Local search is one of those no-brainer business decisions for anyone who sells to or services local customers.
In the not too distant past it would have been very difficult for a business to rank well for terms like 'family solicitor' as they were competing with websites from all over the UK.
Local search has enabled local businesses to appear for searches that contain a location e.g. 'family solicitor Cambridge. This has had a dramatic impact on how businesses market themselves locally.
It is now very possible to get a steady stream of leads from the web if your business is set up correctly online and promoted in the correct way.
To do this you need to take full advantage of our SEO for Local Search which will put you business in front of potential customers/clients.
Local Search Explained
Google and other search engines modify the search results to reflect the location of the searcher and/or the location implied by the search query.
So there are two basic scenarios:-
I search for Family Solicitor in Cambridge – Irrespective of where I am when I make the search Google will recognise the implied location from the search query and offer results based on the Cambridge location.
I search for Family Solicitor – Google will attempt to determine my geographic location from my IP address or, if on a mobile and signed in to any Google aps the location history and serve results based on the location. See this post if you want to get scared about how much they know about your location!
In each case the search engine results pages (SERPS) will be modified to show local results along with the organic (and paid) search results. (See the example below)
Here is a search result for 'family solicitor' and you can see that the result has been modified to show some 'local results' based on my IP address implied location. This result sits at the top of the organic results and pushes everything else down the page. There are a number of different layouts depending on device and topic (this is an ever changing aspect).
However the fact remains that local search allows local businesses to appear more prominently in the search results. This, in its many forms, provides businesses with greater visibility and resulting business.
Want To Improve Your Website's Performance?
If you need to get more out of your business website I can help. Proven track record of improving conversions from existing traffic and increasing traffic by improving your website's prominence on all the major search engines.
Why not request a FREE initial consultation by filling in the Discovery Form or by calling 07979 961 971 today.