what's local SEO? why its key for norfolk small business | sigoti

local SEO consists of getting your website found by local search engines by increasing your rankings in local search, managing your social media presence, and utilising tools that are relevant to the local search community.

search engines will take into consideration not only the name of the business but also the location where your business is found. for example, If you are a small business running in norwich, then your website is hardly going to rank anywhere else, because search engines use the location of the searcher or user to provide suggestions related to the product or service that are within your local area. therefore, for your website to come up on the first page, you need to apply local SEO tactics.

why does my norfolk small business need local SEO? 

all businesses are not made equal. small businesses are different from large corporations. they have different needs, desires, challenges, and opportunities. while large corporations have the resources to attract customers, small businesses just starting out need all the help they can get. this is why local SEO is essential to small businesses wanting to succeed online.

google local algorithm comprises of mainly three factors:

relevance

the relevance is the most important factor that Google use while displaying businesses in the search result. businesses that are relevant or not to a particular query will be ranked on top. for example, if you are searching for a restaurant, Google will display the restaurants which are related to this keyword.

proximity

the distance between your business and the user is also one of the most important factors for Google ranking. google uses the IP address to determine the location of the searcher and then displays the most relevant business on top.

prominence

the prominence of a business refers to the position of your business on Google Maps or Google Search. this is dependent upon how prominent your business is across the internet, generally. therefore it is good to be visible to Google on social media, forums, blogs etc.

to create an effective local SEO strategy for local businesses

it is imperative to understand that local businesses need to focus on the following three essential elements:

1. create a Google My Business profile
   a Google My Business listing is one of the best ways to improve your ranking on Google. with an established Google My Business listing, local search results are more likely to include your business name, address, opening hours and phone number.
   
   
2. join local directories - being a small company proprietor, you have to submit your business information to as numerous within your local area. whilst it’s tough to imagine, many people nonetheless use local directories. backlinking is where you try to get sites to link back to yours. this shows Google that your site is relevant and has useful information. thankfully, many local directories tick this box, so they can help boost you up the rankings.
   
   
3. encourage customers to write reviews
   it is possible to influence search engine ranking by encouraging your customers to leave reviews. reviews are a powerful tool for improving a business reputation. use it to attract potential customers when you need them, and when you have them, turn them into fans.

now that we’ve introduced Local SEO, you can use these strategies and tactics to make your organisation digitally visible and earn more from it. still unsure, no problems - why not call our team at sigoti for some consultative advice.