If your business has a physical location, one area of SEO you definitely shouldn’t neglect is your local search listings in search engines. If you don’t actively manage your online business profile, search engines could be showing incorrect information every time someone searches for your business – or your business might not appear in local search listings at all.
What are local search listings?
Google and Bing are the two most used search engines in the UK – and both show local business listings for a variety of searches. Local search results can appear when:
- Someone is in a specific location and simply searches for a type of business (e.g. pubs).
- Someone searches for a business category with a location (e.g. pubs in Shepton Mallet).
- Someone searches for “pubs near me” or “pubs open today”.
Generally, local business listings include your business’s location, opening times, contact information, links to your website, and reviews. Depending on the type of business you are, other information might be shown, including photos or direct links to make a booking with your business (e.g. if you’re a café or restaurant).
How to appear on local search listings
Local search listings, like general results, are dependent on the particular search engine’s algorithm – so appearing in them is no guarantee. However, there are ways to make it more likely your business will appear in local search listings. One way to make it more likely you’ll appear is to register the details of your business directly with the search engine.
1. Google My Business
When you add your business to Google My Business, your listing will show up across Google sites including search and maps. Ensure all information you supply about your business is complete and accurate – this will make it far more likely to appear in local search results.
2. Bing Places
You can also create a local business listing on Bing Places to appear on Bing maps and search results. Although not used as much as Google, Bing is still worth registering your business with – Bing is the default search engine for Windows and popular among some users.
What affects local search results?
Like the main Google search results, there are many potential ranking factors affecting which businesses are displayed in the local search results listings. These include:
- Reviews: Businesses with more favourable Google reviews have been found to get prominence in local search results.
- Ranking: If your website is backed by robust SEO and ranks well for important keywords, it is likely to do well in local business rankings too.
- Localised content: Using the name of your business’s location – town, city, county, etc. – here and there in your content helps with local SEO.
- Social media: Having a positive presence on social media platforms can boost local search result rankings.
