Local SEO Packages

If you are a local business, so you have a physical address, and your customers can visit you, then you are classed as a local business. The good news is that this even applies to service businesses that service a local area but don't want customers to drop in.

As a local business, you can occupy a dedicated space on Google's search engine result pages. This privilege works to your advantage when users are searching with local intent. What is local intent? It's when people search for local products, services, or locations, indicating they want something in a specific area. For example, You are a shoe repair service located in Melbourne's Bayside. Now, imagine Google receiving a search result from a mobile phone located in the geo-area of your business searching for 'shoe repair' or 'shoe repair Bayside'. Your business will come up only if you have a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). This exclusive profile is Google's free area where local businesses can showcase their products, addresses, contact details, opening hours, updates, photos and more.

Here's a staggering statistic: 46% of all Google searches are for local information. That's nearly 1 in 2 searches. Even more impressive, 78% of these local mobile searches lead to in-store purchases. If your business isn't listed on Google Maps (formerly Google My Business), you're potentially missing out on a significant revenue stream.

As a small business, it may seem daunting to compete in a vast digital landscape, particularly in terms of SEO. However, being local can be a game-changer. If you operate a local business, informing Google about your location is crucial. Even if you don't cater to walk-in customers, leveraging local SEO can be a potent strategy to boost your business's visibility within your community.

Google's local search algorithms use three things to match user searches with the best local business results: relevance, distance, and prominence.

• Relevance is how close your business is to what the user is searching for.
• Distance is how far your business is from the user.
• Prominence is how important Google thinks your business is to potential customers.

Google shows two types of search results for local searches: the local pack and organic results. The local pack shows a map and the top three local business listings. Organic results are the blue link search results.

If someone is searching for your business specifically, Google shows a knowledge graph panel of your business so people can learn more about you. This is a great way to build authority and show that your business is trustworthy.

For example, if someone searches for "Shoe repair Bayside," Google shows two types of search results: the local pack, which shows the top local business listings and a map, and organic results, which are the blue link search results. The local pack is believed to have more power to turn searches into customers than organic results.