Wondering how Google knows which restaurants and businesses are near you? Learn what local SEO is and how it works with the following overview.

For many small businesses, competition is fierce in a particular local area. It’s important to have the tools and resources to be the first on the list when it comes to finding new customers. This is where local SEO comes in handy.

What is local SEO and how does it work?

Local SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that helps businesses get found in a particular geographic area. When someone enters a search query for particular terms, Google will automatically display results relevant to that person’s location. For small businesses, using the best keywords related to your business and establishing your location is imperative to have a business listing that will be found quickly online.

How does Google distinguish between local rankings?

In order to fully understand how local SEO works, it’s important to know how Google chooses which links to appear on a search engine results page (SERP). When you search for a particular keyword or phrase, Google uses an intelligent algorithm to uniquely identify which links you’ll find the most relevant.

One of those factors is proximity or how close your location is to a particular business. With the rise of mobile use, Google can display precise localized content to give you results that are near you so that when you type in “Chinese food”, you’ll get a list of Chinese restaurants within a certain distance of your location. 

What are the best local SEO strategies?

When it comes to optimizing your website for local search queries, Google needs to know not only what products and services you provide, but in what particular areas you serve. If you’re wanting to target a particular city or geographic area, keep these tips in mind:

• Build landing pages for each business location
• Optimize your Google Business Profile and Google Maps listing
• Add your business listing to online directories
• Add your business information to your social media accounts
• Monitor your inclusion in local pack searches
• Develop a keyword research strategy per location
• Optimize title tags and meta descriptions with appropriate key phrases

What local area are you targeting?

If you’re new to SEO or haven’t optimized your website for your local area, there’s no better time to start than now. Think about which specific area is important to your business, and find ways to add those localized keywords in your content. By targeting one area of town, you can increase your local search ranking factor and ultimately, find potential customers.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about our local SEO services.