Did you know that 46% of all Google searches have local intent? If you’re running a service-based business, local SEO is your secret weapon for staying ahead of competitors. Whether you’re a plumber, electrician, or consultant, your potential customers are searching for services near them – and you need to be the first name they see!
In this guide, we’ll break down why local SEO for service businesses is important, how it works, and the best strategies to dominate your local market.
What is Local SEO and How Does It Work?
Local SEO for service businesses improves visibility in local search results, specifically targeting certain geographical areas. For example, “plumber in Newcastle”. This helps your service business to attract more qualified leads, and spread awareness of your brand.
Traditional SEO differs from local SEO and targets broader, more competitive keywords. For example, “air fryer”, which is a national keyword.
Google uses a different algorithm for local search which focuses on relevance, distance to the user, and prominence (does the business get good reviews?). This ensures that Google will deliver the user the best possible local business option for their search.
This algorithm is what gives “local SEO” its name and allows your website to rank for localised search terms. The higher your business ranks for local keywords, the more likely customers are to find your business online, and walk through your door!
The Business Benefits of Local SEO for Service Businesses
There are endless benefits of local SEO for small businesses. From attracting more customers or generating targeted leads, to building your brand in your local area, local SEO can do it all!
Here are some key benefits of local SEO for service businesses:
- Increased online visibility in Google Maps and search results
- More targeted high-intent leads (people ready to book services)
- Enhanced brand trust and credibility through online reviews
- Competitive edge over businesses that don’t optimise for local search
If you’re ready to start optimising your small business? Start using our free tools today!
Key Local SEO Ranking Factors for Service Businesses
When trying to rank for localised keywords, there are a few key ranking factors you will want to watch out for.
Google My Business Optimisation
Optimising your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the foundation of your local SEO plan. Make sure to include good photos, posts, reviews, products etc! This will increase your visibility for localised search terms and make your business much more likely to appear in the Google Map Pack!
Local Keyword Targeting
Targeting your service/product + your businesses location is a good way to rank for geo-targeted keywords. For example, “Plumber London” (if you were a plumber operating in London). You can then create a web page all about plumbing in London, which will increase you chances of appearing in Google for this keyword.
Local Citations
Getting your NAP listed on business directories like Yelp can improve the trust Google holds in your website – not to mention your customers! This is because Google and your customers will then see your business as authentic.
NAP Consistency
Make sure your NAP consistency (name, address, phone number) matches across business directories and over your website. This can lead to trust issues with customers and Google if not!
Customer Reviews
Never underestimate the power of reviews! How many times have you chosen one business over another based on the customers’ reviews? If you are struggling to get reviews, try getting a GMB card you can hand to all your customers.
Mobile Friendliness
The vast majority of users are searching for location based businesses using their mobile phone on-the-go rather than on their laptop at home. So, make sure your service business is optimised for mobile as well as desktop.
Schema Mark-up
Schema mark-up is a short code you can add to the back end of your webpage which makes it easier for Google to understand what your page is about. It becomes especially useful when optimising for voice search, as it helps voice assistants to quickly gauge the semantics of your content.
Common Local SEO Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
Now, whilst all this may seem rather simple and doable, there are some quite common SEO mistakes service businesses tend to make. These can happen to anyone so don’t get discouraged if you do notice you do a few of these things, just see it as an opportunity to fix them!
Common local SEO mistakes –
- Ignoring Google My Business updates, leading to less customer interactions.
- Using inconsistent NAP details across platforms, leading to Google, and your customers, no longer trusting your business.
- Neglecting mobile optimisation and slow site speed which will increase the bounce rate of your website (people will leave more often).
- Not responding to customer reviews (both positive & negative) discouraging future customers from leaving reviews.
- Skipping localised content creation (e.g., blog posts, location pages) because it’s too much effort. None of your content will rank for localised keywords without this!
So there you have it, the most common local SEO mistakes. Now that you know them, you can fix them and get your service-based business surging in the SERPs! And remember, what’s easy to do, is also easy not to do.
Measuring the Success of Your Local SEO Efforts
The final step of local SEO for service businesses is to track your local SEO strategy. There are multiple tools you can use for this including Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and even paid tools like Ahrefs.
To measure success, create a simple spreadsheet measuring monthly traffic, calls, contact forms, and ranking positions. Monitor this every month and you will begin to see whether your strategy is working or not.
And as always, if you need any more assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to the team here at Click Shark, and we will be more than happy to help!
Conclusion
Local SEO is no longer optional – it’s a must-have strategy for any service-based business looking to attract local customers. By optimising for local searches, you increase your chances of ranking higher, getting more leads, and growing your business exponentially.
Ready to dominate your local market? Start optimising today and watch your service business thrive!
