Local SEO means optimising your business website to rank better in specific geographic locations. And in today’s digital age, this strategy has become crucial for businesses to thrive in their local markets.
But while any company or industry can gain from applying local SEO, certain business types benefit more from this strategy.
And so, in this blog post, we will explore eight types of businesses that should boost their local SEO efforts for maximum benefits.
Understanding the significance of local SEO to specific types of businesses can help owners and decision-makers enhance their online visibility and attract more local customers.
Who Needs Local SEO the Most?
Local SEO solutions are remarkably effective in these kinds of businesses.
1. Beauty and Salon Businesses
There are several reasons why beauty and salon business owners have a lot to gain from local SEO applications.
One is that this type of business needs a brick-and-mortar location to operate and cater to customers’ beauty and grooming needs.
And because of this, regular and potential clients would often search online for beauty salons, hairdressers, or spas nearby.
Most beauty and salon shops fall into the small business category, too.
And local SEO can help make the most of their limited resources by building brand awareness, decreasing marketing expenses, and generating high ROI.
Competition within this business industry is also very high. Local SEO can then level the playing field and allow small or start-up operators to improve their online presence and grow clientele.
To make local SEO work for beauty and salon businesses, creating a Google Business Profile is a good start. Owners should also claim their business in various review sites and local directories.
Publishing photos and videos of real-life haircuts or services rendered on your website or social media channels also attract customer attention and draw organic traffic.
2. Home Services
People turn to Google and other search engines when they need help with a leaky pipe, a malfunctioning HVAC system, or unusual power issues.
More importantly, they prefer reliable and prompt services closest to their home. And this is why plumbing, electric, and HVAC service companies should invest in local SEO.
As trade service is a highly competitive industry, business owners can leverage local SEO strategies and capture local customers needing immediate assistance.
And there are several ways to do it. For instance, you can optimise website content with local keywords.
Feature solutions to everyday house problems through educational blogs or quick videos to boost rankings and engagement.
Get your business listed on local directories, too. Plus, go the extra mile and encourage customer reviews.
3. Medical Practices
Nowadays, patients look online for doctors, dentists, and medical specialists in their local area to get healthcare services.
So, if your clinic is not yet on local search results, you’re missing out on potential clients. Getting higher rankings in this industry is also crucial since people seeking medical services value credibility and reliability.
And local SEO can significantly help medical professionals in this department. For instance, they can optimise their website by featuring informative content with local keywords.
Combining relevant keywords with your specific city or town location can make you stand out from your fiercest competitors.
Also, publishing medical blog posts or how-to videos adds value to people’s lives while boosting your search rankings.
After all, Google and other search engines prioritise websites that offer relevant, helpful, and fresh content.
Medical practitioners can also use local SEO to enhance their online reputation by providing accurate business information.
Giving clients access to the correct location, operating hours, or services is your link to higher foot traffic and valuable relationships.
As this is a highly specialised industry, having solid and authoritative local backlinks to your web pages is also valuable to your online reputation.
Implementing local SEO techniques like these enables medical and dental practitioners to connect with local patients actively seeking healthcare services.
4. Professional Services
People often rely on local searches for professionals like lawyers, architects, and accountants.
It’s because professional services usually require regular visits or frequent consultations. And having a reliable expert nearby makes things easy and convenient for clients.
Implementing local SEO is crucial to an industry like this that is heavily reliant on physical location and local customers.
Professional service businesses can leverage local SEO to position themselves as trusted experts and attract or secure more clients.
And you can do this by optimising your website content and obtaining local citations. Use keywords that your potential customers use, like “best accountants near me”, “divorce lawyer in Sydney”, or “office architects Melbourne”.
Acquire as many positive reviews or feature third-party validation through case studies to establish authoritativeness and build trustworthy relations.
Also, showcase your expertise through content marketing.
Check out the latest trends about your industry. Then, use these as opportunities to share professional advice or real-life accounts.
5. Automotive Services
Businesses like auto repair shops, car dealerships, and rental services serve regular customers within a limited geographical area.
Moreover, potential clients have become increasingly dependent on search engines when researching and comparing auto services within their locale.
They would use their mobile devices to look for auto services and choose based on their post code or the reviews they’ve read.
These aspects make local SEO applications all the more essential, not to mention rewarding, for the automotive industry.
By optimising their website, for example, they can easily publish articles that do well in search rankings and keep the target customers engaged.
Business operators can also use local content marketing to display their expertise and educate people about various auto service topics.
In turn, you build trust and authority plus encourage word of mouth.
By implementing local SEO strategies, automotive service businesses make it easier for local customers to find them, beating competitors offering the same vehicle maintenance and repairs.
6. Fitness and Wellness Centres
The global pandemic somehow strengthened the link between online search and fitness.
Now more than ever, enthusiasts use search engines to look for gym classes or wellness coaches to stay active and in shape.
And that only means your business website should also be in shape, local SEO-wise.
One way to do that is to produce blog articles that answer your clients’ frequently asked questions. Use your site to introduce your staff or instructors, provide expert advice, showcase testimonials, or share healthy recipes.
You can also feature a client’s fitness success story with progress photos.
In addition, use various social media platforms to make local announcements, promos, and contests.
Some fitness centres also operate in multiple locations, and it would be good to have a separate profile, website, or channel for each.
That’s because people often check for updates on local business pages first, increasing your chances of reaching your intended audience.
With local SEO, it should be easier for fitness and wellness centre owners to capture the local individuals who prioritise their health and well-being.
7. Hospitality and Tourism
The hospitality and tourism businesses are probably the ones that benefit the most from local SEO.
After all, tourists and local visitors go online to search for the best accommodation and travel services within their destination.
And having a locally optimised website with geo-specific keywords should make it easy for travellers to find your hotel, resort, or travel agency.
Adding local pages or travel guides on your site is another way to maximise local SEO and, at the same time, showcase what your business has to offer.
For example, complement your keyword-rich content with high-quality images of the features and amenities of your establishment.
You can also use local SEO to target other market categories.
For instance, publish locally optimised pages or articles centred on activities like weddings, reunions, anniversaries, bachelorette parties, and more.
These should catch the attention of potential clients looking for things to do other than a hotel or resort stay.
You might want to post local happenings within your business area, too. Promote or relay information about upcoming festivals, community events, or bazaars.
While these may not lead to a booking, these act as opportunities to boost your relevance in the local area plus mention pertinent business information.
In this type of business, owners should also pay extra attention to their Google My Business profiles.
Potential visitors typically look for basic details like your address, business hours, contact information, rates, and reviews. So, these must be easily accessible and accurate.
Also, stay updated on the recent changes or attributes Google adds or removes to your business category.
By implementing these relevant local SEO strategies, hospitality and tourism businesses can attract more tourists and visitors to their local area. In turn, owners boost their revenue and reputation.
8. Real Estate Agencies
Typing “house for sale” or “apartments for rent” on search engines will likely display broad and unnecessary results.
Moreover, most people usually look for a new home, rental apartment, or commercial space online before meeting a broker in person.
And this is why the real estate industry and local SEO are a perfect fit. Real estate companies depend heavily on specific regions, cities, suburbs, districts, or towns, making local SEO extremely useful.
Agencies can combine relevant keywords with names of the smallest neighbourhoods to reach specific local markets.
With locally optimised content to the granular level, small agents can describe properties in-depth.
For instance, publish good real estate articles that are informative and visually appealing.
Touch on specific customer interests like walkability, cost of living, social life, public transportation, and schools. Then, boost it with high-quality images, maps, virtual tours, or infographics.
Local content marketing is also ideal for targeting long-tail keyword searches relevant to property buying.
Real estate business owners must keep their Google profiles updated as well.
Check that all business details are complete, correct, and accurate, then spice them up with relevant content like photos and videos.
Making the most of location-specific social media pages can increase exposure and direct viewers to your website.
Social media posts also let you add geo-targeted keywords, hashtags, and descriptions.
With local SEO, real estate agencies can attract customers actively seeking property-related services, increasing their chances of closing deals and growing their businesses.
Conclusion
Local SEO plays a vital role in the success of various businesses.
In particular, beauty salons, home services, medical and dental practices, professional services, automotive services, fitness and wellness centres, hospitality and tourism, and real estate agencies benefit more from this strategy.
And owners and decision-makers can significantly enhance their online visibility and attract more local customers by implementing local SEO and tailoring their optimisation efforts to their specific business type.
Are you a business owner or decision-maker seeking professional assistance with local SEO?
Call us at 03 9043 4444 (or email us at hello@infiniteace.com) today to learn how we can help you optimise your local online presence and drive growth for your business.
