For small local businesses, Search Engine Optimized (SEO) marketing is often considered the stuff of big business. Why bother with Google rankings and SEO websites when you’re selling to neighborhood regulars?

Well, one reason: the competition is doing it. Big businesses do use SEO, and they’re using it on a local level to successfully draw customers away from local alternatives.

If you want to improve your online visibility, expand your business, remain competitive and attract even more local customers, then an SEO marketing company can help.

Let’s take a look at why SEO is an important strategy for local businesses to invest in.

What are SEO Marketing Companies?

SEO marketing companies help businesses advertise products to customers at the exact moment they’re searching for them. Using a variety of SEO tactics, such as raising your rank on Google search results and making your business more attractive to sites like Yelp and Foursquare, SEO marketing companies tap into the enormous amount of people that search for local businesses on a daily basis.

Customers Use the Internet to Find Local Businesses

Surprise! A majority of people use the internet to search for local solutions around them. Whether it’s “where’s the nearest gas station” or “local fine dining,” smartphones are now our directory for every business and service in the immediate area. Assuming they use SEO, of course.

Just how many people are searching? 46% of all Google searches are made locally, while 78% of local queries result in a purchase being made offline.

Customers Use the Internet to Find out About Your Business

Not only are customers searching for local businesses near them, but they’re comparing similar businesses together in order to find the best one. Using Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook and Google, users can leave reviews for any listed business. This is great news if you receive lots of positive feedback, bad news if you’re getting negative reviews and didn’t even know about it.

For local businesses, keeping up appearances on the most popular business rating websites is important for attracting new customers. SEO marketing companies can help you rise to the top of each one, ensuring that any local searches for your products or services will lead users to these listings first.

Local SEO has the Highest Conversion Rate of any Advertising Channel

The online directories that we just mentioned are usually the first thing to appear in local search results. They’re incredibly influential for sales, attracting up to a 50% conversion rate depending on the directory. That means every 1 in 2 leads is a potential new customer that can be converted.

Let’s see if you can get the same results from that radio spot you’ve been working on.

With the help of SEO marketing companies, you can accurately list your local business across any number of relevant and certified directories, thereby enabling more people to stumble across your business when they’re searching the area.

The Competition is Doing it

Taking the fight to large companies is about more than just advocating the benefits of shopping local. You’ll need to use the same tools they’ve been utilizing to gain the upper hand. In other words, take advantage of local SEO to outrank big businesses on Google and other search engines. They know all too well the benefits of establishing a strong online presence in order to draw any and all search queries in their direction.

But it’s not just big businesses you need to watch out for—local competitors can use SEO to dominate search results as well. Worse, they can spread negative coverage about similar companies to garner the best reviews. Keep your image intact and prevent competitors from tarnishing your name by utilizing local SEO marketing companies to stay on top.

Attract More Local Customers with SEO Marketing Companies

Interested in learning more about how you can increase and expand your local business using SEO marketing companies? Let us know.