What are “Local” SEO Services

If you’re starting a small business in Austin, TX you may need local SEO services. When most entrepreneurs launch a small business they are so focused on all of the tasks directly related to opening the doors that it’s easy to overlook search engine optimization. Little do they know, the build stage is the perfect time to start optimizing that shiny new business website.

Here’s why you need local SEO services that are targeted at Austin Texas.

Local SEO Services Bring Users to Your Location

You may know how to start a small business in Austin, TX, but do you know how to get people to your website and build brand awareness? That’s where local SEO comes in.

Let’s break it down.

First, SEO is a type of online marketing with the goal of getting to the top of search engine results for certain keywords. With local SEO the targeted search terms have a geographic intent. 

Everyone from Austin Texas bloggers to Austin small businesses to Texas nonprofits can benefit from implementing local SEO strategies. It’s a must for brick-and-mortar businesses that rely on customers that purchase in-store or need in-person services.

Going local makes total sense when you think about the type of users that are most valuable. Getting loads of traffic to a website is great, but if a user is in California needing tire replacement and your auto shop is in Austin they’re not going to bring in business. And at the end of the day you want to attract paying customers to get a return on your SEO investment. Ultimately, how much SEO services cost isn’t as important as how much revenue they generate.

When someone does a local search it’s usually highly motivated, which means they are more likely to become a paying customer. Often users are actually searching for a local business address, and you want them to find yours. If you can show up in the “3-pack” (the three businesses listed below the map after a local search using Google) your business will gain a tremendous amount of visibility.

Local SEO is even more important in our increasingly mobile world. According to Google’s research, 50% of users that do a local search on their phone go to the brick-and-mortar location within a day.

How to Make Local SEO Work

Local SEO isn’t much different than traditional SEO. In order to make local SEO work, various elements of the website need to be focused on your market area. Those elements include:

• Link URLs
• Link anchor text
• Content
• Meta tags
• On-page technical optimization

So instead of using the keyword “dry cleaner” in your content and links, you would want to target phrases with geo qualifiers like “Austin dry cleaner” or “dry cleaner in Austin”. Keyword phrases that include “local”, “near me”, “nearby”, etc. can also be beneficial because they have local intent.

Content will a local focus is extremely important. It should be high quality and relevant in addition to focusing on the local market area. 

Local SEO links should come from a variety of sources. Try to get links from local:

• Industry-related sites
• Directory sites
• Newspapers
• Chamber of commerce
• Professional group sites

Another key element of local SEO is your Google business profile. With a Google My Business account you can take advantage of local searches and Google Maps. You have to be mindful of the information that’s included in the business listing. The address has got to be correct in the profile and consist anywhere else listed online. 

If you’re a small business owner who needs SEO services in Austin, Texas you’ll want to give SearchRPM a Google. Our team of experts will get your website optimized for local search so customers in your area can find your business. Let’s start ranking for local search queries!