Why Focus On Local SEO For New Jersey Businesses?

Are you a business based in New Jersey looking for an online marketing solution? We have got the perfect strategy for you: local SEO. Although almost everything can be bought online today, consumers still prefer to shop local for several reasons, amongst them a faster dispatch time and the comfort of familiarity.

Not to mention, certain services like dry cleaning and pet grooming simply cannot be offered offline. The customer base of such businesses will consist almost exclusively of locals, a good enough reason to focus on local SEO! If you need further convincing, read on to find out why local SEO is a good strategy for New Jersey businesses.

What exactly does local SEO mean for a business?

Let’s think back to traditional ways of advertising for a moment, like handing out flyers. Besides being more of a physical job, what else about flyers make them less efficient than local SEO? Well, you simply cannot be sure that every person you hand a flyer to is in need of the goods or services you provide. However, when you focus on local SEO, the customers who come across your website are those who are actively searching for and require your service!

Besides that, local SEO for New Jersey businesses means getting your website ranked highly on search engine result pages (SERF), increasing organic traffic. With more visitors to your website, your pool of qualified leads will widen, which is the first step to increasing profit margins. By focusing on the keywords local consumers are most likely to search, you generate more leads who are likely to convert for your New Jersey business.

Geo-targeting as part of local SEO

A key aspect of local SEO for New Jersey businesses is geo-targeting. Simply put, this means selecting keywords that are statistically most likely for locals to input into search engines. This can be divided into a few categories:

• Location-specific keywords: If your business only services very specific areas, you will want to include that as part of your keywords. For instance, if you are a pet grooming business that only services the Newark area, make one of your keywords “pet grooming Newark”. “Pet grooming New Jersey” will still work, however if your business is based in Newark, it is much more likely that a customer from Newark will convert. If you have more than one service locations, pop them in as separate keywords.
• Optimize Local Search in Google: As the search engine with the largest market share, let us focus on Google here. Did you know that approximately 73% of online searches are local searches? As such, Google My Business offers a “local pack” search result, which prioritizes local results above all other organic search results. What this means is that if a user from Newark searches for “pet grooming”, businesses that have their address registered in Newark on Google My Business and other online directories will be ranked higher on the SERPs!

Why focus on local SEO?

Now that we have explained exactly what local SEO means for your New Jersey business, let us convince you why it is the strategy you should focus on:

• Local SEO narrows down the customers who click on your website to those who are both actively looking for and physically able to make use of your product/service.
• Local SEO makes use of a few different strategies. As listed above, this includes geo-targeting keywords, the “local pack” on Google My Business, reviews and many more!
• Local SEO allows you to build a brand awareness unique to your target group of locals.
• Lastly and most importantly, the leads that local SEO bring in are much more likely to convert, seeing that they are within a reasonable distance to your business and have looked you up in the first place!

SmartSites Can Help New Jersey Businesses Build A Local SEO Strategy

If after reading our article, you are convinced that local SEO is the way to go for your New Jersey business, our team at SmartSites cannot wait to work with you! We have been ranked in the top 1% of digital marketing agencies, alongside an excellent track record of successfully helping businesses grow. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that we work on a completely transparent basis, providing you with actionable insights based on detailed analysis of your data. If you are ready to maximize your online visibility and widen your pool of qualified prospects in New Jersey, please do not hesitate to contact us today!