Local SEO

What is local SEO and how has it evolved?

Local search engine optimisation is an area of SEO that focuses on optimising a website to be found in local search results. These searches include terms like ‘accountants in Taunton’ and ‘accountants near me’.

As well as the usual top 10 results that search engines return, some search engines such as Google have optimised the results pages to show a map, the local ‘3 pack’ and other features that your business may benefit from. Since 2017, Google also provide results based on a users location.

Why Local Search is important – the numbers

• 50% of people who did a local search on their phone went to a physical store within one day (optimising for mobile is also great for converting)
• 34% of people who did their search on a computer or tablet also went to a physical store within one day
• 18% of local searches on a mobile lead to sale within 24 hours
• 50% of searchers on a mobile phone are looking for contact information – like a local business address or phone number
• In 2017 97% of consumers looked online for a local business at least once, with 12% looking for a local business online every single day
• 71% of people have said they use search to confirm the existence and location of a business before going there for the first time.

Who does & who doesn’t benefit from Local SEO?

All businesses that want to be found locally will benefit from local SEO. That being said, online only ecommerce shops and businesses that don’t want to share their information online are likely not to be great candidates for local SEO services.

The history & future of Local Search

You can go as back to 2007 since Google updated it’s SERP to show more than the undynamic top 10 listings and the first introduction of local in a combined interface. It was 2010 when Google Places were added that it really started to enhance search results for local businesses with advertising options, paces pages within SERPS and other features. In 2012, Google improved local search results by taking a users searches on mobile to target more localised services – this was called the Venice update.

As search engine trends shifted to a more mobile-orientated world, Google released the Pigeon update in 2014. Improving the algorithm to specifically target parameters such as distance and location provided users more useful, relevant and accurate search results that were visible within Google Maps as well as traditional search.

Google is always adjusting and updating its algorithms. It remains to be seen what will happen in the future but, going on their track record, it will help improve all search results.