Importance of “Near-Me” searches for Local SEO

It is the era of digitization and almost everyone realizes the importance of building a solid digital presence for their businesses. The focus is not only on selling online but is revolving heavily around being discovered by new markets and acquiring new customers - especially with the advent of “near me” searches. Now, what are “near me” searches?  “Near Me” searches are localized search queries by searchers who are seeking a product or service in closer proximity to their current location. As per statistics, 93% of people utilized the “near me” or localized search to find a business near them and even then, almost 58% of businesses do not optimize it to target local customers. Leveraging the “near me” searches prove to be exponentially beneficial for both offline and omnichannel businesses. 

IMPORTANCE OF “NEAR ME” SEARCHES FOR LOCAL SEO

1. It aids your business in getting discovered by new customers. 
2. The trust of the target customer increases by seeing a well-maintained digital presence. 
3. Near me, search results display map stack results through which it becomes easier for the searcher to locate the store and visit.
4. Optimizing local SEO for near-me searches keeps your business a cut above the competitors by enhancing your visibility in the local SERPs. 
5. “Near me” is a location-based result; therefore dubious SEO strategies, such as stuffing “near me” as a keyword do not really work, which gives local businesses a fair chance to rank higher in relevant searches. 
6. It also helps the SEO service provider in understanding the searcher’s intent and then build a set of long-tail keywords to optimize, which have increased exponentially with the advent of voice search. 

With the rise in Voice search and “Near me” searches, it is imperative for businesses to inculcate local SEO strategies in their SEO campaigns to have a cut above their competitors and ensure that they are known by and visible to their target market. So, we have put together a list of the seven best ways by which you can leverage “near me” searches to take your Local SEO up a notch.

Enhancing local SEO with “near me” searches

Optimize Using Schema Markup Schema Markup helps SEO professionals create brief yet informative descriptions using relevant keywords. The use of relevant keywords, with respect to local SEO, ensures that your business is connected to the pertinent searcher. Schema Markup code increases your website traffic and brand awareness by creating rich snippets. This improves your visibility in the Organic search results, “Places” tab, “Related Search” tab, and knowledge graph.   Optimize For Google Images SERPs Searchers look for images, especially when searching for local businesses. Therefore, optimizing images becomes a crucial step in enhancing your visibility in the “near me” search results. By optimizing your image content, you not only rank higher in the Google Images SERPs but also in the location-based results for the searcher’s local query.  Optimize For Mobile Search The majority of searchers are making “near me” searches through their mobile phones, especially with the help of voice assistants. It has increased the need to analyze and utilize long tail and semantic keywords and build content around that.  In addition to that, creating specific landing pages that are mobile-friendly ensures a positive user experience. Therefore, every SEO service provider must make sure that the website is built keeping in mind the visible and navigational comfort of a visitor coming from a mobile search.  Optimize For “Near Me” Search Results Optimizing the website content and building strategies that cater to the requirements of local searches helps your business rank higher in the SERPs and improves the awareness of the same in the digital space. You can optimize your website for “near me” search results by: 

• Embedding maps for the location of your offline store on your website. 
• Creating a location page on your website. 
• Creating separate location pages if you have multiple storefronts.
• Include landmarks, directions, and wide-angle images in your location pages to get a view of the neighborhood.  

Localized Content Creation Creating content that caters to your local audience gives you a chance to resonate with them and build a loyal customer base. It also provides an avenue for you to use relevant keywords that boosts your visibility in the local SERPs.  You can build on your localized content marketing by: 

• Collaborative virtual events with related businesses. 
• Creating guest blogs. 
• Creating content on topics trending in your local area. 
• Building location-based pages with images and videos of your business. 
• Building location-specific landing pages. 

Maintain Google My Business Profile Google My Business is the holy grail for “near me” searches. It is a tool that registers your business on Google and is highly relied upon by local searchers. Google my business results are the first to be displayed in the “near me” search results. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain your Google My Business profile. To keep it optimized, you must follow the following steps: 

• Mention the hours of operation. 
• Use call-to-action buttons relevant to your business. 
• Upload photos and videos of your business. 
• Keep your NAP i.e. Name, Address, and Phone Number updated on your profile. 
• Respond to reviews in the review and rating tab. 
• Answer the questions in the Question and Answer tab. 
• Specify the category of business. 
• Write a compelling and informative description of your business. 
• Create events and posts on your profile.
• Link the Google My Business listing to your website. 

Collect True Customer Reviews Customer ratings and reviews highly influence the visibility of your business in the “near me” search results. Generating true and positive customer reviews plays an important role to enhance the visibility of both, your google my business listing and your website’s ranking in the local SERPs. Therefore, it should be a priority to collect genuine and positive reviews and ratings for your business.  Localized Link Building Creating quality backlinks that have semantic relevance to your business is important when it comes to localized link building. The major difference between generic SEO link building and local SEO link building is that of the target location.  While building links to enhance visibility in the “near me” search results, utilizing domains that are pertinent to your geographic area is imperative. Local Listening There is a lot you can learn about your local audience’s preferences by listening to what they have to say about your business, both through online suggestions and feedback and offline word of mouth.  It not only helps you refine your local SEO and content creation strategies but, it also aids in identifying future expansion opportunities based on what your local audience is seeking. 

CONCLUSION

By practicing these Local SEO techniques with due diligence and patience, a higher ranking and improved visibility become inevitable for your business. Nevertheless with so much going into starting, building, and growing a business, religiously carrying out SEO can get tedious. This is where seeking support from an impeccable SEO service provider comes into play.  We, at #ARM Worldwide, extend our helping hand to share your burden. We have a team of skilled professionals who leave no stone unturned to turn your dream into a reality. With your vision and our best local SEO services, let’s take your business to a noteworthy level by optimizing your digital presence through local SEO.