Although there was once a time where businesses might not have needed a website to thrive, those days are long gone. Now, it’s no longer enough to merely have a website; it also needs to be optimized properly so that customers can find you online.

Search engine optimization involves a number of techniques — and knowing which ones to utilize will be an essential part of developing your marketing strategy. If you run a business with a physical location or you specifically want to reach consumers within a specific area, local SEO services should be on your radar. Here’s why your business may want to start working with a local SEO agency in 2020.

Users Want Quick, Actionable Answers

It might sound harsh, but consumers are impatient when conducting web searches. They want fast, useful solutions to any problem they’re having. As such, they’re not going to be willing to wait around or sift through several pages of search results to find what they’re looking for.

Fortunately, local SEO provides a way to reach these customers quickly. Approximately 92% of searchers will pick businesses that appear on the first page of local search results. Focusing on this type of optimization can increase your web traffic and your brand visibility. By optimizing your local business in the correct way, you might even appear in the “map pack,” which can display your organization even more prominently in search results. The more convenient your business is, the more likely it will be that you’ll be chosen as the answer to a user’s problems.

More People Search on Mobile

The way people conduct search queries has changed a lot in recent years. Before, most people were entering search terms into Google on their personal computers and laptops. Now, it’s much more popular for users to conduct all of their web searches on their phones and other mobile devices. That’s actually a good thing for local businesses.

Not only can apps automatically pull data from Google Maps and other local business listings, but GPS enabling can make it that much easier for users to find solutions that are close by. Provided that you optimize your website correctly, mobile searches can mean more business for you — especially because someone searching on a phone has real incentive to find results and take action right away.

There’s Less Need For Advertising

We mentioned earlier that a local SEO agency may be able to help your business be featured more prominently in search results. In some cases, you might even make your way into the “map pack,” which makes it easier for consumers to take action when they’re on the go. With search result features like this, your business will already show up pretty prominently — all without paid advertising. While digital ads can be effective, local SEO can be even more powerful. That’s not to say you shouldn’t still factor ad spend into your digital marketing budget, but zeroing in on local SEO can stretch your financial investment and pay off even more over time.

Now that you understand how this type of optimization could end up changing the game for your business, you might want to consider working with a local SEO agency to hone your strategy. For more information, please contact us today.