In the digital world, information and visibility are key. Today, a defining factor in a business's success is how easily its products or services can be found online. From this perspective, local SEO is not just a marketing tool; it is a strategic weapon that helps local businesses stand out from the crowd and build a direct connection with potential customers.
What is local SEO?
Let’s start with what local SEO, or local search engine optimization, actually means. Local SEO involves applying techniques and strategies designed to help businesses achieve higher rankings on Google for location-based searches.
We consider any Google search with a search intent focused on a specific geographic area to be local in nature. It is estimated that about half of all searches performed on Google have a local intent, which is a massive number.
The search term "running shoe store Budapest" clearly has local intent, as does someone in Budapest searching for the keyword "running shoe store." This is because Google will assume they are looking for stores nearby that they can reach most conveniently. Search terms ending in "near me" also have strong local intent.
Unlike traditional SEO, where the goal is general online visibility, local SEO focuses on local consumers who are searching for services or products in specific locations (e.g., a city or neighborhood). This is incredibly important because local searches are often paired with purchase intent: people very often search for local businesses because they want to buy something or need an immediate service.
Which businesses need local SEO?
Local SEO offers a significant opportunity for growth, primarily for businesses that:
- Have one or more physical locations (a shop, workshop, salon, etc.) where they serve customers or clients.
- Provide location-specific services, such as pest control in a single city or appliance repair in just one district of the capital.
Furthermore, in my experience, even in less obvious situations, you can achieve great results by not leaving local SEO out of your digital marketing equation.
#m1-p#There are many searches where Google assumes local intent even when, in reality, it is not the most dominant factor in the decision-making process.##
A classic example is the keyword "website design," where the "map pack" (which I will discuss in detail shortly) that appears for local searches is a permanent fixture of the results page. This is despite the fact that today, when someone chooses a web developer, geographic distance is negligible since the entire process takes place online.
It is also important to see that local SEO is often a great opportunity to get ahead of large, stronger brands and websites for local searches. Local search on Google is an area where the playing field is still relatively level, and even as a new player, you can make your mark within a reasonable amount of time.
What ranking factors matter in local SEO?
When Google identifies a local search intent, it essentially does two things with the list of results provided for the search:
1) It displays the so-called Local Pack: this element on the search results page is a combination of Google Maps, the relevant businesses marked on the map, and the list below it.
2) It also adapts classic organic results to local search intent. In other words, it prioritizes websites that it assumes can fulfill the search intent.
How we appear in the Local Pack element, as well as on the Google search results list adapted for local-style searches, will be influenced by these ranking factors:
- Google Business Profile signals
- On-Page SEO signals from the website
- Quantity and quality of Google reviews
- The website's link profile, and the quantity and quality of external backlinks
- User behavior, such as how much time they spend on the website, the click-through rate, etc.
- "NAP," i.e., the quantity and consistency of mentions of the brand name, address, and phone number across all of the business's online platforms. It is essential that the business name (company name or brand), address, and phone number appear consistently on every platform.
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3 steps to successful local SEO
Let's look at three simple steps that can significantly contribute to your business's local SEO. Of course, local search engine optimization is not limited to these three steps, but they are sufficient to get started.
1. Google Business Profile registration and data entry
If you don't have one yet, it is definitely worth registering a Google Business Profile for your company. You should take care to provide as much information as possible on your profile, including photos, opening hours, services, and products.
If you have a business operating at a specific physical address, be sure to provide the exact address on your profile. If you do not have a location where you serve customers, but instead work within a geographically defined area, you should specify a service area on your profile instead of an address.
#m1-y#Start consciously collecting Google reviews from the very first moment; you can request these from your clients and customers on your Google Business Profile. Your appearance in the Local Pack is significantly determined by how many and what kind of reviews you can accumulate.##
2. On-Page SEO focused on local searches
If your business's activities are concentrated in a geographically defined location, your website must reflect this as well.
For example, let's say you provide a mobile tire service in Debrecen. In this case, you need to make this geographical limitation clear in all key SEO elements (title, meta description, URL, H1) and in the website copy itself. After all, you don't want to appear in Google for just anyone, anywhere, but exclusively for those searching for such a service in Debrecen.
#m1-p#For more advanced users, it is worth looking into what structured data is and incorporating the appropriate SCHEMA markup that reinforces local relevance into the website's source code.##
3. Link building with a local focus
SEO experts agree that one of the most important ranking factors is the quantity and quality of external links pointing to your website. This is also a significant factor when compiling search results for local queries.
At the same time, experience shows that for websites targeting local consumers, it is worth considering local relevance in link building as well.
#m1-y#Links from county or municipal portals can be very strong signals, so it is worth focusing on these specifically.##
What results can you expect from local SEO?
Local search engine optimization generally does not bring a massive amount of clicks or high traffic to a website on its own. In fact, users often don't even reach the website because they choose from the Google Business Profiles instead.
However, the attention gained through local SEO usually has a high conversion rate. In other words, it can produce surprisingly good results in acquiring actual clients and customers.
As an example, I would like to mention one of my small-scale test projects, soptox.hu. With zero geographical ties and minimal effort, I built a website offering pest control exclusively in Sopron and its surrounding area. The entire website consists of fewer than 10 URLs, yet its focus is hyper-local. I wrote the content using AI, though not by copy-pasting. The site is also linked to a Google Business Profile, and that's it.
This little test project is barely six months old, but I had to remove my phone number from it because, lately, I was receiving calls almost daily from people in Sopron looking for a pest controller. Unfortunately, I cannot serve them because, obviously, I am not an expert in this, and I haven't found a reliable partner in the area either. But if I were a pest control professional working locally, I could generate a very nice business turnover with this website, which was launched solely through local SEO.
The takeaway? It is well worth dealing with local SEO if your business has a local focus. Unlike most online marketing tools and techniques, local SEO can produce serious results with very few resources.
This article is a guest post by András Jobbágy (Virto Search Marketing Agency).
#promobox-szolg-seo-en#Do you feel you need help creating a local SEO strategy?##
