What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO ensures your business shows up in search results when people in your area look for the products or services you provide. Local SEO is the process of optimizing a business’s online presence to improve visibility in location-based search results on Google Search, Google Maps, and other search engines. It helps Google understand your business’s location, offerings, and credibility, boosting rankings in both organic search results and the Local Pack.
While organic rankings rely on on-page SEO and links, Local Pack rankings are influenced by your Google Business Profile, on-page SEO, and customer reviews.
This strategy is essential for businesses with a physical location or those serving a specific local area.
For instance if we search for “Dental Clinic near me” in london, you’ll get these results in Google
Why Is Local SEO Important?
Local SEO is important because most consumers use search engines to find local businesses, and appearing in local search results directly impacts foot traffic and sales.
According to Google:
- 30% of all mobile searches are location-related.
- 78% of people who search for something nearby on their phones visit a business within a day.
- 28% of local searches result in a purchase.
Additionally, 98% of consumers use the internet to find local business information, and 87% trust Google reviews more than any other source.
If your business isn’t optimized for local search, you’re missing out on potential customers. You’re unknowingly losing revenue that you are supposed to earn. No matter your industry or location, effective local SEO can help attract nearby consumers and drive more sales.
Local SEO enhances a business’s online visibility by ensuring it appears in local search results and on Google Maps, driving more customers to physical stores. By targeting local searchers with high purchase intent, businesses can achieve better conversion rates and increased sales. Additionally, optimizing for local search provides a competitive edge, helping businesses outrank competitors and attract more potential customers.
How Local SEO Works
Before getting into how to optimize your business for Local SEO, it’s essential to understand how it works. Local SEO boosts your rankings for relevant searches by helping Google recognize your business’s location and services, while also improving its perception of your business as reliable and well-known.
When ranking businesses in Google Maps and the Local Pack, Google evaluates:
- Relevance – How closely your business matches the user’s search intent.
- Distance – How near your business is to the user’s location.
- Prominence – How well-known and well-reviewed your business is. It’s the Google review they take to analyze it.
Map Pack Results
The Map Pack, also known as the Local Pack, is a Google search feature that highlights top local business listings alongside a map. It typically appears at the top of search results for location-based queries.
For traditional search results, Google considers:
- Relevance – How well your webpage aligns with the user’s query.
- Quality – The trustworthiness and value of the content you have written on your website.
- Usability – The page’s performance, including speed and mobile-friendliness.
Organic Search Results
Organic search results refer to the traditional list of web pages, often called the “ten blue links.” These results usually appear below the Map Pack in Google’s search rankings.
How to Do Local SEO
Now it’s time to optimize your business for Local SEO and get higher rankings on Local Map. Let me guide you as I have prior experience as a Local SEO Expert in London, UK. It has worked for me and will absolutely work for your business as well. Let me walk you through optimizing Local SEO
Do a Local Keyword Research:
Finding the Local Keyword Research is the same as doing the traditional Keyword Research. With the use of google keyword planner you can get insights and
Identify Service-Based Keywords
Many business owners overlook the different ways potential customers search for their services. When searching for local keywords, consider the customer’s perspective. Put yourself in their shoes and think about what terms you would use if you were a patient looking for your services.
For example, while some people looking for a dentist in London might simply search “dentist,” others may use more specific queries like “teeth whitening London” or “emergency dentist near me.”
To maximize your visibility in local searches, start by listing all the dental services you offer. This helps ensure your practice appears for the most relevant searches.
A London-based dentist’s service list might include:
- Teeth whitening
- Dental implants
- Invisalign treatment
- Root canal treatment
- Emergency dental care
- Wisdom tooth extraction
To expand your keyword list, use these service terms as “seed” keywords to find additional variations that people are searching for.
For instance, by entering these terms into a keyword research tool like Google Keyword Planner & Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer and checking the Matching Terms report, you might find additional keywords such as:
- Invisalign dentist London
- Affordable dental implants London
- 24-hour emergency dentist London
Once you have identified a keyword, check its monthly search volume and SEO difficulty. This information is available in the Keyword Planner, making the process more convenient.
Google Autocomplete in the search bar is a useful and effective tool for discovering keywords. It provides real-time suggestions based on popular searches, helping you identify relevant terms.
Optimize Your Google My Business Profile with 100%:
Now it’s time to take action by adding all your business details to your Google Business Profile. When writing your business description, include the relevant keywords you’ve identified to enhance visibility. Ensure all information is complete and accurate to achieve a 100% profile strength.
Helpful Guidelines to Optimize Your Google Business Profile:
- Select a specific and relevant business category (e.g., “Dental Clinic” or “Cosmetic Dentist”).
- Set your business hours, including holiday hours.
- Add your clinic’s address if you have a physical location.
- Define your service area if you offer mobile dental services or home visits.
- List the dental treatments you provide, such as teeth whitening, Invisalign, or dental implants.
- Upload high-quality photos of your clinic, staff, and services.
- Request patient reviews to build credibility and trust.
Make sure to verify your business with Google to receive the blue checkmark, confirming its authenticity.
Ensure NAP Consistency:
Your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) must be consistent across all online platforms. Ensure you use the same details on your social media accounts and other online listings as you have on your Google Business Profile. This consistency is important for Local SEO and can significantly impact your rankings.
Additionally, you can enhance your presence by getting listed in local online directories. Build local citations by adding your business to directories relevant to your industry. Again, ensure that your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) are consistent with what you have on your Google Business Profile.
Ensure to get reviews with great ratings:
You’re likely already aware of this, but it’s crucial to ask your satisfied customers to leave a Google review for your business. Be sure to respond to every review, whether positive or negative. Accumulating more reviews is a key factor in improving your Local SEO rankings. The more reviews and check-ins you have, the more relevant and trustworthy your business appears to Google. Always ask for reviews—if you don’t ask, the answer will always be no—and you don’t want your Google Business Profile to have few or no reviews.
Improve your on-page SEO
To optimize on-page SEO for your dental practice in London, follow these key steps:
- Include keywords like “dentist in London” and services in your title tags and meta descriptions.
- Use clean, keyword-rich URLs (e.g., /teeth-whitening-london).
- Organize content with clear H1 (main topic) and H2/H3 tags (services offered).
- Incorporate local keywords throughout your content (e.g., “London dentist” and specific services).
- Add a Google Map of your location for easy access.
- Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) are consistent across your website and Google Business Profile.
- Implement local business schema markup for better search engine understanding.
- Ensure your site is mobile-friendly for better user experience.
- Showcase patient reviews and testimonials.
- Link to relevant service and location pages within your site.
- Use alt text with local keywords for all images.
- Create blog posts targeting local dental topics.
- Optimize site speed to improve user experience and rankings.
Remain Active
The key to improving your Local SEO ranking is staying active and consistent. Regularly update your Google Business Profile with new photos, collect as many reviews as possible, and keep posting on social media and other online platforms. Staying engaged and active will help optimize and rank your business for Local SEO.
Get Backlinks from Local Websites:
Collaborate with local influencers, bloggers, or businesses to earn relevant backlinks. These references play a significant role in boosting your Local SEO ranking, as they help build trust and authority for your Google Business Profile.
Monitor your progress and keep on improvising Local SEO
You should have your business progress chart. Google search console shows your business status for the ranking position and for which keyword you have been ranked for. Keep on checking and get an idea whether you are progressing or not. If not you need to be more active and more action, if yes still you have to since your competitor will if not.
How to Monitor Your Local SEO Results
- Google My Business Insights: Monitor how customers discover and engage with your business listing.
- Keyword Rankings: Use SEO tools to track the performance of local keywords.
- Website Traffic: Track local traffic through Google Analytics.
- Customer Reviews & Ratings: Evaluate feedback to maintain a strong online reputation.
- Click-Through Rates (CTR): Measure the frequency of users clicking on your website from search results.
By following these steps, you’ll improve local search visibility and attract more customers. It does work since as a Local SEO Consultant in London, I’ve been applying this method and it has proven always. Make sure to get through all the points, as all above mentioned is equally important for Local SEO.
Start Building Your Local Visibility
Local SEO is a powerful tool for businesses looking to attract customers in their area. By optimizing your online presence, maintaining consistency, and using the right tools, you can improve search rankings, increase visibility, and drive more traffic to your business. Start implementing these strategies today and watch your local reach grow!
If you’re looking for a Local SEO Consultant in London, UK, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’d be happy to assist you!