For small businesses in Sheffield and the rest of the UK, local search engine optimisation (SEO) is not just optional anymore. With 46% of all Google searches seeking local information, it’s no longer a question of if your business could benefit from it, but how.
Local SEO allows for smaller businesses to compete with larger organisations based on geographic relevance, search intent and trust signals. When you do this successfully, you can outrank larger organisations without having to pay for additional clicks. Read on to hear what our experts at Daffodil Marketing have to say on local SEO for businesses in Sheffield.
What is local search engine optimisation?
Local SEO is the process of optimising a business’s online presence with relevant, location-based searches to increase visibility of searches in a particular geography. Local SEO works for websites, business listings, social media, and more.
Think of local SEO as an extension of traditional SEO; it can’t function nearly as well without it. For South Yorkshire businesses looking for success, benefit from both traditional and local SEO.
For example, say you own a florist in Sheffield, you optimise for both traditional and local SEO by uploading a mix of articles on general floristry and more local content. Over time, this helps position your business as a thought leader in the UK florist industry and strengthens your online presence in Sheffield. As your visibility grows through strong traditional SEO performance, you’re able to expand your reach across the UK and gain recognition more quickly. This all leads to you garnering more exposure, leading to increased sales.
Both local and traditional SEO work together effectively to position your business highly as a thought-leader, making you show up top of mind (and top of search) for consumers when they decide they need your services.
What is the difference between local and traditional SEO?
The difference between local and traditional SEO is that traditional SEO is about ranking on Google, full stop. With traditional SEO, your audience is larger and non-specific- think nationally or globally.
Perhaps you own a salon in Barnsley, or a small chain of independent cafes in South Yorkshire – it’s no help focusing on traditional SEO that gets you seen around in the U.S. if your service is not. Emphasise the importance of local SEO that gets your service seen. So when people search “cafes near me” or “salons in Barnsley”, they find you.
This doesn’t mean your business wouldn’t benefit from traditional SEO; it just means you should focus on getting seen locally. They should work in tandem.
How does local SEO actually work?
Google uses a set of rules and calculations that make up its algorithm. In its local algorithm, Google uses three chief decision-making factors. Here is what you need to know:
Proximity: The location of a user, determined by their ZIP code or geo-coordinates on mobile devices.
Think, “Is this business close enough to be considered a good answer to this query?”
Prominence: How big or important a business is based on attributes like customer reviews, citations of the site and links pointing to the site in online directories
Think, “Is this business highly regarded in this area?”
Relevance: How related your business is to the query. It uses factors like content, SEO, location, and more.
Think, “Is this business relevant to what is being searched for?”
Although it is possible to rank highly and achieve visibility in search without one or more of these factors, ensuring all three are in place has the potential to greatly improve your business, not just in site traffic but also in customer interactions.
Benefits of local SEO
Regardless of if you have a physical brick-and-mortar store in South Yorkshire or a made-to-order online shop in Wakefield, local SEO can benefit you greatly. You might think it’s not worth spending time and money optimising for your Google presence when you’re competing with megastores like Amazon. For traditional search and SEO, this holds, but it’s not the case for local search.
Here are some benefits of local SEO for you to apply to your business in Sheffield or further out.
Better online visibility
Local SEO ensures that businesses show up in local search results, meaning, naturally, that your business will more likely be discovered by potential customers.
It helps you stay competitive
Your competitors are likely already investing in local SEO. Ensuring you do the same will keep you in competition.
Better conversion rate
Site optimisation can strengthen conversion rates, including from calls, form submissions, email subscriptions or sales.
Builds credibility and trust
Local SEO relies on reviews and ratings. If you have a strong Google Business Profile with the reviews to back it, it signals to customers that your business is credible and trustworthy. This positions you ahead of competitors.
Engages mobile users
Most local search comes from mobile users. Think about how mobile users search for “supermarket near me” or “brunch nearby”.
Greater exposure
Not only is local SEO great for online visibility, but it will draw potential customers to your store (if your business operates in person). If your Google Business Profile is strong, it ensures you show up on Google Maps, meaning you will receive greater exposure to calls and in-store visits.
It’s cost-effective
Local SEO is very cost-effective. Unlike ads or banners, well-done local SEO provides a significant return on investment. It’s also easy to track the effectiveness of your efforts.
Local SEO best practices
To get started with local SEO, here’s what you can do:
Google Business Profile
Build your profile: Create and verify a Google Business Profile, with up-to-date, relevant information. High-quality photos and compelling descriptions go a long way.
Reviews: Seek out and respond to customer reviews authentically. This goes for both positive and negative feedback.
Site and content optimisation
Mobile design: Ensure your website is optimised for both PC and mobile, creating a seamless user experience.
Local keywords: Identify locations you wish to target, embedding into your site’s content, meta tags, and URLs.
Locational landing pages: if your business serves multiple locations, create dedicated pages with local references and relevant services to that area, if any apply.
Local authority and visibility
Use local backlinks: Build links from local organisations, directories, partnerships and community sites to strengthen your local authority.
List locally: List your business on trusted sites such as Yelp, Bing Places, and more industry-specific platforms.
Local content: Publish blogs, guides, and updates on local events, projects, or even case studies to signal relevance to your target audience.
How Daffodil Marketing can help
Getting to grips with local SEO can be confusing – we get it! But it doesn’t have to be. Businesses rely on high search engine rankings to stay competitive, and it is especially important when your competitors have already made a start.
At Daffodil Marketing, we combine local and traditional SEO to get your business seen and ranking highly. Chat to one of our experts today, and we can discuss what your business can benefit from most and how we can help!
