Searching for ‘local SEO services near me’ is pretty common. On the other hand, there are plenty of companies in need of SEO services but choose to work with providers not located in their local areas. We cannot say whether that’s right or wrong. But we will say this: a local firm is a better bet when your main focus is local SEO.
There are differences between general SEO and its local counterpart. Many of them are subtle, but they can still make a world of difference when it comes to SEO performance and online marketing. Get it right at the local level and a company’s local customer base should expand accordingly.
The remainder of this post will explain reasons a local SEO firm is better for local SEO strategies. Bear in mind that what you read here is aimed at businesses whose customer bases are primarily local and regional. If you are already operating an international brand, your SEO needs are going to be quite a bit different.
Without further delay, let us get to those reasons:
1. Local Firms Are Staffed by Local Residents
If the number one rule for successful SEO is concentrating heavily on keyword research, the number two rule would be knowing your audience. That being the case, it is tough to know your audience when you live thousands of miles away from them. It’s an entirely different matter when you live and work in the same community. This is the biggest strength of a local SEO firm.
Local firms are staffed by local residents. The same people doing keyword research and working on link building shop at the same stores, visit the same nightclubs, send their children to the same schools, etc. They know the local customer base because they are part of it.
2. Local Staff Know the Culture
A logical extension of living and working in the local area is having intimate knowledge of the local culture. Cultural knowledge should never be underestimated for its ability to influence successful SEO.
Culture encapsulates the way a group of people think. It influences how they respond to marketing messages and what they believe about local products and services. Culture is so important to marketing that there are entire courses future marketers can take in college to prepare them for effectively working within it.
3. Local Staff Know the Economy
Knowledge of the local economy is yet another benefit of hiring a local SEO firm to target a local audience. In a booming economy, companies looking to spend on SEO services tend to have larger budgets. They tend to be more willing to try new things. It is just the opposite in a depressed economy.
All of this is important in the sense that SEO firms want to give their customers the most for their money. They want to stretch the budget as far as they can. Helping a company live within its means while still maximizing SEO benefits starts with understanding the financials. And to understand the financials, you need to know the local economy.
4. Local Firms Have Local Connections
In your search for ‘local SEO services near me’, have you ever considered the importance of connections with other local organizations? Local connections can go a long way toward improving your company’s SEO and marketing efforts.
For example, a primary strategy for local SEO is taking advantage of all sorts of online directories that feature local businesses. Such directories increase a company’s visibility among its primary customer base. Not only that but having a company’s information listed in a local directory improves the chances that a search engine will find the company’s site when customers are searching with local terms.
All of this is to say that having local connections makes taking advantage of directories and other similar services easier. There is even something to be said about having connections with other businesses for the purposes of link building. Even in the digital world, who you know helps a lot.
5. Local Firms Contribute to the Economy
Every year, in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, most communities hold a ‘shop local’ day in which they encourage consumers to shop in local stores. The idea is to help the entire community by supporting local businesses. Guess what? That is exactly what working with a local SEO firm does.
By signing on with a local firm, you are helping support a local business. In turn, this helps the local economy by keeping the money you spend local. You are not paying for services from a company located half-way across the country. You’re spending your money where you live and work. This is good for everyone involved.
6. Local Firms Are on the Same Schedule
In all likelihood, the relationship you develop with your SEO provider will be a long-term one. That means effective communication is going to be a must. The advantage of hiring a local firm is that you are on the same schedule. That only helps with communication.
On the other hand, it can be challenging to do business with an SEO provider located three time zones away. You could make that sort of relationship work, but if your primary customer base consists of local residents, it just makes sense to avoid the difficulties of being on different schedules. Go local and eliminate schedule challenges before they even arise.
7. Local Keywords Matter
Finally, it goes without saying that local keywords matter when you’re trying to reach a local audience. And because keyword research is arguably the most important factor in successful SEO, it helps to have people with local knowledge doing the research. Never underestimate the value of certain keywords to resonate with local customers.
Here at Webtek, we are passionate about local SEO. If your company’s primary audience consists of local customers, we want to help you make the most of your SEO efforts to effectively reach them. We want to be that local SEO provider near you.
