You’re probably well aware of the importance of Local search engine optimization (SEO) for your business—you may have even seen the stats that 20% of all Google searches are location-specific. And you know that a higher local search ranking directly results in more leads, higher sales, and an influx of customers.
Sadly, you may also know that not every firm boasting a specialization in Local SEO is created equal.
Maybe you’ve been burned in the past by a “jack-of-all-trades” SEO company who promised you a higher ROI than they could deliver. Or, worse, maybe you’ve fallen victim to a company that used black hat SEO to immorally inflate their results. Or, perhaps you’re still in the early stages—doing your homework on SEO companies—and you realize that when everyone claims to be “the best in the business,” someone must be lying.
So how do you overcome industry mistrust enough to engage your business in this vitally important aspect of your industry?
The answer’s quite simple: pick a reputable Local SEO expert who is… well, local.
This advice might seem strange—SEO is a digital industry, and we live in an era that urges more and more businesses to appeal to an international market. But we’ve compiled this list of 7 reasons you should cast your gaze on the home front first:
- 1You can meet your Local SEO expert face-to-face
- The value of a face-to-face sit down can’t be overstated. Not only to you get to put a face to the company you’ll be doing business with for the foreseeable future, but you also get the chance to gauge the other party for image and compatibility.Close proximity also allows you to organize regular strategy meetings with your SEO expert, so that you can update your pain points, and evolve new ways to solve problems as your business grows.
Different pain points should inform your SEO expert on where to focus their attention: trouble gaining traction in the marketplace tells them to concentrate on the top of the funnel, with content that will attract new customers. If your problem is plenty of click-throughs, but you can’t seem to land a sale, your SEO expert might need to massage content that appeals to the later stages of the buyer’s journey.
SEO isn’t a “one, then done” deal—it’s a relationship that keeps your business strong and healthy.
- 2Your SEO expert knows their craft
- As simple as this sounds, it’s worth investing in a company that’s well-versed in SEO, because that’s their niche. They will tailor your web presence to ensure something better than increased traffic—the kind of quality leads that result in sales.
A lot of companies dump web presence on an in-house marketer, as one among many responsibilities… but you wouldn’t trust a dentist’s office that was also a coffee shop and a pet emporium, so why would you trust your web presence with a marketer who doesn’t know the medium as well as an SEO specialist?
As with so many other industries, you usually get what you pay for in search engine optimization. A specialist is going to charge more, but they will be well worth the price tag when their honest, white hat SEO increases your traffic—possibly by more than 300%!
- 3Your SEO expert intimately understands your market
- One of the main appeals of hiring locally for your Local SEO needs is that they’re already immersed in the demographics you’re targeting. Their business is based in the same area as yours, which means they’re tuned into the buying habits of your audience.
For you, this insider’s perspective equals a golden opportunity to craft specific SEO strategies that suit your neighborhood and bring business to your doorstep—not some generic sales pitch that could be slapped on any other company offering a similar service.
One of our favorite examples is Altura Interactive—an SEO company aimed specifically at a Latin American audience. They know their niche and excel at helping businesses appeal to Spanish customers.
- 4Your SEO expert can anticipate and address area-specific pain points
- This should go without saying, but not every country, state, or even city, experiences the same pain points. Consequently, when you’re making a call to action that tries to encapsulate everyone, your mission statement risks becoming broad and unfocused.
Committing to a long-distance relationship with your SEO provider puts you at risk when unforeseen circumstances arise. When your SEO expert is local, you can pre-empt these challenges and collaborate on the best strategies to face your difficulties head-on.
- 5You ensure higher visibility in your area
- With more-and-more of the world on the go, it’s important to stay visible to locals and tourists alike who might be seeking your services.
Recent stats published by Google reveal that a whopping 94% of smartphone users have searched up local information, and 84% have taken action as a result. These stats also reveal that more than half of all smartphone users look up local information at least once a week, and 25% of all users look up local info daily.
With so much mobile information flowing, it’s paramount that your business stays relevant. A local SEO expert will have special insights on how to capture the attention of your local market, and they might be more attuned to highly searched, but low competition keywords, than a foreign SEO firm would be.
- 6You get in-house help and local solutions
- When you know your SEO expert, you can satisfy yourself that your work isn’t being outsourced to a low-quality, third party provider without your knowledge. You can meet the team responsible for your internet footprint, and gain assurance that they’re as invested in your business’s success as you are.
The internet is swimming in great advice on how to improve leads and transform your landing pages, but the truth is that no formula is a perfect “one-size-fits-all.” When you hire a local expert to handle your SEO, they can help you understand what elements get results and what drives sales in your area.
- 7You gain the personal attention you deserve
- Too many SEO firms massage your rankings with some quick link building, show you initial results, and then wash their hands. You deserve better.
SEO is an engine—it requires constant check-ups, analysis, and maintenance to keep everything running smoothly. Your SEO firm needs to stay on top of Google’s evolving algorithms, so that your business doesn’t just rank well next month, but five years down the line as well.
You need an SEO firm that will sit down with you, talk through the numbers without muddled jargon, analyze your progress, and recommend ways to not only bolster your clientele, but keep customers coming back for more.
A Local SEO expert in your locale is the best bet for this level of personal attention.
Conclusion
After our long list of positives for hiring a local firm to handle your Local SEO, the last thing we want to do is scare you away from hiring us. The very bottom line is that the very best SEO firm is one that you know well and trust above all others—we’d love to be that for you.
The truth is that we’re American, born and raised, and we know Utah like the back of our hand. We keep our finger on the pulse of our local communities, to learn the ins-and-outs of your specific pain points so that we can solve your problems before they ever crop up.
However, despite our local expertise, we help businesses all around the world improve their search engine rankings and bring in quality leads. We’re choosy with our clientele, specifically because we’re so results-driven. We want to be your go-to solution, both abroad and on the home front.
