Search engine optimization, more commonly referred to as SEO, was once a new and revolutionary way to gain visibility on the Internet. If you are unfamiliar with the term, SEO is the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine. Now that SEO has become so widely used, it can be very expensive and brutally competitive. Due to the expense and competitive nature of SEO, many small businesses are now turning to local SEO to increase their exposure to potential customers online. Any company with a local target market can benefit from local SEO, but there are five types of businesses that can especially benefit from local SEO.
1. Medical services
Local companies that provide medical services can benefit greatly from local SEO. Companies that provide medical services should work on having great websites that include high value and informative content. The highly specialized nature of medical services is perfect for local SEO. Providing insight through content like blog posts is a great way to add value to the customer’s life while also improving search rankings on Google or other search engines. Medical service companies can also improve their SEO efforts by putting contact information on local business directories.
2. Law offices
Local law offices can also benefit greatly from local SEO. Appearing in local Internet searches is crucial for law firms because most people who are looking for legal help are looking for someone nearby. Law offices should strive to be at the top of the list when people search for them on Google or other search engines. Local SEO is also important when it comes to constructing the law office’s website. Websites can be built around keywords that relate to what kind of law the office practices. Having reviews on the website is another SEO tool that can be very handy for law offices.
3. Bars and restaurants
The main goal for any restaurant is to become a staple in the community, and, because of this, bars and restaurants can utilize local SEO. In order to achieve good status in the local community, restaurants and bars need to get a lot of returning customers. This can be done using local SEO tactics such as acquiring lots of customer reviews. The restaurant and bar business is the area of business that most often relies on reviews, so having a good number of great reviews on the internet can make a huge difference for these businesses!
4. Plumbers
Where is the first place people generally look when something goes wrong with their plumbing? The Internet! Because of this, local SEO is a prime resource for plumbers who help customers with quick problem solving. The plumbing companies that come up first when people search for them through an Internet search engine are the companies that customers will often contact first. Local SEO can help get these plumbing businesses listed at the top! Other local SEO tactics, like posting lots of educational content, can be very helpful. In addition, customers are looking for a trusted skill set and someone who will get the job done well, so having good reviews online about the plumbing company is key!
5. Real Estate
Local SEO tactics can be especially helpful for real estate companies because these tactics set these companies apart from the other real estate websites on the Internet. One of the keys to success for real estate agents lies in creating pages targeting specific local markets, which can appear from keyword searches around home buying. SEO tactics such as choosing keywords that are as specific as possible can help real estate companies stand out on the Internet. Local SEO can also help companies go above and beyond by posting detailed and informative content, which will drive people to the company’s website.
These five businesses are all businesses that can reap major benefits from local SEO, but these are not the only businesses that can benefit! No matter what kind of local business you have, using local SEO will positively impact your business. SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. It might take weeks or even months to see the results you want, but give it some time, and you will see incredible results!
