As a small or medium business owner, you need to focus your lead generation and conversion efforts on potential customers within your area. As tempting as it may be to try and capture leads from the widest area possible, targeting your local community can often yield better results.

Imagine you own a small general contracting firm in Seattle. While it may seem beneficial to try and capture leads from all over Washington State, focusing within your city will likely bring in more qualified leads and conversions. This is where local search engine optimization (SEO) can be a very powerful tool.

What is local SEO?

SEO involves setting up your website to rank better in search engine results so it's more visible and more likely to get visited by Internet users. Local SEO is similar but targets potential customers within a small and specific area, such as a city or county.

Optimizing for local search makes a lot of sense for small and medium businesses, and here are some insights to prove it:

• 48% of consumers prefer to buy from small businesses to support their local economy.
• 60% of consumers choose local businesses because these places offer unique products not found in large retailers.
• 92% of consumers travel no more than 20 minutes to buy everyday needs, which is a win for local businesses in their area.
• 46% of all Google searches seek information about local product and service providers.
• 70% of consumers visit a business based on local information they found on the Internet.

Moreover, the continuing rise of mobile is making local SEO more relevant than ever. Among mobile users, 88% of consumers who look for local information visit or contact a local business within the next 24 hours.

What are the benefits of local SEO?

Investing in local SEO offers many advantages, especially for small and medium businesses:

Be seen by more customers

To attract customers in the Internet Age, you need to put your business on the map—literally. Local SEO makes your business more likely to appear on Google Maps and the so-called "Local Pack," which is the top result in map-based searches.

Target the right traffic

Optimizing for local searches makes your website more visible to consumers already interested in your products and services. By providing you with such high-quality leads, search engine optimization helps facilitate your business's growth.

Boost your business's credibility

Showing up in local searches, especially in Google's Local Pack, can make potential customers more inclined to trust you. Getting their trust makes them more likely to convert, become loyal, and spread positive referrals.

How can you optimize your website?

There are different best SEO practices for different needs, goals, and types of businesses, but your local SEO plan must include the following:

Optimize your Google Business Profile

Formerly—and still commonly—known as Google My Business (GMB), Google Business Profile helps you manage your presence across Google's search results, especially on Maps. Google My Business optimization ensures that customers find accurate and consistent details about your business, such as address, phone number, website, and operating hours.

When optimizing your GMB profile, make sure all business information in your listing is correct. You can also add high-quality photos of your business, products, and location. Ask customers to leave reviews, positive or otherwise, and respond when you can. This shows you value feedback and engaging customers.

Create content with local keywords

Keywords are a critical component of any SEO plan, whether traditional or local search optimization. A local keyword is a target phrase that includes your location, such as "general contractor in Seattle" or "best HVAC repair in San Francisco." Use local keywords in strategic places throughout your site, including page titles, meta descriptions, headings, and website copy.

One of the best places to populate with local keywords is your blog page. Write blog posts about relevant and interesting topics about your local community or ones your potential customers will find useful. This strategy not only helps with SEO but also positions you as an authority and credible thought leader in your industry within your area.

Optimize for voice search and mobile

Virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa dominate search queries and tend to prioritize local results. To optimize for voice search, make your content sound conversational and answer questions your target audience is likely to be asking. You should also consider incorporating long-tail keywords, as these tend to mimic natural language.

Optimizing for mobile is also key to any local SEO plan. Half of all online traffic today comes from mobile devices, most of which are equipped with virtual assistants. A mobile-optimized website loads fast and is compatible with any screen size, providing the best experience to your mobile visitors.

Build local backlinks

Other websites will sometimes link back to your site. These are called backlinks, and search engines interpret them as signals that your site is credible and valuable enough to be referenced on someone else's website. When building local backlinks, target locally relevant sources like local business directories and community organizations.

You can connect with reputable websites in your area, such as newspapers, business directories, community organizations, and blog sites, and ask them to link to your site. You can also offer guest posts or partnerships with these sites in exchange for a backlink.

Concentrate on local citations

A local citation happens when other websites, such as local business directories, mention your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). Make sure your NAP is consistent across these listings. Besides contributing to your local search ranking, local citations also help improve your credibility with your audience.

Many potential customers check out review websites to learn more about businesses they're considering, so having positive reviews and consistent citations can significantly impact their purchasing decisions.

The benefits of local SEO are undeniable, especially for small and medium businesses. Optimizing your website for local searches can help connect you to the best leads, boost your business's credibility, and ultimately drive growth. But if you find creating and implementing a local SEO plan overwhelming, consider hiring a professional local SEO agency instead. This way, you can focus on running and growing your business while leaving the technical and time-consuming parts to SEO experts.