Local SEO agency

A: Your Google Business Profile is your official business listing on Google, formerly called Google My Business. Having a GBP means you have a chance of being listed in the 'Google Local Pack' on search engine results pages. AI overviews and conversational search engines also use GBPs to find companies in specific local areas.

A: The 'Google Local Pack' is the panel that appears under the search bar on a SERPs page. It's the part of the page that contains a map and three or more businesses. For many local firms, getting into the Pack is the ultimate goals because it means you benefit from far more site visitors, enquiries and sales.

A: Local search citations are mentions of your business's Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) on other local directories and websites. Google uses these local citations to verify your legitimacy as business. If your NAPS aren't consistent, that can knock your positioning in local search results.

A: Local keyword targets is identifying the specific types on phrases that only local people and decision makers would use like “commercial lawyer in Brighton”, “plumber near me” or “best accountants in Leeds”. You target local search terms by optimising the content on your site to include those terms either in existing copy or you can build specific landing pages on your site like, for example, yoursite.co.uk/Leeds-accountant.

A: Location pages are highly optimised pages on your site that business owners want to rank highly to outcompete other local websites for terms like “emergency electrician in Bristol”, “Glasgow property solicitor” or “SEO agency Manchester”. To win these searches, the pages you create must be specific to each area, include SEO keywords and demonstrate local credibility. For example, one good way to build in locality to a location page is to reference nearby landmarks, use local case studies and include reviews from customers in that area.

A: Local backlinks are hyperlinks to your site from other local websites like the local newspaper or business association. Google views these as "votes of confidence" in your firm and further proof that your business is trading, trusted and relevant in that specific area.

A: With national SEO, you might chase after high rankings for broad keyword like "inheritance tax accountants". Local SEO is another type of business SEO targeting customers in a given, restricted geographical area. This includes reaching potential local customers by building on the volume of your online citations, winning local backlinks and going after keywords like "inheritance tax accountants in Stranraer" with location pages.

A: Expect to see results within three to six months on a successful local SEO push. Think of it as a medium-term investment to build long-term value into company and website with the return on investment compounding over time.

A: Schema Markup is code you add that helps search engines see certain types of information on your website much more clearly. As local SEO focuses on location, services, and business details, the most suitable schema would be the LocalBusiness schema. Using Schema data helps Google and other search engines understand your business location, opening hours, reviews and more, which can have a big impact on your website's visibility in local search results leading to more organic traffic.

A: Yes. Local SEO costs less than national SEO and you get results faster. This is as opposed to paid ads or traditional SEO where you need to continually spend money on to win more local customers.

A: AI Overviews and conversational search chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity affect every business's visibility by using content on their website to answer searchers' questions. While that results in a drop in people cominig to your site, the people and decision makers who do find you are 4.4x (Semrush) to 23x (Ahrefs) more likely to convert.

Sources:

• We Studied the Impact of AI Search on SEO Traffic. Here’s What We Learned. (Semrush)
• AI search clicks aren’t always better traffic: Study (Search Engine Land)

A: To be featured in AI local search answers and win more traffic, make sure you get the following local SEO priorities:

• A very well maintained Google Business Profile: Keep all your information up-to-date, not just your hours, but regular posts, updated photos, and promptly answered Q&As.
• NAP consistency: Your business name, address, and phone number must be identical everywhere online. Wrong entries cause the AI to doubt your business which may lead to it being excluded from local results or deprioritised in search responses.
• Great online reviews: Although the AI doesn't judge you by your star rating, it is able to pick up how customers feel from the text in reviews. It likes positive feedback so the more of that, the more you're likely to be cited.

Making sure your business is listed accurately across multiple platforms is a key part of our local SEO service.

A: Treat Google as the priority for now but pay attention to other search options because Google is facing its biggest challenge in 25 years from ChatGPT (which uses Microsoft Bing), Perplexity, Claude and other AI chatbots. You definitely need to factor in AI to run a successful local SEO campaign.

A: 78% of local searches on a mobile phone result in an offline purchase, showing the power of Google Search to get you in front of potential customers.

A: Yes. Online search is now the dominant method for discovery. A recent consumer behaviour report confirmed that 97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else, making a business's local online presence its most important reputational asset.

A: When you're picking a local SEO company, you want a partner that gets the bigger picture of digital marketing. The best local SEO companies will share their proven local SEO strategies witht you. Since there are so many companies out there competing for your business, go with the one that's focused on bringing you real results you can see.

A: A solid strategy isn't built on guesswork - it's based on what actually works. It kicks off with checking where you stand now, then figuring out what you want to achieve and what matters most. The whole point is to get your business climbing up those search results over time.

A local SEO agency is a specialist service provider whose role is to increase your visibility online to searchers based close by to you.

They do this by building up the number of new and correcting inaccurate existing citations, a form of business listing. They also manage your Google Business Profile, handle the collection of online reviews (and certain online reputation issues), keyword research, local landing page creation, and try to secure a location on the Google Map-related Local Pack to increase organic traffic to your website.

Top local SEO companies are responsible for everything from Google Business Profile optimisation and local content creation to review management and competitor tracking. They use Google Analytics and other measurement tools to track your website's visibility to your local audience. The higher your site ranks in your local area, the more potential local customers you'll be able to sell to.

A: Absolutely. Prices differ from company to company, but the aim is to give you services that more than pay for themselves while acheiving your local SEO goals. The trick is focusing on the things that will make the biggest difference for your particular business and area.

A: Any business that serves customers in their local area will see the benefits. Think about it - when someone nearby searches for what you offer, you want to be the first business they come across, not your competitor down the road.