What is local SEO?

Local SEO is the work that makes your business appear in searches from its own area. It differs from regular SEO because Google also weighs how far you are from the searcher and how complete your business profile is. So a strong website alone is not enough here.

There is a computer on every desk and everyone has a smartphone in their pocket. The best way to attract customers, clients or patients nearby to your business is local SEO. With the right local SEO, your consultancy, butcher shop, shoe repair shop or coffee bar is found quickly and easily by people interested in your product or service. To increase the visibility of your business in the region, it is essential to aim your search engine optimization at customers nearby. To show clearly what this involves, our specialists at ROXTAR share some professional tips and the right inside information to take your local SEO to a higher level.

Want to get started? Choose ROXTAR Online Marketing! We are happy to help you put your business on the map online.

Let’s start with an example. The Dutch police has stations all over the Netherlands. When you want to report a theft, of your bike or laptop for instance, you go to one of those police stations. After all, you only call 112 in an emergency, right? To find out where you can report it, or where other matters can be handled locally, you use Google. You use search terms like ‘police station Etten-Leur’, ‘report theft Sittard’ or ‘Zwolle police’. The search engine goes looking for you and gives you a list of police stations nearby.

For your convenience, Google even adds a map, so you can really see which one is closest to you. Because the police has applied local SEO the right way, the station you are looking for is prominently present in the search results. Local SEO works the same way for your business.

This is how search engines such as Google, Bing, Ecosia, DuckDuckGo and Yahoo! find businesses and services near the searcher. So the search engine looks for a taxi company in the place where you are at that moment. If you want to be found, it is important to focus on specific searches. Instead of ‘professional financial advice for investments’, with local SEO you have more success with ‘financial advisor Leidschendam’, or simply ‘advisory firm’.

The local pack is the block with three businesses and a map that Google shows at the top for a search that includes a place name. That block is often confused with the SERP, but that is the results page as a whole. The local pack is a part of it, and exactly the part local businesses compete for.

Those three listings show more information than a regular search result: opening hours, customer reviews, a description of the business and whether you are open right now. It sits above the organic list, which is why on a phone it is often the only thing someone sees without scrolling.

How do you get into the local pack?

Those three spots do not come from your website but from your Google Business Profile. Google looks at three things: how close you are to the searcher, how well your profile matches what is being searched for, and how well known your business is otherwise. You cannot change the distance, but you can change the other two.

In practice that means: a correct category, correct opening hours, real photos, an address that matches your Chamber of Commerce registration, and a steady flow of recent reviews. More about that on our page about Google Business Profile.

Why is my competitor in it and I am not?

Usually for one of three reasons. Their profile is more complete, they have more recent reviews, or their registered business address is closer to the centre of the place being searched for. That last one is the most frustrating, because there is little you can do about it. The first two are simply work.

The most important characteristics of successful local SEO are:

Regional keywords in your website’s SEO

By including the right regional keywords in your website’s SEO, you are found faster in the organic search results. Link building websites, blogs and social media are also good platforms to use these specific regional keywords.

Creating a Google Business Profile

With a Google Business Profile you build the trust of potential customers and give the world’s largest search engine the chance to present your business prominently. On top of that, you can quickly and easily share that extra bit of information about your business with the local searcher.

Using citations

Citations are a minimum requirement for local SEO. But they work best when the relevant sources are regularly updated with new content. That applies to your own website, blogs, social media, link building texts and so on.

A more extensive overview of what Google weighs for local results can be found in our article on improving local visibility.

As a snack bar in Almelo you will not soon welcome enthusiastic snack lovers from Rotterdam. Unless, of course, these hungry visitors happen to be walking through Almelo and suddenly get peckish. Smartphone in hand, they search for ‘snack bar Almelo’. With excellent local SEO your snack bar is at the top of the results. Complete with directions, opening hours and the number of stars you received from satisfied customers.

SEO is a process that keeps changing. That is because the algorithms of Google and the other search engines are constantly changing. New methods and techniques keep becoming available. That makes it hard for business owners to keep up with developments and keep their online presence up to date. ROXTAR understands this and therefore has specialists who keep track of what changes and how to respond. For local SEO, bringing in a marketing agency like ROXTAR is therefore a smart step.

Besides the ever-changing methods, it is essential that content is renewed, refreshed and changed very regularly. This keeps it relevant and helps your business appear higher in the search results. Our keyword specialists, SEO copywriters and marketing experts are also able to put themselves in the shoes of very different audiences and industries.

Local SEO is an excellent way for a business to stand out. That is what we do at ROXTAR. By seeing your business as unique and carefully researching your audience and identity, we keep hitting the digital nail on the head.

At ROXTAR we make sure your online presence is in good hands. To do so, we use a number of important tools:

Google Business Profile

As mentioned before, a Google Business Profile is essential for your spot in the search results. That recognisable red pin in Google Maps, the listing at the top of the organic results that makes your business findable and trustworthy for potential customers: this Google service is one of the most important steps in local SEO.

SEO copy

On your website, in blogs, on link building websites, on your social media accounts and of course in press releases and other articles. Content, content, content! By providing a fresh stream of copy, you keep your content fresh and up to date. At ROXTAR we work with the best copywriters, so the attention of your audience is held.

Localisation

Localising your website is important for local SEO. Work your NAP details into your site in a natural way, and also distinguish between different locations. That way your customers can always find the nearest location. You create engagement with your regional audience or clientele by blogging about local events or promotions.

Citations

Being visible locally revolves around citations. They improve your position in Google and other search engines. With your NAP details, but also for example by leaving your website URL on citation websites. The more relevant citations, the better you can be found by that local audience.

Customer reviews

Ratings and reviews from customers who have already done business with you also help local visibility. Besides giving a good impression of what you offer, a positive review is essential for customer trust. It convinces new and potential customers and establishes your name in your industry.

Backlinks

The score that search engine algorithms calculate for your website is linked to backlinks, among other things. The more backlinks on the web that point to your site, the more relevant your website is. Are there backlinks from relevant organisations and platforms to your website? Then search engines see your website as trustworthy and informative.

Take the first step now! Contact us today with no obligation and we will discuss the possibilities together. Did you know you get a free SEO check from us straight away? There is only something to gain!

By the way, the focus does not have to be on local SEO alone. Together we look at what is best for your business. ROXTAR is a one-stop-shop marketing agency that helps you from A to Z with a range of marketing activities. So we can not only support you in increasing your visibility on Google, but we are also experts in setting up advertising campaigns on social media, for example. Curious what we can do for you? Feel free to get in touch and we will take it from there together!

Want to know who does this work in practice and what you can expect from them? Read our page on hiring an SEO specialist.

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is making your business findable for searches with a place name or nearby. It combines your Google Business Profile, local keywords on your website, reviews and consistent business details, so you appear on the map and in the local results.

Which businesses need local SEO?

Anyone with a physical location or a service area: hospitality, clinics, installers, shops, practices and service providers. As soon as customers in your area search for your service, local SEO determines whether they end up with you or with a competitor.

How do I improve my local visibility?

Start with a complete and up-to-date Google Business Profile, make sure your business details are the same everywhere online, collect real reviews and use local keywords on your website. Together those signals lift you up in the local pack.

What is the role of your Google Business Profile in local SEO?

Your Google Business Profile is the engine of local SEO. It largely determines whether you appear on the map and in the local pack. A fully completed, active profile with reviews and photos weighs heavily in who ends up at the top.

How do I get into Google’s local three-pack?

The local three-pack is the map with three businesses above the search results. Google looks at relevance, distance and prominence. You can do little about distance, but a lot about the rest: a complete Google Business Profile, real reviews, consistent details everywhere and local content on your website.

How do I rank better locally in Google?

Through local SEO: a complete Google Business Profile, keywords with your place name on your website, recent reviews and mentions of your business on other sites. That way you appear more often in Google Maps and the local three-pack, exactly where people nearby are searching.