Nowadays, suppose you want information on anything. What would you do? In this scenario, the easiest way out is to type in Google, and you immediately get the answer. So, if you are looking for a plumber, search keywords or the phrase ”Plumber Near Me “will throw up local business information and their contact details.
The “Near me” local SEO is evolving as a game-changer for businesses. This kind of search saw an increase of about 150% in the past year, and if you want to take full advantage of Google SERP, then local SEO is a must; otherwise, you will miss out on at least 46% of Google.
The pandemic has undoubtedly changed the way consumers do their shopping, including goods and services. The growth of the eCommerce business has made the industry sit up and take steps so that customers can find them easily. If they are not visible, then invariably, competitors take over.
So how do you optimize your website on Google My business?
The most popular searches are hospitality, banks, cinemas, lifestyle, and grocery shopping.
Food businesses are maximum in the “near me “searches. Surveys have revealed the following categories where most inquiries are seen.
Some of the tips for optimizing your business in the “Near Me” SEO campaign that can help you to get more traffic and increase sales:
Take the help of Google My Business
When you search for local business keywords, Google Business listings are the first thing that appears. They have all the details, such as direction, address, pictures, contact numbers, and reviews, etc., that throw up after a “near me “search.
So, it is easy to create your business profile on Google My Business (GMB). The GMB will also appear on maps and be pushed to various other sources by Google. The more reviews one gets on the GMB listing, the better the ranking will be.
Details on GMB should match with the website.
It is crucial to keep the business details on the website and GMB. The standard contact page is a must and should fit precisely in the GMB listing. This concept of local citation helps to be visible on the web.
Blogs and Backlinks
Writing blogs helps to create local links. A user who has subscribed to the business services stays updated. Blogs also influence users who are researching any product or service.
Mobile-friendly website
It helps when your website is mobile-friendly, as a survey showed nearly 82 % of smartphone users used the “near me “search on their device. It also gives you an impression that users use mobile phones to conduct more “near me “searches when they are on the move or in an emergency.
When a website is mobile-friendly, it attracts visitors. It reduces the bounce rate if they give the relevant information to the users without waiting. In terms of SEO performance, a mobile-friendly website performs better.
The rise of “Near Me“ searches has shown massive growth over the past two years.
Some recent trends
- Phrases like “near me now” saw a crease by 150 %. For example, “dentist near me now“.
- Phrases like “clubs or hotels near me tonight” saw 900% growth.
- A 200% growth was for phrases like “now” + “near me“. For example, “Restaurants open near me now“.
Businesses need to understand that consumer behaviour has changed in small and big ways after the pandemic. Though the majority still visit the brick-and-mortar store, more consumers are online. This trend is good enough for businesses to optimize their services and products in search engines.