Local SEO Strategies Every Small Business Should Implement
Written by
Mia Rudic
Mia Rudic is a content marketing maestro hailing from sunny South Serbia. Specializing in referral marketing and UGC content, she brings brands to life on platforms like Reddit and Quora. Mia’s expertise shines in her published works on GTM and SEM. When she’s not crafting engaging content, she’s enjoying her morning coffee and the sunny vibes from her home office.
Did you know that a whopping 80% of local searches result in a conversion? Yep, you read that right! That means most people searching for a service or product near them are ready to pull the trigger—whether it’s booking an appointment, making a purchase, or requesting a service. In other words, if you’re a small business without a solid local SEO strategy in place, you’re basically waving goodbye to these hot leads as they stroll right past your digital doorstep.
But don’t worry—there’s still time to flip the script. With a few savvy moves, you’ll go from missing out to maxing out on local leads. Ready to claim your spot on the digital map? Let’s dig into a few of the most powerful local SEO strategies that’ll keep your small business buzzing!
#1: Claim Your Spot on Google My Business
If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile (GBP), stop everything and do it now. You’ve probably seen those map listings that pop up when you search for something like “best coffee near me” or “plumber in [city].” Well, that’s where you want to be. And it all starts with claiming and optimizing your Google My Business profile.
If you’re in a niche like cost estimating software, for example, having an optimized Google My Business profile is crucial for reaching local contractors or businesses in need of your product.
Once you’ve snagged your spot on GMB, it’s time to make your profile shine. Add your company name, address, phone number, and a quick bio about what makes your business unique. But don’t stop there! A GMB profile that just has the basics won’t cut it. You need to fully load that bad boy with:
- High-quality photos. Listings with photos get 35% more clicks and 42% more requests for directions. That’s a stat worth snapping a pic for! So, show off your best angles—whether that’s your products, services, or your smiling team.
- Customer reviews. Respond to those glowing reviews (and even the grumpy ones) to show your customers you care.
- Business hours and special features. Make sure your business hours are accurate, and If you offer any special services or perks, such as curbside pickup or outdoor seating, highlight them in your profile.
But why go through all this trouble? Because an optimized GMB profile isn’t just a digital business card—it’s a lead generator. You’ll appear in Google’s local 3-pack, a prime piece of real estate that puts your business right in front of searchers, making it easy for them to find you, click through, and convert.
#2: Optimize for Local Keywords
Your business won’t magically appear on local searches just because you exist. You’ve got to tell Google who you are and what you do using local keywords. These are the phrases that include your service + location (think “pizza delivery in Portland” or “San Diego yoga studio”). To help you identify the best keywords for your business, consider using some of the best tools for market research, such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. These tools can provide valuable insights into search volume, competition, and related terms.
Once you’ve got those keywords locked and loaded, sprinkle them in key areas on your website, like your:
- Title Tags
- Meta descriptions
- Headers
- Body Content
The goal is to seamlessly weave them into your site’s DNA without overdoing it and making your text sound like a broken record.
But don’t think that the job’s over once these keywords are planted. Following that, you’ll have to monitor their performance using keyword trackers like Google Analytics or Keyword.com to see which terms bring the best results and where adjustments are needed to push your visibility even higher.
#3: Amplify Your Reach with Local Influencers
Influencers aren’t just for global brands peddling high-end handbags or protein shakes. They can also be powerful allies for small businesses looking to spark local excitement. These influencers have the followers, the influence, and the local swagger to turn your little-known spot into the town’s must-visit destination. But hey, not just any influencer with a horde of followers will do. You need the right local hero, one who vibes with your brand and resonates with your audience.
So, instead of aimlessly scrolling through Instagram or TikTok hoping to stumble upon your influencer superstar, use a top-tier influencer analytics platform to cherry-pick the perfect match for your business. These platforms let you sift through potential influencers by location, engagement rate, and audience demographics, helping you pinpoint a local legend who can crank up the volume of your message.
Once you’ve found your perfect match, collaborate with them to craft authentic, engaging content that speaks directly to their local audience—whether it’s through sponsored posts, reviews, or even hosting a local event. If managing all this content feels overwhelming, consider outsourcing content marketing to professionals who specialize in creating captivating and localized content.
#4: Speed Up Your Site Rendering
Alright, this one’s a biggie. Ever clicked on a site, waited…and waited…and then gave up? Well, so has everyone else. And Google? Yeah, it’s not a fan of waiting, either. So, if your page lags, your potential customers have already bounced to the competition.
This is where UX design plays a crucial role. A fast, responsive website not only improves your SEO but also enhances the overall user experience. A well-optimized UX design ensures that visitors can navigate your site smoothly, find information quickly, and complete actions (like making a purchase or booking a service) without frustration. When your site is user-friendly, both Google and your customers will reward you.
Now, if your site runs on frameworks like ReactJS, you’re already halfway to creating a smooth, responsive user experience.
The problem? Search engines can’t always “see” your content right away. Let us break it down: React only updates the parts of your website that users interact with, which is fantastic for delivering a lightning-fast experience. But because it uses JavaScript to do this, search engines initially see a document full of JavaScript snippets, making it tricky for bots to crawl and index your content.
Essentially, your fantastic, interactive site might as well be invisible to search engines. So, what’s a small business owner to do? In the past, fixing this meant overhauling your entire site for server-side rendering—an engineering headache no small business owner has time for. But now, you can optimize your site’s rendering speed using SEO plugins like Prerender. These nifty tools essentially serve a fully rendered page to search engines, ensuring they see and index your content correctly. That way, your blazing-fast user experience will also translate to higher search rankings, driving more local traffic your way.
#5: Power-Up Your Local SEO with Paid Advertising (PPC)
Sure, organic rankings are awesome, but let’s face it, building them takes time—sometimes too much time for a small business that’s ready to hit the ground running. Paid or pay-per-click ads, on the other hand, let you jump the line in search results and secure that top spot. But, before you go dropping your hard-earned cash on ads, here’s a little wisdom: don’t go it alone if you’re new to this game. Hiring an agency with PPC expertise can save you loads of trial-and-error heartache.
However, you don’t want just any agency. Make sure they have experience in your specific niche. For example, if you’re a furniture store, find an agency that specializes in running PPC campaigns for furniture businesses. Or, if you operate a bakery, find one that understands the ins and outs of food-related campaigns. They’ll know which keywords convert best, how to design compelling ad copy, and how to avoid throwing cash at campaigns that don’t work. Now, if you’re feeling brave and want to handle PPC in-house, here are some tips to get you started:
- Use Geotargeting. Limit your ads to specific locations where your customers are, so you’re not wasting ad spend on people miles away who aren’t likely to visit your business.
- Tailor your ad copy for locals. Add a little hometown flavor to your copy, whether that’s referencing local landmarks, events, or even regional slang. For instance, instead of saying, “Best coffee shop in town,” try something like, “Your favorite brew, right around the corner from Central Park.” It feels personal, relatable, and, above all, local.
- Complete the Q&As. Use the “Questions and Answers” section to preemptively answer common customer queries. This will not only save you time answering phone calls or emails, but it will also give potential customers the info they need right away, making them more likely to choose your business.
- Leverage negative keywords. Negative keywords ensure your ad doesn’t appear for irrelevant searches. For example, if you run a dog grooming service, you don’t want to show up in searches for “dog grooming jobs” or “DIY dog grooming kits.”
- Set a Budget (and Stick to It!). It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of running PPC campaigns—until your credit card statement comes in and you’re hit with an “Oh no!” moment. Avoid that panic by setting a clear budget right from the get-go. Decide how much you’re willing to spend daily or monthly, and make sure to monitor your campaigns closely. Start small, see what works, then scale up.
Other Effective Local SEO Strategies
You’ve laid the groundwork, but your local SEO game isn’t fully cooked just yet. Toss in these extra strategies to really turn up the heat and make your SEO efforts sizzle:
Score High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks—links from other websites pointing to yours—are like digital votes of confidence. The more reputable sites that link to you, the better your local SEO ranking. Focus on getting backlinks from local directories, local news outlets, and even other businesses in your area.
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t get greedy—quality trumps quantity every time. One solid link from a reputable local site beats a bunch of low-grade ones any day.
Take Advantage of Social Media
Social media might not be the first thing you think of for SEO, but local engagement on platforms like Instagram and Facebook can indirectly boost your local ranking. Stay active, share content that’s relevant to your community, and engage with your followers.
💡 Pro Tip: Geo-tag your posts and stories to get more local exposure.
Keep Track of Local Citations
Local citations are mentions of your business across the web — directories, social media, websites, etc. The more accurate and widespread your citations, the better your local SEO. Tools like BrightLocal can help you manage and monitor these mentions.
💡 Pro Tip: Make sure your NAP info is consistent across all these citations for maximum SEO juice.
Harness the Might of Local SEO
Local SEO doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be consistent. By implementing these strategies, you’ll build your online presence, connect with your local community, and turn searches into sales. So, put these tips into action, and let your business become the talk of the town —or at least your part of town.
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