responding to negative reviews
Identifying any recurring issues flagged up in reviews that could impact the wider success of the business (such as complaints about venue cleanliness, long wait times, or unhelpful staff)
Repurposing good reviews
Identifying appropriate new review platforms

For enterprise businesses that have numerous locations, the significance of online reputation is extremely high. To handle the hundreds of thousands of daily reviews, these businesses often allocate a dedicated staff member or team for monitoring, managing, and prioritizing. The online review statistics unequivocally demonstrate the importance of this aspect. This is precisely where a reputation management tool can be immensely beneficial.

7. Keyword research

By conducting comprehensive research on local keywords and staying updated on new keywords as search behaviors evolve, you gain insights that influence several aspects of your local SEO strategy, including the wording on your Google Profile and the textual content on your website.

The process of keyword research can be intricate, involving the consideration of numerous keyword combinations and various metrics like competition level and intent. It is important to approach keyword research in a way that mirrors consumers’ search patterns over time, which makes understanding shifting behaviors and emerging trends valuable.

If you do not continuously conduct keyword research, your local SEO strategy may rely on outdated data, which can result in lower search traffic and conversions.

Best local SEO services for small businesses in 2023

SEO discovery private limited

Since 2007, SEO Discovery has been a trusted provider of SEO services, offering the guarantee of achieving a #1 ranking on Google within a specified timeframe or providing additional work at no cost until the desired ranking is achieved. Our in-house SEO team is highly skilled and experienced in developing personalized strategies to improve your search engine rankings, leading to increased leads, sales, and revenue. We pride ourselves on being the first SEO company in the world to combine our services with data science.

An offering of an SEO discovery service is available.

Specialization refers to the process of focusing on a specific area or field, honing one’s skills and expertise in that particular domain. This entails dedicating one’s time and efforts to becoming highly knowledgeable and proficient in a particular subject or industry, often to the exclusion of other areas. Specialization allows individuals to become specialists in their chosen field, enabling them to provide specialized services or offer unique insights and solutions.

BrightLocal – Best for assessing local search performance

BrightLocal offers a comprehensive software solution for agencies and local businesses involved in local marketing. For marketers, their local platform equips them with the necessary tools to effectively manage specific tasks related to local SEO. If you are an advanced client or have a predetermined plan to execute, BrightLocal is an ideal choice as it enables you to independently handle the implementation process.

BrightLocal stands out for its ability to cater to both brands and agencies by providing software and services. Their range of services includes manual submission, citation building, and management services for your local SEO campaigns, making them an excellent choice for those seeking supportive assistance.

Specialists in local search, they possess extensive knowledge in this field. Collaborating with both small, local businesses and prominent national clients such as Valvoline, their aggregate review rating ranges from 3.8 to 4.9 stars.

BrightLocal has a client list that includes:

Valvoline
IKEA
Kumon
Havas
Roto-Rooter
Halfords

DMA – Best for worldwide local search

The aggregate rating of the reviews is 3.7 out of 5 stars.

If you are looking to expand your regional or national multi-location business and want to enter new markets successfully, you will need the support of a provider such as DMA, an award-winning international marketing agency that offers full-service marketing and advertising assistance for local businesses.

DMA has a total of 10 offices located across 4 different continents.

They have expertise in managing big, multinational clients and small, local brands. They are skilled at handling large, blue-chip accounts and can effectively oversee local search campaigns in diverse markets, encompassing different languages, cultures, and expectations.

DMA is highly regarded in the industry and has an aggregate review rating ranging from 3.7 to 5 stars. Unlike other companies that solely prioritize SEO, DMA is capable of addressing various creative, development, and marketing needs. If you are seeking a proficient all-rounder, DMA is an excellent choice to consider.

Included in DMA’s client list are: