Local search is quickly becoming a preferred search method for consumers all over the world. With more people being online and searching for goods and services from a mobile device, every day, optimizing your website to appear to customers in your target geographic location is the only way to let visitors know you exist and persuade them to visit your store over that of your competitor.
Local search rankings are essential to business development
A prominent ranking in local search is integral to business as local searches convert to store visits and offline sales. If you want to see more consumers coming into your location for certain goods and services, local search SEO is the best way to entice visitors in your direction.
What are the current local ranking factors?
Google (and other search engines) favor an array of factors when it comes to ranking websites based on local search optimization, including the following:
- Google My Business verification
- Citation signals
- Personalization
- Link authority, quantity, and diversity
- Local content relevance
- Reviews
- Mobile responsiveness
- Domain authority
New ranking factors
Several of the listed factors are basic SEO measures and have been incorporated into your SEO strategy already (if not, you can include them now). As long as you have optimized your site with the basic local search tactics, you can now shift your focus toward deepening your SEO and generating even more traffic and sales. Let’s take a look at ranking factors that will boost your local search in 2019.
2019 local SEO ranking factors
-
Augmented reality
Augmented reality offers local searchers an opportunity to experience your restaurant, boutique, salon, or clinic before choosing to visit in person. You can use AR to give prospective visitors directions to your store or in your store, point out sale sections or new inventory, or promote a social atmosphere that exists at your restaurant or bar.
Google always wants to provide the most integrative experience to searchers. As new technology allows for more innovative marketing, businesses that implore these methods as SEO factors will be rewarded in local search rankings.
-
Live inventory feeds
Submitting live inventory feeds is a newer search ranking factor. Businesses can now upload inventory in real-time so that Google can accurately display to searchers the proximal stores which have the product in demand.
For instance, if a customer is searching for a book and does not want to wait out a shipping time from an online store, Google can swiftly provide the nearby stores that have this particular title in stock and available.
By updating your inventory feeds, you receive more in-store foot traffic; at the same time, you ensure that local searchers never enter your store only to be disappointed.
-
In-store visits tracking
Monitoring online activity is relatively simple with most online platforms providing instant traffic, click-through, and conversion rate data. Tracking the conversions from local search online to in-store visits, however, is a different story as not all visitors let you know how they found your store.
It is likely that we will see sensor systems and other data collection approaches evolve over the coming year, so now is an excellent time to creatively conceptualize how to measure conversions from your local SEO efforts.
Executive Digital helps boost your local search SEO
Working with a professional digital marketing agency that specializes in local SEO is essential to your success in optimized search rankings. To learn more about the services we offer and how our incredible team can help your brand achieve its potential, reach out to Executive Digital, today.