Worried about the online reputation of your local business?
Wondering how you can better meet your customer’s expectations and get closer to five stars?
Online reviews can make or break your business-especially in the era of on-the-go smartphone research.
On June 8, I moderated a webinar with Marc Hansen, Sr. Director of Tax Marketing at Podium, and Kelley Knott, Co-founder of Intrepy Healthcare Marketing.
Hansen and Knott show how to stay competitive, advance in comparative research, and engage customers before they go to your store.
This is a summary of the webinar.
To access the entire presentation, complete the form.
What Is Local SEO?
Local businesses rely on an online presence to flourish, with 97% of users searching for local businesses online.
And when we say local business, we’re talking about businesses with a physical presence.
Local SEO is search engine optimization for local marketing.
How does Google determine local search rankings?
[Find out how to get in local SEO] Directly access the webinar →
Local SEO Myths
Many small local businesses still do not believe in the power of SEO. The truth is, when you have a small marketing budget, you should consider SEO.
Let’s look at some of the myths that hold many businesses.
Myth #1: Organic search and local SEO are the same.
FACT: Organic SEO is based on relevance to search terms. Local SEO, on the other hand, is based on location signals.
Myth #2: Reviews are a “part-have”.
FACT: Reviews are a “must-have.”
[See what works with Google customers before going into business] Direct access to webinars →
Myth #3: How consumers find businesses hasn’t changed much in the last few years.
FACT: The way customers find your business changes. You should too.
Myth #4: Customers want the ‘best,’ and they are willing to travel to achieve that.
FACT: Customers want ‘the best,’ and they want to be close.
The search for the “best burger” increased by 400% YoY.
“Near me” or “near by” type searches grew by more than 900% over two years.
Myth #5: Print and online advertising drive personal visits.
FACT: Local smartphone searches drive people visits.
A beautiful storefront will never cut it. When a consumer’s main priority is quality and convenience, your online reviews will say 1,000 words.
[See what consumers are looking for in addition to convenience] Direct access to webinars →
Myth #6: Google prioritizes the best ranking efforts, regardless of whether or not they’re local.
FACT: Google prioritizes local businesses in results for local searches.
Now that we’ve debunked this myth, it’s time to optimize your local SEO.
6 Best Practices For Local Search
The following simple steps can help many of your local search listings and attract better reviews. Make sure you complete this best practice! The more qualified the customers you want, the higher the chance they have a good experience.
1. Verify Your Location
More than 70% of all searches go through Google. That means Google will often list higher verified results than they are sure.
2. Add High-Quality Photos
Businesses with profiles that display photos see 35% more click-throughs than profiles without images.
In addition, listings and photos received 42% more requests for driving directions.
[See what should be included in your profile] Direct access to the webinar →
Keep these best practices in mind:
3. Keep Your Google Business Profile (GBP) Up-To-Date
Did you know? 31% of customers report that they are more likely to see a GBP list of local businesses before a visit than before a pandemic.
Information needed for your GBP listing:
Screenshot from search [Basic Children’s Hospital], Google, June 2022
[Find out how to be consistent with your list] Direct access to webinars →
4. Use Keywords
Location keywords are strong because 72% of consumers who search for local businesses visit businesses within 5 miles of their current location.
How to use keywords to your advantage:
5. Increase & Manage Your Online Reviews
Reviews greatly affect customers. 88% say reviews make a difference in their decision to try a new business.
Moreover, consumers are willing to travel farther and pay more to guarantee a business with a higher rating.
[View statistics] Directly access the webinar →
How to increase your total number of reviews and average rating:
Using these local SEO best practices, you can refine your listing and attract more local customers. Reach them when and where they search for what they need.
By properly managing your local SEO, you increase the likelihood of attracting engaged customers who leave happy. When they do, don’t let the relationship end.
6. Respond To Reviews
Using a reputation management platform, you can begin to engage with reviewers to continue improving your reputation.
[Learn the best ways to respond to reviews] Direct access to webinars →
[Slides] Local SEO: Top Ways To Get Higher Quality Reviews
![[Slides] Local SEO: Top Ways To Get Higher Quality Reviews](https://sandiegoseoexpert.agency/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Slides-Local-SEO-Top-Ways-To-Get-Higher-Quality-Reviews.jpeg)
Join Us For Our Next Webinar!
Small Business Marketing: How To Safely Try New Strategies
When it comes to your small business, how do you feel about taking risks? Learn how you can play it safe while taking risks by measuring the results of trying new marketing strategies.
Featured image: Paulo Bobita / Search Engine Journal
Indexing is the process by which search engines organize information before searching to enable super-fast responses to questions. Searching through individual pages for keywords and topics would be a very slow process for search engines to identify relevant information.
How do I start a local SEO?
Create Your Local SEO Strategy
- Take Stock of Your Services and Products. …
- Audit Your Website There. …
- Conduct a Competitive Keyword Research. …
- Geo-Specific Key Identification. …
- Implement On-Page SEO. …
- Create Localized Landing Pages. …
- Optimize Your Google Business Listing. …
- Submit Key Business Info to Directory Listings.
Why is local SEO free? Local-Pack-O-Meter is a brilliant free tool from Local SEO Guide that uses SERP data from Traject to show how the makeup of SERPs is changing over time. They do this by tracking the appearance of features such as People Also Ask, News, Ads and, of course, Local Pack.
How much do you charge for local SEO?
How Much Does Local SEO Cost? For a one-time project focused on analysis, research, clean-up, and optimization the average price for a Local SEO project will range from $ 300-$ 1500 with an average price around $ 750.
How much should a small business pay for SEO?
According to a survey of 1,200 business owners and more than 350 agencies, freelancers, and consultants, the average cost of SEO for Small Business is $ 501- $ 1,000 per month globally. The average cost of SEO for a small business in the United States is $ 2,501 to $ 5,000 per month.
How much does SEO charge per hour?
Hiring an experienced SEO freelancer or agency by the hour typically costs anywhere between $ 50- $ 150 per hour. Of course, you can find people who charge lower or more than this hourly rate. For example, a breakdown of the hourly SEO rate was found that 6% of SEO providers charge over $ 200 / hour.
How much do SEO experts charge?
â † ‘Expect to pay $ 100- $ 300 per hour for an expert SEO consultant. You pay for experience, being an SEO consultant who charges less than $ 100 / hour seems inappropriate, and not worth your time.
How is local SEO done?
How Does Local SEO Work? At a higher level Local SEO works like a â € œnormalâ € Google search. When someone searches, Google scans its index to provide the best results for that person’s query. What makes Local SEO unique is that Google uses a different set of ranking factors to rank local search results.
What does a local SEO company do?
Local search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of making your company visible for geographically relevant searches, specifically in the Google Local Pack (or map list). Local SEO helps your company: Increase local online visibility. Outrank its local competitors.
How much should I pay local SEO?
How Much Does Local SEO Cost? For a one-time project focused on analysis, research, clean-up, and optimization the average price for a Local SEO project will range from $ 300-$ 1500 with an average price around $ 750.
How much should a small business pay for SEO? According to a survey of 1,200 business owners and more than 350 agencies, freelancers, and consultants, the average cost of SEO for Small Business is $ 501- $ 1,000 per month globally. The average cost of SEO for a small business in the United States is $ 2,501 to $ 5,000 per month.
How much do SEO experts charge?
â † ‘Expect to pay $ 100- $ 300 per hour for an expert SEO consultant. You pay for experience, being an SEO consultant who charges less than $ 100 / hour seems inappropriate, and not worth your time.
How much does SEO charge per hour?
Hiring an experienced SEO freelancer or agency by the hour typically costs anywhere between $ 50- $ 150 per hour. Of course, you can find people who charge lower or more than this hourly rate. For example, a breakdown of the hourly SEO rate was found that 6% of SEO providers charge over $ 200 / hour.
Are SEO Experts worth it?
The short answer is very effective SEO â € ”not only generating traffic but also leads and sales. No worries. Long answers include research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs get too caught up in search-specific metrics like SERPs (search engine results pages), rankings, and organic traffic.
How much should you pay for SEO per month?
The cost of SEO services varies depending on what is included. Most SEO projects in 2022 cost between $ 1000- $ 2,000 / month based on the scope of the project. A one-off project will range between $ 5,000- $ 10,000 and an hourly rate for an SEO consultant costs between $ 80- $ 200 / hour.
How much should I spend on SEO per month?
To generalize, most SEO experts will charge a monthly recurring investment of $ 3,000 to $ 10,000 per month. A national or international SEO budget should never be less than $ 5000 per month and it is possible to kick-off a local SEO campaign in the range of $ 500 to $ 2500.
How much should I pay someone for SEO?
If you hire a top level SEO company to execute a local campaign, expect to pay $ 500.00 per month. National or international campaigns require a minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month. Some firms offer â € œtrial packagesâ € at lower prices, without a contract.
Is it worth it to pay for SEO?
SEO is worthwhile if you have the right strategy in place and work with a partner who knows how to get results. About 93% of the online experience starts with a search engine, and the closing rate of SEO leads is much higher than that of traditional marketing. Thus, SEO provides an impressive return on investment (ROI).
How much does Google SEO cost per month?
| type | cost |
|---|---|
| Cheap SEO | $ 500 to $ 3,000 per month |
| Mid -range SEO | $ 3,000 to $ 15,000 per month |
| High-end SEO | $ 15,000- $ 30,000 per month |
| SEO company | $ 30,000-1 Million per month |
Is it worth it to pay for SEO?
SEO is worthwhile if you have the right strategy in place and work with a partner who knows how to get results. About 93% of the online experience starts with a search engine, and the closing rate of SEO leads is much higher than that of traditional marketing. Thus, SEO provides an impressive return on investment (ROI).
Is SEO worth it for website optimization in 2021?
So, why is SEO still a good investment in 2021, and beyond ?! Short answer: Yes! SEO is more important than ever! This is still one of the most potent digital marketing strategies that drive long -term results.
Is SEO a Waste of time?
Focusing on SEO to increase your traffic at the cost of building real relationships with your readers is a waste of time. Worse, you never know what SEO mistakes you are making unless you receive some basic SEO skills. You might get penalized for keyword content or building bad backlinks.
Is SEO worth it in 2020?
Although some traditional marketing methods can be obsolete, SEO is here to stay in 2020. Whether you are investing in SEO early or just starting out, it can still be a major driver of traffic and leads to your web pages.
Does Google charge for SEO?
There is no cost to appear in organic search results such as Google, and making changes to improve the SEO of your web pages, can greatly affect your search rankings over time. Learn more about how Google organic search works and search tips to get started here.
Why do you pay Google for SEO? No. Google does not offer SEO services. Remember, Google is a search engine and they create their own algorithms to rank web sites. If Google offers SEO services, basically you only pay to be at the top of the search results considering they will know what to do on your web pages to impress you.
Is SEO paid or free?
A lot of people are drawn to SEO because it is â € œfree website trafficâ €. And yes, you don’t pay when someone clicks on your site in organic search results. But make no mistake: SEO is not free. Not close.
Is SEO free of cost?
If you pay for SEO services to an SEO company in India, you will usually be charged between INR 5000-25000 a month (60,000 – 3,00,000 a year). Whether or not it’s good value depends on two things – ROI and whether there are shortcuts / risks taken in the process, which can see your site penalized later.
Is SEO paid or unpaid?
Search Marketing Includes Both SEM and SEO Search engine marketing (SEM) involves buying traffic using paid advertising while search engine optimization (SEO) involves earning traffic using unpaid methods.
Is SEO free on Google?
Google Analytics is one of the best free SEO tools that every digital marketer should use.
How much does SEO on Google cost?
If you hire a top level SEO company to execute a local campaign, expect to pay $ 500.00 per month. National or international campaigns require a minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month.
How much should you spend on SEO per month?
To generalize, most SEO experts will charge a monthly recurring investment of $ 3,000 to $ 10,000 per month. A national or international SEO budget should never be less than $ 5000 per month and it is possible to kick-off a local SEO campaign in the range of $ 500 to $ 2500.
How much does Google SEO cost per month?
| type | cost |
|---|---|
| Cheap SEO | $ 500 to $ 3,000 per month |
| Mid -range SEO | $ 3,000 to $ 15,000 per month |
| High-end SEO | $ 15,000- $ 30,000 per month |
| SEO company | $ 30,000-1 Million per month |
How much does Google SEO cost per month?
| type | cost |
|---|---|
| Cheap SEO | $ 500 to $ 3,000 per month |
| Mid -range SEO | $ 3,000 to $ 15,000 per month |
| High-end SEO | $ 15,000- $ 30,000 per month |
| SEO company | $ 30,000-1 Million per month |
What is the average monthly SEO cost?
The average SEO cost is $ 100- $ 250 an hour for a US SEO agency. SEO costs often range from $ 2,500 â € “$ 10,000 per month for US agencies. An average SEO plan costs $ 2819 per month (per Ahrefs) Overseas SEO companies can charge $ 10- $ 50 an hour.
How much does Google SEO cost?
How much can you expect to spend on SEO? If you hire a top level SEO company to execute a local campaign, expect to pay $ 500.00 per month. National or international campaigns require a minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month. Some firms offer â € œtrial packagesâ € at lower prices, without a contract.
What is local SEO marketing?
Local SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that helps your business be more visible in local search results on Google. Any business that has a physical location or serves a geographic area can take advantage of local SEO.
What is the difference between SEO and local SEO? While traditional SEO focuses on increasing the visibility of your site on a national or global scale, local SEO allows you to capture local search areas to connect with searchers in your area. SEO and local SEO use many of the same strategies.
What is local SEO and why is it so important?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an online strategy that can cause your web pages to appear at the top of search engine results pages. If you want to attract and engage customers in your area, you definitely need local SEO. This is where you optimize your site for local search results.
Why local SEO is important for SEO?
Local SEO allows you to put important information about your site online, such as the address and phone number of your business. In addition, you can highlight and promote the types of products or services that you offer on your web pages using SEO techniques.
What local SEO includes?
What is Local SEO? Local SEO is the practice of optimizing web pages to increase traffic, leads and brand awareness from local searches. Common tasks related to local SEO include searching for local keywords, optimizing a business’s Google My Business profile, and building “NAP” citations.
What does a local SEO company do?
Local search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of making your company visible for geographically relevant searches, specifically in the Google Local Pack (or map list). Local SEO helps your company: Increase local online visibility. Outrank its local competitors.