Did you know 65% of consumers conduct online research before making a purchase? That’s right! Consumer habits continue to move away from browsing brick and mortar locations, now relying on information from the web. As a local business owner, do you wish you could crush your competitors into the ground? Optimizing your online appearance can bring you one step closer to this dream! By leveraging best-in-class content and consumer-generated reviews, your website can climb to the top of Google’s SERPs. Welcome to the world of SEO!
Whether at a local, national, or global scale, SEO allows businesses to gain much-needed visibility on the Internet. SEO can work in favor many types of businesses, yet Search Engine Land reports 6 industries performing exceptionally well with local SEO. Is yours one of them? Let’s dive in and examine how local SEO helps businesses in these industries thrive.
1) SEO Does Law Firms Justice
You don’t need to be a genius to notice the stiff competition in the law industry. This doesn’t come as a surprise because clients always the best lawyers to represent them in court. Since law firms rely on new clients to flourish, how can you position your law firm in front of new clientele? Easy! Start building your web presence through SEO!
According to a Google Consumer Survey, around 96% of individuals use a search engine for legal advice. Following this trend, your law firm’s website should contain a treasure trove of information for common legal questions relating to divorce litigation, medical malpractice, and workplace injuries.
Since clients don’t want to travel far, they’ll type “Best Lawyers” into a search bar, and hunt for offices in the nearby area. Creating a Google My Business page will position your law firm in these local search queries. If you’ve performed your keyword research, you’re aware that phrases like “divorce attorney” or “medical malpractice lawyer” are hard to rank for. Instead, try targeting phrases like “divorce attorney in NJ” or “lawyers near Millburn, NJ.” Town and state level keywords have far less competition and may prove more beneficial for securing those local search queries.
Finally, online reviews are paramount for success. Every notice how lawyers receive an unfair reputation? Manipulative, sly, calculating, and sneaky all come to mind when describing a lawyer. Luckily, highlighting your law firm’s history of success through client reviews can help squash these stereotypes. Ultimately, people feel more inclined to hire lawyers, as well as any business, with higher ratings.
2) SEO Helps Cure Medical Services’ Low Search Rank
Web surfers tend to follow the same process when researching medical doctors. Most new patients begin searching for doctors in their healthcare’s network, or for doctors offering specialized services. When people investigate medical services, they tend to limit their focus to the top results. Thus, doctors must target specific keywords relating to their medical practice so they can appear in these top positions.
Medical offices can achieve higher rank with some help from a well-maintained blog on their website. By adding a blog, clients can learn important health tips before eventually marking your office as a reliable source of information. Once you’ve gained a visitor’s trust, you can begin converting them into a patient.
3) SEO Serves Up Restaurants & Eateries on a Silver Platter
Did you know more than 616,008 restaurants in the United States have their kitchens open for business? No wonder some people can never decide where to eat! Restaurants can become a local hotspot by honing in on specialized keyword phrases like “romantic restaurants,” “happy hour,” or “fine dining.” Still, you may run into competition from restaurants in surrounding towns. Luckily, you can claim your territory by adding a geo-location to your keyword phrases. For example, you have a better chance of securing rank for “romantic restaurants in Millburn” than you would for “romantic restaurants.” Furthermore, you can try targeting cuisine-based keywords. For example, try ranking for phrases like “Mexican food in Millburn,” or “Sushi in Millburn.”
Finally, don’t forget to capture customer reviews! Did you already forget that 65% of consumers conduct research before sending money on products or services? If a hungry patron pulls out their phone and isn’t impressed by your restaurant’s reviews, you’ve already lost them. Obtaining more reviews on Yelp, Google, and Facebook may seem like a tiresome process, but it’s an investment that pays off in the long run. By leveraging your existing 5-star reviews, you can attract more customers and more reviews, thereby creating a one-way ticket to the top of Google.
4) SEO Gives Beauty Salons & Beauticians A Makeover
One of the biggest struggles of owning a beauty salon is attracting new customers. Sure, you may gain a couple of walk-in appointments, but you will benefit more from regular customers. In the past, beauty salons relied on word-of-mouth referrals; today, they must jump on the digital bandwagon and amplify their presence on the web. This includes securing a Google My Business location, harnessing the sheer power of online reviews, and targeting keywords with geo-locations.
5) SEO “Unleashes” Opportunities For Pet Services
Since most people consider their pets as family, pet owners want to treat their furry friends to the best pet services available. Realistically, they aren’t going to trek across state lines for these services; they want services in the nearby area. In other words, pet groomers and veterinarians prosper at the local level. When it comes ranking for pet services, you will want to include a specific location to keywords such as walking, training, grooming, etc.
Consider this amazing statistic: 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations. People want to read about other customers’ experiences to ensure their fur babies receive best-in-class treatment. So if a customer believes they will receive sub-par service at your company, you can kiss that customer goodbye. Again, don’t neglect those online reviews! Your business literally relies on them for success.
6) SEO Puts Real Estate Agents In The Commission Position
The real estate industry is very competitive – both offline and online. How can independent real estate agents compete against top companies like Weichert, Coldwell Banker, or Keller Williams? Nowadays, people use the Internet to find property listings in specific cities and towns. Savvy real estate agents can use this behavioral trend to their advantage. By adding locations to keyword phrases like “real estate listings” or “affordable houses for sale,” you may soon see your listing rise to the top of search queries.
You’ll also need a website. Even if you’ve been in business for years, and have an extensive referral network, you still need a website. According to the National Association of Realtors, 89% of homebuyers use the Internet to search for a realtor. Without a great website, you miss out on 89% of potential homebuyers searching online.
Start Building Your Local SEO Presence
These are just a few of the many types of businesses that can benefit from local SEO. Results for SEO can take weeks or months, but that does not mean you will not achieve your desired results. You must remain patient. Patience is a virtue that allows you to make informed decisions, thereby paving the path for achieving long-term goals.
Does your law firm fail to achieve rank? Or perhaps you want to attract more patrons to your restaurant’s happy hour? No matter the industry, Premiere Creative can help you secure the web traffic your website needs! For more information on our SEO services, contact Premiere Creative today or give us a call at (973) 346-8100 to discuss possible local SEO services.