Local SEO Guide - Local Search Marketing Strategies Explained

Over the last year, Google has emphasized a concept known as the micro-moment – the motivation behind a search. According to Google, these micro-moments can be broken down into four classifications, each of which influences the way a search engine results page displays content.



• I-want-to-buy micro-moment
• I-want-to-do micro-moment
• I-want-to-know micro-moment
• I-want-to-go micro-moment

The category into which Google places a search drives the kinds of results available, with I-want-to-buy moments showing shopping results and I-want-to-do moments offering tutorials and YouTube guides.

When planning SEO strategies, understanding how and why information is displayed can be critical, helping local businesses best target web users with the information they need to know in a format Google is most likely to show.

Local SEO has long been a marketing tactic for brick-and-mortar operations but the rise in searches using terms like "near me," combined with Google's geotagging capabilities, has led to an evolution strategists are calling hyperlocal.


As opposed to isolating searches by general location data, Google goes deeper, offering suggestions in a user's immediate vicinity. While there's no way to force proximity to searchers, businesses are advised to optimize content to fit as many search parameters as possible to best serve those who do hit Google while close by. With new filtering options available right on the SERPs themselves, the more information you make available, the better.

Do you offer plumbing services in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Jersey City, Newark, and Yonkers? Does your fleet of rental vans service the entire Northeast? If you expand across several major metros, or even multiple smaller metros, create separate pages for each target market.

When customers from Brooklyn search for a plumber, a resource in Yonkers isn't going to be helpful. Instead, you need your customers to know that you're in their market and eager to help. With customized landing pages for each city, state, or neighborhood you serve, you can be sure you're targeting the right searchers on the web.

If you have several stores in the same vicinity, it's going to be critically important that you differentiate the radius that applies to each one. Even if some of your stores are quite close, you don't want to inadvertently scare a customer off by showing him a store 10 miles away instead of one mile.

By carefully mapping out where your locations are situated, where your customers are coming from, and how far they're willing to travel, you can be specific about selecting the areas each of your locations serve on your Google Business Profile. The more specific you are, the better, and the more likely you are to resonate with your target market.

Complete your Google Business Profile

First, ensure that you have claimed your Google Business Profile. Then, fill out the fields with detailed, accurate information. Incorrect Google Business Profile information hurts your credibility on Google. Because nearly all people learn about local businesses online, correct information could not be more important.


Furthermore, pay close attention to local directory consistency. If various directories display differing information about your business, Google will see your company as unreliable. Tools like Yext and Moz Local can help you manage your directories.

Build local backlinks

Gather positive Google reviews

Improve your on-page SEO

Confirm accuracy

In general, web users trust what they find on Google. If they see business hours or a contact number, there’s no reason to believe this information is anything but correct. Accordingly, if this data is wrong, it’s going to shake prospective customers’ faith in your business.

If you see any issues with your profile, including phone number, hours of operation, or address, update these as soon as possible. Even issues like hours being slightly off can alter customer perceptions – especially if they show up at your storefront to find it closed.

Add images

As the adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and this holds true in business. Before visiting a storefront, most customers like to have a good idea of what they’re getting into. In order to provide more context to your operations, your brand identity, and the caliber of services customers can expect, images are extremely useful.

Managing expectations can be a valuable way of making sure you can deliver what customers anticipate, and images or video of your location, your products, or even your team can help to do this.

Regularly create Google Posts

Answer questions

Your Google Business Profile is intended to provide a wealth of information to potential shoppers. This includes the opportunity to ask questions. Users can inquire about anything through Google Business Profiles, providing an additional way for you to share the information consumers want to know.

There’s a catch to this, however: business owners aren’t the only ones with permission to post responses. Any Google user can answer questions, so if you don’t take the lead, someone else may do it for you — and there’s no guarantee that you’ll like what they have to say. Instead of rolling the dice and risking wrong answers or unfair criticism, take it upon yourself to provide accurate responses to questions posed to your business.

Respond to reviews

Reviews are a critical part of maintaining a reputation online, and Google is a popular place for customers to leave feedback. As with other review sites, Google Business Profiles provide an avenue for businesses to respond to reviews, opening the door for acknowledgment, appreciation, and, if necessary, apologies.

Responding is especially important when you receive criticism, constructive or otherwise. Negative reviews are a way of life for most businesses, but there’s no need to let false or misrepresentative information stand. Without clarification, consumers browsing your listing may believe inaccurate reviews, harming your reputation.

For optimal digital success, every business must identify if local or national SEO is the best. The answer can effectively guide the course of a campaign, homing in on the most likely customers and improving the likelihood of generating convertible leads.

Local SEO keywords are often geo-specific, such as the names of neighborhoods, cities, states, and counties. Many companies with a local approach ensure listings are current on directories like Google My Business, Angie's List, and Yelp! utilize language and phrases familiar to local searchers, and include specific language to trigger search results for those in the greater metro area. Local SEO is best for those with a physical location, or several physical locations, with limited exposure on a larger scale.

If you're not sure where to best focus your attention, taking an objective look at your audience, your goals, and the effectiveness of your current campaigns can help guide the process.

• Who is your key demographic? Where do they reside?
• Do you have a physical location customers visit, or do they place their orders and receive products or services remotely?
• Does your mailing address have any bearing on the nature or quality of services provided?
• Do your customers tend to come from one specific area or is there little consistency in who shops with you?
• Are you striving to create connections in your local community, or do your business objectives disregard an area presence?

How you answer these questions will provide direction, helping you to determine if a local strategy is most effective for you. Keep in mind, your SEO can take multiple forms; for example, businesses with a physical location and local customers as well as a thriving online business should employ local and national SEO strategies.

Optimizing your website and local directories to meet Google’s standards and appear in coveted rankings takes time, consistency, and a keen concentration on Google’s ever-changing ranking factors. 

Determined to dedicate your time on other important aspects of your business? Talk to a trustworthy, results-driven search marketing agency. RivalMind is dedicated to providing SEO services that actually improve your company’s visibility. Contact us today to talk about expert, genuine SEO.

Meet the Author

Josiah Flex

Head of Business Development

Josiah Flex, a digital marketer, is passionate about helping companies see real, lasting growth. With a background in personal training, he enjoys helping people identify and achieve their goals – from online visibility to increased leads. Ultimately, consumers use search engines, like Google, to identify the best answer for their needs, and companies engaged in great SEO have the highest likelihood of winning prospective consumers, one step at a time. This is true success.

Specialties: Building Client Relationships, RivalMind Hype Guy