Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, can make or break how you rank against local competitors. If you are having trouble implementing the best SEO practices yourself, you should consider hiring a local SEO agency. A local SEO agency can help your business show up higher on local search results pages and catch the attention of more potential customers.
Did you know that 46% of the searches done on Google are looking for local information? Or that after making a local search on mobile, 88% of people call or visit the business in the next 24 hours? Successful local SEO campaigns can drive highly qualified leads, produce conversions, and generate profit. Here are four ways how utilizing local SEO services can help your business rank in local searches.
1. Clarify Your Expectations
Determine your business goals before contacting a local SEO agency. What should your online presence achieve? Write down your objectives to improve your chances of showing up in organic search results and Google Maps Pack. Whether you want to hold a top-three position on SERPs or increase leads, you should be able to clearly state your goals to a local SEO agency.
If you’re not sure what your business goals are, review your current strategies in place and take note of areas where you are excelling and areas that need work. While talking to the best local SEO agencies, have your notes in reach and be ready to thoroughly discuss your goals. Their responses can help you judge whether their local SEO services are right for you.
2. Ensure That Services Match Your Needs
When you’re exploring your options for SEO agencies to work with, you’ll quickly realize there are agencies out there that specialize in local SEO, who of course will be happy to help you. You will also come across SEO agencies with a more general focus that offer local SEO services.
So how do you know which of these two options is right for you? Let’s look at the different services each can provide.
Agencies that focus specifically on local SEO will be able to help you exclusively with just that. They will know all the tips and tricks for boosting local SEO. However, they won’t be able to help you with much more than that. This means that you’ll be on your own as far as integrating your local SEO tactics into your other marketing campaigns and higher-level strategies and goals.
On the other hand, a more general SEO agency will be able to help with local SEO along with other SEO and content marketing needs you might have. They can also help you reach more overarching goals across different platforms. Rather than solely focusing on your local SEO, they will be able to incorporate local SEO services along with your other marketing goals for a more cohesive overall strategy.
3. Check If They Have Experience Working With Businesses Such as Yours
When you’re looking around for the best SEO agency, investigate what other businesses they’ve worked with. Having an agency that has experience working with businesses in your industry could give you a leg up. It’ll mean they already have a frame of reference for what you might be looking for. They may also have case studies to prove their success with businesses like yours.
Another point of differentiation to pay attention to is whether your business is B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to consumer). Each requires different marketing and SEO strategies. If an agency is more familiar with one over the other, that’s a good indicator of how useful they will be to helping you achieve your goals when it comes to local SEO.
Ask for case studies, examples of other businesses they’ve worked with, and any data they can share to prove they get results. The right agency for you will be able to show you what they’ve done and explain how they can replicate the results for you through their local SEO services.
4. Make Sure They Collect and Analyze Data
Any business that claims to be the best SEO agency out there should be carefully tracking client’s data. After discussing your business’s overarching goals, a great SEO agency will not only know how to make them happen but know exactly how to track whether their efforts are successful.
This could include tracking data such as search engine rankings for specific keywords when someone searches for a business “near me.” This is an important one, especially seeing that searches for “where to buy” + “near me” grew over 200% from 2017-2019. Data tracking may also include the number of calls you get or visitors you get, or perhaps click-through rates. If you have specific campaign goals, they may track things such as the number of people who fill out your contact form online or who leave reviews.
All in all, the right agency will provide local SEO services that include measurable strategies, and they will be upfront with you about what’s working and what’s not.
Finding The Best Local SEO Services for Your Business
More and more businesses are discovering the importance of SEO. With everyone around you working hard to develop their SEO strategy, it’s important to keep up. Hiring the best SEO agency to help with local SEO will put you miles ahead of your local competition.
When you aren’t sure where to start, an SEO agency will guide you through what strategies you need to rise above other local businesses in your industry. Whenever someone nearby searches for “XYZ business near me,” you want your name to be one of the first. Find an agency that provides local SEO services and understands this goal and how to achieve it. If you follow the tips we provided in this post, you’re sure to find an agency that will be great to work with and get you the results you’re looking for.
For more tips on finding the best SEO services around, keep up with our blog. With the right SEO strategies in place, your business will be showing up at the top of search engines in no time.