Local Business and Keywords: What You Need to Know

Local Business and Keywords: What You Need to Know
Jan 30, 2017 Local SEO

When it comes to the success of your local business, the internet is certainly one of the largest deciding factors. If you haven't chosen the right keywords for your SEO campaign, you may not find a lot of customers inside your store. Keywords (think in terms of what someone will type into Google to search for your product or service) are key to your business's success.

Capturing a user during his or her local search is key. Not only for the glory of capturing the prospective customer – but local searches generally (and ultimately) mean that they are ready to make a purchase. As a general rule, the user's search will contain some type of action word that tells you that the user is nearing a purchasing decision rather than just browsing the web.

Did you know that 81 percent of shoppers turn to the internet to conduct research prior to making a purchase? This is key information if you're looking to be successful in your business, especially if you're looking to take control over your local search listings.

Action Words in Local Searches.

These are four actions words that generally mean that the buyer is ready – or almost ready – to make a purchase:

  • Sale
  • Purchase
  • Buy
  • Near me

Depending on the exact business vertical, these phrases can vary. For example, an insurance agency would need to target phrases and action words like "get a quote," and a dentist's office would need to think about a keyword like "emergency root canal".

Long Tail Keywords and Geomodifiers.

Geomodifiers are also very important action words. Geomodifiers are cities, states, zip codes and terms that similar to "near me". When paired with a targeted search, there is a higher possibility of them converting. This is when the phrase becomes a long tail keyword – a more specific keyword that consists of at least three words and has the ability for optimal search engine ranking opportunity, unlike short tail keywords that are far too broad. An example of a long tail keyword with a geomodifier would be "used car for sale Chicago".

Popular Keyword Tools.

If you're wondering how you can find the best possible keywords for your business vertical, there are several online tools that you can utilize. Some of the most popular are:

Conclusion.

It is important to keep in mind that creating a successful business can not and will not occur overnight, even with this information in hand. However, with the aforementioned keyword information, you can improve your search ranking, conversion rate and bottom line. If you would like to learn more and are interested in getting help with developing a local search marketing strategy, contact us at WebDetail.