What is local SEO?
Local search engine optimization aims to optimize your business visibility on local searches on Google. Local searches can be searches that contain a place name (for example "SEO agency Copenhagen"), but it can also be searches without a location name (e.g. "SEO agency") where Google shows local results based on the user's IP address.
A local SEO effort is therefore especially important if you have a physical presence (or several) and want potential customers in your local area to easily find you when they search locally for your products or services. If you have a business that is solely based on an online shop, local search engine optimization is generally not relevant to you.
Local searches have increased exponentially in recent years with the increased use of mobile devices. Several studies point to the fact that local searches are mainly conducted while users are on the go. According to Google, 30 % of all mobile searches related to locations, and 76 % of all users visit the businesses they found through local searches on the same day.
In other words, local searches have a high conversion to customer. That's why it's more important than ever that you incorporate local SEO into your overall SEO efforts - If you have a business with a geographically defined target group in one or more local areas.
How to get found on local keywords
All the SEO efforts that are part of a regular SEO effort also apply to local SEO work. Your overall SEO efforts will therefore largely have a positive impact on your local SEO results. But there are a number of elements you need to pay special attention to in order to get ahead of your competitors on local searches:
Content optimization by place names
Do a keyword analysis where you map all relevant search phrases with place names from your local area. This could be cities, roads, regions, municipalities and landmarks. Then make sure that relevant pages on your website are optimized for these search phrases. If you have multiple physical locations, it's often beneficial to have a subpage for each physical location that is optimized for the place name search phrases associated with that location. Read more about content optimization.
NAP information
NAP is an abbreviation for name, address and phone. This information gives Google an indication of where your business is located and how to get in touch with it. To avoid confusing Google (and users), it's important that the information is as far as possible identical across all platforms, including your website, Trustpilot, CVR, Krak, Google My Business and similar.
Google My Business
Create a Google My Business Business Profile (free) to make information about your business more accessible on Google. With a Business Profile, your business can also appear in the map feature that Google is increasingly showing on local searches. The benefits of Google My Business are elaborated in the following section. Read more about Google My Business.
Frequently asked questions about local SEO
Local SEO is about optimizing your business' visibility on local searches on Google. Local searches are searches that contain a place name (e.g. "garden furniture odense"), but they can also be searches without a place name (e.g. "burger bar"), where Google shows local results based on the user's IP address.
According to Google, 30 % of all mobile searches are related to locations and 76 % of all users visit the businesses they found through local searches on the same day.
In the text above, you'll find a few tips for the action areas that relate specifically to local SEO. But it's important to note that most of the action areas that are part of a regular SEO effort also apply to local SEO. Read more about SEO here.
