Local SEO is defined as the online marketing activity that allows local businesses to promote their services to local customers at the exact moment they are looking for your type of business. It is said that four out of five people use the internet on their smartphones for local information. In order for Google and other search engines to provide users with the relevant information from the vast amount of data they have, local results will become more and more relevant and predominant.

Directory listings are an important feature of local SEO. They could be general or niche listings. They serve as online phone directories with NAP data along with a map sometimes and its URL. Some allow photographs as well. Some are free, others are paid; some for life, others for only eleven months, the options are many. There are thousands of directory listings. It is worth being on the list of at least some of them. Yelp! Google My Business are some of the most popular in the US.

Local SEO is a great tool for small businesses because there are few competitors. The better visibility you have on a SERP, the more likely your target is to find you! It is also a great way for search engines to deliver the most relevant results to the search engine user, providing locations as well.

In a Google search, local search results are displayed in the new carousel format, which comes with a map, with an indented list providing addresses, phone numbers, reviews, etc.

Why is local SEO increasingly important?

• Local customers use the Internet to find local businesses
• Local search is becoming more popular over the years.
• Local search is very specific and timely
• Gives better results than traditional advertising options.
• The use of mobile devices is very frequent. Local SEO covers both portable and mobile telephony
• Higher return on investment. No exposure to waste
• If you claim your local Google listing, you will be way ahead of the competition.
• Local SEO is still free. Newspaper reading has decreased by a large percentage: from 40% to 80%.
• Customer reviews that are very popular are a big part of local SEO.

How to improve the local SEO of your company?

1. When creating your local page, pay special attention to how you categorize them into the many subcategories provided.
2. Make sure your NAP (name, address, and phone number) is consistent across the web, in your local pages, directory listings
3. Use good quality directories. Use category and location searches to find out if there’s a chance to get listed.
4. Work to get more reviews on your site. Reviews show up on SERP
5. Add lots of pictures to your local listing to make it look interesting. Make sure the keyword appears frequently.
6. Try to get inbound links from bloggers, newspapers, and through social sharing, content development, etc.
7. Hire a reputable local SEO company if you don’t have enough time, because this is an ongoing process with search engine changes happening all the time.