The popularity of the local search means that the small businesses still require SEO. The local searches have a separate and unique identity that cannot be controlled. No one can completely manage things that keep appearing on the local listings. However, business owners can make sure that whatever is getting listed is a proper representation and at par with the company’s image. The popularity of the local searches lies with the fact that increasing number of consumers are resorting to the handheld devices for finding about the local businesses. They are also making purchases. As per reports almost 50% of the people engaged in local searches, drop in at the online store within a day. When this type of searches is taking the online businesses by storm, how can your company gain through it? The solution lies in SEO.
Local searches point out to the fact that people looking for such services and products are in need of them far quickly than the non local searchers. This refers to the fact that your business should not only have a good online presence but the priority should be on the positioning in the local sphere. Moreover, it is equally vital that your website is formatted for handheld devices as well. Even today consumers prefer in store shopping if the store is located near them. So, if you are offering in-store purchases, it is important to let your consumers know.
But the big question is how will you inform them? You have to reach out to your target customers to inform them about the various kinds of services that you offer. This is where SEO comes in. it ensures that your consumers are aware of your services and they rank properly in the local searches. In addition to this, consumers do not just search for immediate purchases. According to reports, customers are engaged in local searching even for future purchases. Now that you know how important SEO is for small businesses it is advisable that you take help from SEO software for small business. There are several such tools that can help you to score big with the local search.
Besides these, it is also crucial that you keep certain points in mind while concentrating on the local searches. Firstly, you have to think like the customer. What can the target audience put in the search box? For instance, if you own an apparel store and the buyers search for‘t-shirts’ your name may not appear on the SERP. The term is a generic one. But the ones searching for ‘customized suits’ are the ones you want to target. Hence, instead of getting caught up in popular search terms, like, formal shirts or casual shirts, it is wiser to concentrate on less popular keywords that guarantee better conversion rates. Therefore, it is more important to think like the customers.
Secondly, if you have businesses in multiple locations, it is fine to own various pages for separate locations. However, make sure that every location page links back to the main website. In this regard create a separate page for locations and what the store offers there.
Thirdly, your customer service must be impressive. With the evolution of social media sites, news does not take long to spread. This is irrespective of the fact that whether the news is good or bad. Hence, both the online and offline customer services must be good.
Fourthly, ask your customers for reviews. Almost all the local sites let you ask your customers for reviews. Whether it is good or bad, it helps in making the business more creditable to the customers in future. You can use the contact form or the invoice, emails and thank you pages to ask for customer reviews.
Thus, it is extremely crucial for every small business to pay attention to local searches to get more customers.
Author Bio: Patrick Smith is an experienced SEO professional. He generally writes about the importance of SEO software for small business. This article, however, deals with the importance of local searches in small businesses.