{"id":176,"date":"2024-10-10T04:45:52","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T04:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freeoseocheck.com\/blog\/delivering-local-seo-as-part-of-a-wider-seo-strategy\/"},"modified":"2024-10-10T04:45:52","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T04:45:52","slug":"delivering-local-seo-as-part-of-a-wider-seo-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freeoseocheck.com\/blog\/delivering-local-seo-as-part-of-a-wider-seo-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Delivering Local SEO as Part of a Wider SEO Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This article is from our Agency Growth Handbook<\/a>\u2014a collection of guides created to help local SEO agencies grow and succeed. It is chapter two of \u2018Part Two: Processes and Workflows\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Whether brand new to digital marketing or have been working in the industry for years, we can all agree that SEO is essential for online visibility, helping businesses improve search rankings and attract more traffic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the SEO and digital performance marketing space is becoming increasingly competitive, it feels like an ideal time to discuss the place of local SEO within the world of SEO agencies. I\u2019m keen to bring local SEO out of its somewhat \u2018underdog specialism\u2019 shadow and out into the limelight where it often belongs by exploring exactly why integrating local SEO into a broader SEO strategy is important and how agencies of different sizes and set-ups could approach this integration.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, firstly, do agencies really need to care about local SEO?<\/b><\/p>\n

The simple answer: <\/span>YES!<\/b><\/p>\n

Before I delve into the reasons why, it\u2019s perhaps first important to acknowledge the competition that often exists between e-commerce and local SEO, as this can often be the main blocker to agencies giving dedicated place and support for the local side of SEO endeavors.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s perhaps more obvious that local SEO is crucial for driving footfall (foot traffic) and local engagement rather than for contributing to overall e-commerce success, despite the fact that it can do both. Within SEO agencies and even at an in-house level with brands themselves, e-commerce favors more traditional organic SEO strategies and approaches. Here, it is easier to demonstrate ROI through metrics such as online traffic and sales, while footfall and in-store sales metrics can feel like an afterthought or simply another department\u2019s responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

This has certainly been the case with some of the clients I have worked with (or not, as the case may be!); where it can initially be more difficult to get a foot in the door for local SEO when the main objective of the client stakeholders is driving online traffic. Even during the pitching process for SEO clients, I\u2019ve seen brands that are well known for their physical presence on the high street simply not mention local SEO whatsoever in the brief when they so obviously should be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Example:<\/strong> A national bookseller, for instance, has a very serious impetus for driving book sales through its site. However, while its main domain is competing with (and likely losing to) Amazon, there’s an incredible opportunity for it to truly dominate local searches for ‘bookshop near me’.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Too often, though, this is overlooked in the SEO brief.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

So, back to that, YES! Agencies really should care about local SEO.<\/span><\/p>\n

Agencies must move beyond just on-page SEO recommendations and optimizations, given the changing search landscape, if they want to deliver truly performance-driven results for their clients. While local SEO often takes a back seat to more general SEO strategies, it plays a vital role<\/a> that should not be overlooked. Unfortunately, it tends to be underestimated or overshadowed in many brands’ organic search prioritization.<\/span><\/p>\n

While on-page SEO is vital for improving content relevance and keyword targeting, it\u2019s only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Many agencies now offer specialized SEO services – from technical SEO and UX optimization to digital PR and multilingual SEO – yet local SEO is still often deprioritized. Operating local SEO in complete isolation or ignoring it as part of a wider organic service offering can severely limit the effectiveness of any strategy, leading to missed opportunities, poor search performance, and, ultimately client dissatisfaction.<\/span><\/p>\n

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BrightLocal’s Brand Beacon Report<\/a> found that 94% of high-performing brands have a dedicated local marketing strategy, compared to 60% of average-performing brands.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in its Local Visibility Index Study<\/a>, SOCI found that brands are losing as much as $54B in revenue each year by not paying enough attention to the intricacies of local search.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Brands that recognize the importance of taking a more holistic approach to SEO are more likely to benefit from the ROI that a combined strategy brings. Yet, they won\u2019t necessarily be in a position to tackle this on their own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clients may have some level of local SEO knowledge within their own teams, but this is often limited either in experience or capacity to execute. That\u2019s why they turn to agencies for heavier SEO lifting and a fresh perspective, right? Agencies that are well set up and positioned to support and drive local SEO within a wider and more holistic SEO strategy will give themselves a distinct competitive advantage over those that neglect it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Role of Local SEO for Businesses<\/b><\/h2>\n

What is local SEO?<\/b><\/h3>\n

In simple terms, local SEO refers to the process of optimizing a business\u2019s online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches, which are search queries with either implied or specific geographical intent. \u201cBest pizza near me\u201d or \u201cplumber in london\u201d are great examples of search queries to find local services or businesses in a specific area.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n What is Local SEO and How Does It Work?
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Why is local SEO so crucial?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Local SEO is crucial for businesses with physical locations or service areas. It not only helps businesses appear in local search results, like Google\u2019s Local Pack and Maps when potential customers are searching for nearby products or services but also helps those businesses to stand out from their competitors so conversion is more likely. Think of it as employing local search tactics and strategies to first be found, and then be chosen.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n What Are the Benefits of Local SEO?
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With the rise of mobile search, frequent \u201cnear me\u201d queries, and Google growing more intuitive in determining local intent, local SEO enables businesses to benefit from a locally competitive edge, build trust through reviews, and capture high-intent, targeted traffic. By optimizing for local searches, businesses can boost foot traffic, phone inquiries, and website visits, ultimately converting ready-to-purchase customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Any business that ignores or drastically deprioritizes local SEO is putting itself at a dangerous competitive disadvantage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Summarizing the Key Elements of Local SEO<\/b><\/h3>\n

Google Business Profile (GBP)<\/b>: A critical piece of local SEO, GBP is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. Concentrating optimization efforts here helps ensure that important business details (such as location, hours, and services) are accurate and displayed in local search results. Leveraging GBP features, such as adding posts and photos and responding to customer questions and reviews, are additional engagement practices that can help drive conversion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local citations<\/b>: These are mentions of a business\u2019s name, address, and phone number (NAP) across key websites, directories, and social platforms, such as Apple Maps, Bing, and Facebook. Maintaining consistency here can help boost your business\u2019s legitimacy, credibility, and search rankings for local queries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local keywords<\/b>: Keyword research for local SEO goes a step further than general KWR, by more specifically identifying location-based search terms that potential customers are using. This could include adding your city, neighborhood, or region to targeted keywords (e.g., \u201celectrician in new york\u201d or \u201cbest italian restaurant in nyc\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n

Reviews<\/b>: Customer reviews play a vital role in local search rankings. Google rewards businesses with high-quality, consistent reviews by elevating them in local search results. Business owners responding to reviews (both positive and negative) also improves a business\u2019s online reputation by demonstrating a sense of accountability and trustworthiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where does local fit at SEO Agencies?<\/b><\/h2>\n

How an agency is set up to deliver local SEO as part of a wider SEO strategy usually depends on two things; how well the agency is set up to support and deliver local SEO, plus the type and size of client they generally work with.<\/span><\/p>\n

It can help to consider different service tiers for local SEO within an agency. The most advanced tier involves a dedicated local SEO channel, the middle tier involves access to local SEO specialists within the wider SEO team, and the most foundational tier could be focused on more general SEO support with some assistance for basic local SEO needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example:<\/span><\/p>\n