Local SEO

We Provide Local SEO Services in your area.

You have probably heard the term SEO before.  It stands for Search Engine Optimization.  Basically, SEO is what’s performed to a website to help it recieve more organic traffic.  Have you ever wondered how search engines like Google and Bing decide which websites appears in your search results?  It’s all based on SEO signals.  We’ll use Google as our example to explain how SEO works.

Google uses a method we call ‘crawling’ to gather information about websites and the content on them.  As this information is received and sent through Google’s algorithm, an index is being built using all the information that is crawled.

Example:

  • Google crawler finds information about green apples
  • All information found about green apples is added to the index
  • A user, like yourself, performs a Google search for green apples
  • Google returns a list of web pages and sites that contain information about green apples

Seems simple right?  On the surface it may be, but if you think of how many millions and billions of web pages may contain information about green apples, then how is it possible for Google to know which search results to display?  And how does it decide which ones end up at the top of the first page vs. the bottom of a page 15 pages in?

This is where the term Optimization comes into play.  Sure, anyone can put up a web page that has the words ‘green’ and ‘apple’ somewhere on the page.  But without some special type of fancy footwork, that page will just get lost in the thousands of other pages that have the same words.  It’s sort of like looking at a bucket of sand – all the grains of sand look alike, and it’s purely a matter of physics which grains of sand land up at the top of the bucket, and which get stuck at the bottom.  But web pages aren’t grains of sand, and that fancy footwork that makes all the difference is what we call Keyword Optimization.

Keyword Optimization on a web page goes much deeper than simply words on a page.  Adding things like meta titles and descriptions to the pages ensures that Google knows the exactly what your page consists of.  From here we can begin to understand how Local SEO really works.

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Local SEO

Let’s continue using our green apples search as an example.  Perhaps you were looking for very specific information about green apples, such as organic green apples for sale in a close proximity to where you live.  And if there are, where you can purchase them?

Example:

  • You search for ‘organic green apples near me’ or something similar or…
  • You use google voice ‘hey google, where can I buy organic green apples around here?’
  • Google works it’s magic and returns a map showing local stores that sell organic green apples
  • As a business you want Google to show your store at the top of the map, preferably as the first search result, that tells people who are searching that you’re the best and most relevant store matching their search.

With regular SEO, we hope to receive relevant search results, and find what we’re looking for, on the first page or two – it really depends on the type of search and how those keywords were optimized.  The difference between regular SEO and Local SEO results, is that with Local SEO, you will receive targeted search results based on your geographical location.

Also with regular SEO, you’ll still see the search results on the left of the screen, but with Local SEO results you will very often see a map that contains a ‘snack pack’ list of local businesses. Your businesses Google map listing should be fully optimized for local searches relevant to your business, products and services.

Sometimes when a search is extremely relevant to your business (typically brand searches using your business name) you will see a block on the right, named the “Knowledge Graph” which includes your business name, address, hours of business, social media links, reviews, and even pictures. These are just a few of the Local SEO optimization tactics that we perform for our clients.

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How Local SEO Can Help Your Business

Now that we understand what SEO is and how Local SEO can greatly improve search results, let’s talk about how it can improve traffic to your site.

Digital marketing is all about having web presence – whether your business is just an online eCommerce site, or a good old fashioned brick and mortar business.  The goal is to get traffic to your site so potential customers can learn about your products and services before making a purchase.  With Bearhug Digital’s Local SEO services, we’ll take a more targeted approached to SEO that will not only promote your business, products and services, but will ensure that there is a strong focus on local results that will help convert your local traffic.  Using expert Local SEO techniques, we can have your business appear not only on the first page of search results, but at the top of the map in the directory block that we refer to as the ‘snack pack’.

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Mobile SEO

In addition to delivering high ranking Local SEO results, our SEO services include what we refer to as Mobile SEO.  Mobile search results are now completely separate from desktop search results. Ensuring that your site is found and performs perfectly from any type of device – be it a cell phone, a tablet, a laptop or a desktop computer, is of upmost importance and will thereby increase traffic, exposure and improve conversions on your site.

At Bearhug Digital, we are experts in SEO and Local SEO.  We’ll take your low ranking site to top ranking with a place in the much coveted ‘snack pack’ so that your business gains maximum exposure to your local customers.  What are you waiting for?