Search Engine Optimization, SEO in short, is the of improving your website so that search engines like Google can easily find your content and serve it to those looking for your brand, services, or products.
Did you know that 97% of people go online to find local businesses and services?. This is why the biggest search engine Google has such a heavy bias to local SEO.
With 91.5% of those doing searches on Google not going past the first page, it means for a business, not being found on the first page of Google is already a loss.
Another interesting fact about how traffic is distributed on those appearing on the first page of Google according to Chitika, is that the higher one is on the results the more traffic they get.
In and of itself, organic SEO is important to businesses. But in the recent past, a new field has emerged in the SEO space and is rapidly gaining popularity. So much so that Google, the biggest search engine out there has restructured how it serves search results to its users. This new SEO field is called Local SEO.
What is Local SEO
Local SEO is the skill of increasing the visibility of a business online in a specific geographical location. It is similar to organic SEO but it is very specific to the location of the business.
Why Is Local SEO So Important
Local SEO is so important because it ensures your business is noticed where it really matters, and that is in your geographical locality. Don’t get this wrong, locality doesn’t just mean the street you are on, but the areas your business serves.
For example, if you are a doctor with a dental clinic for example. If a potential client goes on Google and searches for a Dentist near me if you have implemented, Google will serve them your clinic’s contact details, down to Google maps directions to where your clinic is located.
Google has a feature called Google My Business, or GMB in short. This feature enables businesses to be visible on Google results before other search results are displayed.
This is how it looks like in real life when you search for a local business on mobile.
Note, that the same search on a computer results in a different looking result, but the GMB listing is on the right-hand side of the screen still.
Also note, that when you search for a service or product on a mobile device, because of the maps feature, it will default to giving you the business closest to you.
This is very important to local businesses because the majority of people searching for a local business are near you and are ready to transact.
How Will Local SEO Grow My Business Revenue?
Since local SEO makes your business visible in your local area, it makes it possible for those searching for your service or products within your service area to engage with your business. You can be sure you will be able to serve them and make good revenue.
Most businesses do not serve the whole planet, so being optimized for those looking for you in your service area is key. In the Google My Business console, one of the aspects your business needs to be optimized in is the locations you serve. This ensures that potential clientele searching for your services or products within those locations are able to find you.
Can I Do Local SEO For My Business?
The first place to begin is to set up Google My Business page for your business. This is a pretty straight forward process. The only hurdle you may come across: getting verified by Google. In that case, I would recommend you contact an experienced digital marketer like nathanielndegwa.com who has extensive experience in getting businesses in Kenya to get verified on Google.
The next step is to optimize your GMB for your business. This is done by defining your products and services, the areas you serve, your working hours, etc. You also need to integrate it with your Google Search Console so as you can measure other metrics of how your business is appearing to your prospective clientele.
The next step would be to do local SEO on your website as well. This can be done by;
- Optimizing your website’s homepage.
- Optimizing your metadata.
- Create a page for every Product, Service, and Location.
- Update NAP Citations on Your Website.
- Add Your Business To Local Directories.
- Setup Social Media Signals.
If you do these two, you will be ahead of most of your competition in the Kenyan business space and you will be sure that you will get to appear on top of Google search results for your services and products, attract more prospective clients, convert more of them to paying customers and enjoy more revenue than your competitors.
In Summary
Local SEO will guarantee your business is on page 1 of Google search results. By being on Page 1, you will enjoy 91.5% of all the action taken by those searching. By getting a share of page 1 traffic on Google, more clients will call in, visit your website or contact you directly for your service of products. This will ensure you outsell your competitors every single time.
About The Author
Nathaniel Ndegwa is a Digital Marketing Consultant with over 10 years of experience in online marketing in Kenya. He is the MD at Kenya’s Leading Digital Marketing Agency, Tipping Point Media.
