The Benefits of Local SEO

• Focusing your SEO on local markets gives you a competitive advantage over some of your peers. Since most small businesses rely on local consumers to grow, competition can be fierce.

• Local search engine optimization is much easier than trying to rank nationally or internationally. It doesn't depend on how many backlinks you have. Instead, it relies only on where searchers look for results within their geographical area.

• The cost savings that come with focusing locally can be huge. You can rank with as little as just one backlink from a non-competitive directory or customer review as a local business. In contrast, the same type of result on a national level could take thousands of backlinks and years to achieve.

• Local SEO is easier to track and measure than conventional SEO. That's because we can easily see which markets are performing well and track conversions.

• It's more cost-effective and efficient to focus on one or two cities. In contrast, we can spend months or even years trying to make a national and international campaign work.

Best Tools for Local SEO

There are many different tools available to business owners to help them manage their local search results. The best local SEO tools for local businesses are those that analyze the local demand, measure your site's footprint, and track what is happening in the area around your business.

As far as local search tools are concerned, the most critical concept you should be familiar with is Keyword Research. Multiple tools can help with keyword research, such as Ahrefs, SEMRush, Serpstat, and Ubersuggest. 

Having access to a powerful keyword research tool that provides data on traffic trends allows you to understand the market and what potential customers are searching for in Google. These are terms that people are using when they're searching for the services your business offers.

Local SEO Tools

The best local SEO tools will also include a complete suite of tracking tools that provide data about your company's performance. There should be tools to track email marketing efforts, referrals from other websites, your backlink profile, and real-time tracking of your social media marketing progress.

As businesses grow larger, there are additional needs when it comes to local SEO tools. The best local search companies have a complete set of tracking tools that should include everything listed above for smaller businesses, but they will also have more data available. At this level, you need to be able to track the influence of your SEO campaign on sales across all search engines. 

At this stage, it is crucial to have access to tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These are 2 of the best tools to track your customer's behavior and acquisition funnel.

Google Analytics gives you the tools necessary to understand where your customers are coming from, how they interact with your site, and what kind of offers tend to lead them towards purchase. This is crucial information that will help make any local SEO campaign more effective.

Google Search Console provided data on website performance, error tracking, and Search Engine Rank Position (SERP). This data used in combination with a keyword research tool provides invaluable insight into open opportunities. 

Social media tracking becomes important if you are running Social Media ads or have a strong presence on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Social media is one of the best ways to promote your business, but you need to have the right tools in place to know what kind of impact your efforts are having. Some of the top social media analytic tools for local businesses include Bitly, Twitter Counter, and Facebook Insights. 

These tools provide detail on what posts are the most popular, which ones perform the best, and which terms you should be targeting when promoting your business.

If you want to learn more about how Columbus Local SEO in can help you scale your business, give us a call or fill out the form below. We're excited to help you achieve your goals!

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