Why Is Local SEO Important?

Search Engine Optimization

We’ve already mentioned local SEO as one of the trends to watch in 2013. but let’s explore why local SEO is so important.

Google has cornered the market on search algorithms for over a decade. But until recently, people still had to use the telephone book to look up local businesses.

All that has changed now. According to a recent MarketingCharts.com report, 82% of local consumers use search engines — not phone books– to look up local businesses. This has crucial implications for any business that relies on local customers.

It’s not even enough just to have a web presence (although you certainly should!) You must also come up in local search– and that means local SEO.

Searchers Are Finding What They’re Looking For

Web searchers report extremely high satisfaction ratings for their local search results (92%) even though a significant portion of them (39%) “frequently” cannot locate a specific local business that is known to them.

What this means is that individual businesses are often far behind the curve when it comes to local search & geofencing penetration and their customers are going elsewhere. Local search showed them a similar business that satisfied their needs. This is not a competition local businesses can afford to lose.

The use of smartphones and tablets will only accelerate the use of search. People are using apps, recommendation sites like Yelp, Google Reviews and more to find the businesses they want to support. Word of mouth marketing is still king, but businesses must learn how to spread that word of mouth online– and that’s a part of what we can help with here at Conversion Pipeline.

To talk with our Local Search specialists about how you can get your business ‘ahead of the curve’ call or write to us today.