For local companies, which develop their business in a limited area of the territory, Google Local Search is a very important tool.
What is Google Local Search?
Let's start from the basics and try to understand in depth what Local Search and Local SEO are.
Local Search allows you to find the closest businesses to those who search through Google. Let's take an example: if I'm in Bergamo and I search for a boxing gym to join, Google gives me these results (image on the side).
Even though I didn't enter "Bergamo" in the search, the results that appear are related to the geographical area from which I performed the search.
The first results are therefore activities, in this case boxing gyms, that can respond to the needs expressed in the research.
Google Local Search is therefore a very intelligent tool that is based on the user's needs and allows you to increase the visibility of your business.
At the base of Local SEO is the Google My Business card: you register your business for free, you provide information about the sector, address, opening hours, telephone number, website.
Who needs Local Search?
Local Search is a key element for all businesses that develop their business locally. For example, it is essential for businesses such as restaurants, sports centers, bars, cinemas, shopping centers... that is, all businesses that aim to attract customers to their point of sale.
What are the key aspects of Google Local Search?
There are three fundamental indications and they are:
Relevance : It is essential to add detailed information about your business
Distance: the closest businesses to the location where the search was performed are shown first in the results
Prominence: The more information Google has (even through a website), the higher the ranking.
How do you optimize your Google listing for Local SEO?
To have the possibility of appearing among the first results of a Google Local Search it is very important to have a Google My Business Card complete in all the entries and optimized following a Keyword Research. If you want to know more about what a Keyword Research is and how to do it, I recommend you click here and read the article.
This card is a real tool designed to be easily found: it must be looked after but above all constantly updated.
Some tips to optimize your Google My Business listing
The order of the categories is important: insert the category that represents the main part of your business first. For example, if you have a coffee shop and some months in the summer you also sell ice cream, but that is not what you want to push, the first category you should insert is definitely bar and not ice cream shop.
If your business offers a delivery service, remember to include the areas covered by your service.
The business description is the part where you can explain in more detail what you do, what needs you can satisfy and what your characteristics are. Remember: in the first sentence of the description insert the keyword you have identified and leave a space with the rest.
Don't forget your business opening date
Publish and update the images and remember to save the file for SEO. Let's take the example of the gym, the name could be "Bergamo boxing gym - brand". Google itself says that Google cards with photos receive 42% more requests and 35% more clicks.
Reviews: Remember to ask your customers for reviews, even better if they are Local Guides.
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