Right now, a massive movement is reshaping the world of business and commerce. If you work with a local business, this movement is affecting you and your business. This massive movement is local SEO.

Few things are more important for the continued success of your business in the upcoming years than being found and frequented by customers. The primary way that your customers will find your business is if you can understand and engage in local SEO.

Our goal in this article is to give you a resource for understanding the need and importance of local SEO, and how you can succeed.

Keep in mind that local search is now more important than it’s ever been. Since most people have and use smart phones for local searches, it’s critical that you be present where the searches are happening.

What is local SEO?

It is what it sounds like. Localized search engine optimization helps people in your local area find your business.

Do I need local SEO?

If you have a brick-and-mortar location, or are selling to customers in a geographical locale, the answer is yes. Any business that has even a few local customers should use local SEO.

What are the essentials for local search engine presence?

There is, of course, overlap between regular SEO and local SEO. In order to have good local rankings, you’ve got to be doing due diligence with traditional post-penguin SEO. In other words, make sure that you have geo-specific landing pages on your own site. If your business serves a specific city, create a landing page specifically for that area that includes the local address.

Currently, the businesses with the best local rankings have a few things in common. Here is what you need.

1. Lots of citations. Citations are wherever your business name and physical address appear online. A citation could occur in a business directory, on a review site, or on your own website. The more citations, the better.
2. Lots of positive reviews. Reviews work best for restaurants or other service organizations, but they are available for any local establishment. Reviews are a signal that your business is receiving customers. Positive reviews are a strong signal that your business is producing satisfied customers. That’s a huge plus, not only for search engine crawlers, but also for the real people who see and read those reviews. In addition to reviews, check-ins are also a boost, since they indicate that your business is receiving real-time traffic from real people.
3. Solid social media presence. Social is the new SEO, and without a social presence, your business is virtually obsolete. Local search depends heavily on your social presence. You need a Google Local profile, and you need to make sure it’s completely filled out. Without it, you are doomed to oblivion. Trust us on this one. The best place to start is by confirming your listing on Google Places, then setting up a Google+ page for your business.

Local Search Made Simple

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As a local SEO agency, we understand the importance of local search, as well as how to help our clients dominate their local rankings. The process is neither simple nor easy, but with our experience and proven success, we know what works and what doesn’t.

If you are looking to improve your local rankings, be prepared to put in some time. The process of gaining citations and local rankings doesn’t happen overnight. Remember, social is your friend. The more present you are on sites like Google Local, the easier your mobile-toting, smartphone-searching, localized customers are going to find you.

If you need any help with dominating local search, please give us a call. That’s basically what we’re really good at.  Here’s our info:

Seattle SEO Consultant

2608 2nd Avenue Suite 192

Seattle WA 98121, United States

(425) 246-7897

And, yeah, that’s a citation right up there. You can even feel free to write a review of us if you’d like.