The use of locally focused SEO has been seen by some people as a fad or a trend that will change soon. This is far from the truth it is actually a paradigm shift in the way that people search for local products and services and is an important area to focus SEO resources on particularly if local business id your prime revenue stream.
Marketing techniques change and evolve and the latest changes in the way that Google handles local searches and ranks websites when presented with localized search information and increase in mobile device searches has had a large impact on marketing efforts. In many ways the local market and mobile device searches have coalesced into a single area that can be marketed to effectively.
Hummingbird, Venice and Local Searches
The recent changes made by Google in their Hummingbird and Venice updates have not had major impacts on websites and marketing campaigns from traditional websites. Where they have had a major impact is in the way local searches are handled. There is a wider range of keywords that when used in searches will trigger the return of locally optimized websites.
This also included other sites such as Google+ and means that a locally focus strategy can be an inexpensive way to drive traffic to your website. In the case of websites with localized landing pages these will become even more effective as web searches will attempt to prioritize any localized information used in the search queries.
If you have not already added a Google+ webpage then this is a great way to build some link juice and to increase your websites SEO. Simply add your details and links to interesting content and specific landing pages for a low cost traffic boost.
Mobile and Local Statistics
There are some interesting statistics that really highlight the trend towards using mobile devices for searching and for searches with a local component overtaking other traditional ways of finding businesses.
- Nearly 50% of people purchasing locally had used their mobile device to find information about their purchase.
- More than 60% of mobile device users regularly access the internet using their device.
- Penetration rates of mobile devices are nearing 100% meaning almost everyone has one.
- Major Websites are seeing an increasing amount of mobile traffic and it makes up around 20% of all traffic seen.
Local SEO Optimization and Links
While you might see local and mobile optimization as a problem it can also be an opportunity. This is because almost all of your larger competition is not able to respond to this pro-actively. When you devote some of your business resources to increasing local SEO and building quality local links you are not taking away from your overall marketing you are actually improving it. You can actually improve your overall page ranking on keywords and increase traffic to your website and landing pages without spending significantly more money.
This is because efforts in the local arena will actually positively affect your overall visibility as well as help people search on mobiles and in local directories to find you and your products. This is a win-win situation and will help you make 2014 an outstanding year for you and your business.
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