What Is Local SEO and Why Is It Important?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence for the specific purpose of attracting more local search engine users.

SEO is important because consumers performing local searches are ready to act. Check out these statistics from Google:

• 50% of consumers who conducted a local search on their smartphone visited a store within one day.
• 18% of local searches lead to a purchase within one day, compared to only 7% for non-local searches.

Importance considerations for local SEO include the following:

• Optimizing for mobile is essential
• Claiming and optimizing Google My Business is a critical step (also consider Bing Places and Apple Maps)
• For local SEO, search engines rely heavily upon your social profile, local content and links and other citations made to your brand