Almost every small business owner has experienced the frustration of competing with a huge company. You’ve crafted reams of useful content, optimised your entire website and even began exploring PPC. But a more prominent brand with a far bigger budget has started ranking above yours. While it can feel like you’re fighting a losing battle, hyperlocal SEO can help small to medium businesses even the playing field.
What is hyperlocal SEO?
Hyperlocal SEO is a highly targeted SEO strategy designed to boost your local business’s online visibility within a particular geographic area, often within a few miles or streets from your company.
For small and local businesses, securing a solid hyperlocal search result allows you to deliver your services to a whole new audience and returning visitors. After all, most local companies rely on their customers searching for swift and convenient solutions and hyperlocal SEO allows them to capture this.
For example, if you’re hunting for a new hairdresser in Brixton, you’re more likely to search “hairdresser Brixton”. Which boosts local businesses that have used hyperlocal SEO to pop up at the top of your search. Back in 2022, BrightLocal discovered that 93% of consumers used the internet to find a local business in the last year, and another 34% searched more than they did a year ago.
How can I use hyperlocal SEO to increase new leads for my small business?
While the benefits of building hyperlocal SEO into your existing strategy are obvious, a survey from OnTheMap found that only 30% of small and local businesses have a clear strategy for implementing hyperlocal SEO. So, if you’re unsure where to start, simply follow our steps to improve your SEO rankings.
1. Explore hyperlocal keywords for your business
From Google’s auto-suggest searches to keyword planners, there are plenty of ways to discover what your customers search for most frequently. Keyword generator sites like SEMrush can or Ahrefs also help you build a bank of keywords for you to use and create niche content around.
From blog posts that explore local places to customer reviews that include location information, all of these elements will help champion your local and hyperlocal SEO.
We recommend using plenty of information about your location, including surrounding areas. For example, if you’re based in Manchester, it’s worth adding Stockport, Bolton and Didsbury. These more specific locations will help new customers find your business.
2. Google My Business
Google automatically scans and includes significant information from your Google Business profile in its searches. That includes details like your business hours, website address, customer reviews, images, posts and location.
Taking the time to fill out this information, keeping it up to date and regularly reviewing it can greatly impact your hyperlocal SEO strategy. You can add your local business to other directories like Yahoo and Facebook. This gives Google even more local information to share with potential customers.
3. The power of positive reviews
So, if you’ve packed your site with relevant keywords and content, you’re set up in every directory that you can be and you’re wondering what to do next, it’s worth inviting your customers to leave you a review on Google My Business.
A survey from 2023 found that over 83% of customers will check a Google review before they hand over their cash to a local business. You could miss out on a huge pool of new customers if you have little to no reviews. The best way to start getting reviews? Ask.
From there, just ensure you’re professional and responsive to everyone who reviews your business. Don’t be tempted to ignore negative feedback, a thoughtful response will always go down better with customers.
4. Don’t ignore the power of social media
Hyperlocal SEO doesn’t end at your site. When posting on Instagram or Facebook make sure you geotag your location and use local hashtags to encourage traffic to your page. You can tag your location on Stories, Reels and even your posts on Instagram. That makes it easier for local customers to spot you. It also gives you the opportunity to share local news or even your role within the local community.
A 2022 report from The Scotsman found that 78% of consumers think it’s important to support local businesses. So by reminding users on social media of your location, you can also build a community of nearby customers that really want to champion your business.
Using local-SEO to grow your community
Remember, hyperlocal SEO is a long-term strategy and one that, for small businesses, is worth the time investment. While predictions show that hyperlocal SEO is only increasing, Google’s algorithm always changes. You should regularly review your strategy to ensure you continue building long-term relationships within your community.
Once you’ve established your local status, you’ll need to be prepared for an increase in interest. And that can mean an influx of calls. AnswerConnect is ready to support you 24/7. We act as the voice of your business so you can grow without losing the local touch your customers expect.
Book a free consultation today to find out how we can help you grow your business.
