Mastering Local SEO: 5 Powerful Trends Taking 2023 by Storm!

In the past, several businesses may have managed to succeed without tweaking their local SEO strategy to keep up with the most recent techniques and trends.

But now that 9 out of 10 customers are using the Internet to search for brick-and-mortar businesses in their area, that isn’t going to be the case.

Local search is becoming hyper-focused on customer experience, and leveraging local SEO services can be a game-changer when it comes to ranking higher on Google SERPs organically.

If your business serves a particular geographical region or has a physical location, local SEO allows you to be more visible to your target audience when they make region-specific searches, like “coffee shop near me” or “winter accessories shop in New York.”

Since local SEO targets a more specific and relevant audience, it puts you in front of your customers right when they need your products or services. The result? More calls, store visits, several leads, and tangible conversions.

This blog will walk you through the top local SEO trends of 2023. Can they help your business maintain a strong presence online? We’re breaking it all down.

What Is Local SEO?

Search engines rely on social profile pages, citations, links, and localized content to provide relevant results to users, ensuring that they find the information they’re looking for.

With over 2 billion websites on the Internet, ranking high on SERPs is challenging for businesses—regardless of the industry.

This is where local SEO comes in.

It’s the process of optimizing a website to increase online search visibility for local businesses, especially the ones with brick-and-mortar locations. It can help businesses improve the organic traffic to their website and get more actionable leads from local searches.

Here’s how Hasbrook & Hasbrook, an Oklahoma City-based personal injury law firm, used a few local SEO tricks to achieve a higher ranking on Google:

• They included their location in most of the webpage titles, including the website URL

• They curated keyword optimized content for their website and included niche-specific laws relevant to the locals in the area.

• They optimized their Google Business Profile page

Here’s what you get when you search for a relevant keyword for the company, “personal injury lawyer Bartlesville.”  Thanks to these local SEO strategies, it has secured the coveted 4^th spot on the first page in SERPs.

Let’s cut to the chase, then.

You’re looking to rank high on Google, and our local SEO solutions are going to make your sweet SEO dreams come true with these impactful local SEO trends.

The Five Most Powerful Local SEO Trends That Will Help You Succeed

1. The Google Local Map Pack for Maximizing Local Traffic

The Google Local Map Pack, or the SEO 3-pack, is an important SEO tool used to optimize region-specific business listings, allowing your business to rank on top in SERPs.

It’s a listing of three businesses that appears at the top of the search results whenever you type in the keywords “near [location],” “near me,” or simply a product/service along with a location.

Here’s what it looks like:

What makes the Google Local Pack so effective for businesses is that it has a clear call to action which allows customers to directly visit the website or make a phone call.

If you want to rank in the local SEO 3-pack, ensure that:

• Your listing has comprehensive and specific information about your company, including updated contacts, addresses, and other important details
• You have reviews on your Google profile
• You’ve earned locally relevant backlinks so people can easily find your business

A majority of consumers don’t go beyond the first page of search results, so ranking high can really give your business a competitive edge.

2. Google My Business, a.k.a Google Business Profile, is the Crème De La Crème of Local Search

Google, being as omnipotent as it is, is putting more emphasis on search intent in 2023. The search engine isn’t just showing results based on keywords anymore. It shows results based on what the user is looking for.

Reports show that 64% of consumers use Google Business Profile posts to look up local businesses, whereas 94% of calls made to local businesses come from Google Business Profile listings.

A consistent GMB listing is exactly what you need for that certain je ne sais quoi to get to the top of Google’s SERPs.

Here’s an example of how you can go about it:

If you want to receive more online orders for your business, set up a Google Business Profile to allow people to instantly place an order.

When a consumer in your area types the words “coffee shops” in the search engine bar, they’ll be redirected to your website where they can order online.

Notice how easy and convenient it is for the online audience who wants nothing more than just a quick coffee fix.

That’s why Google Business Profile is an incredible tool to get significant improvement in your traffic reports.

Recommended read: How to Completely Optimize and Promote Your Google Business Profile Page

3. Enhanced User Experience Is Your Ace Card

Did you know that Google’s algorithm measures all aspects of a user’s online experience when ranking a website on SERPs?

So, how can you improve your user experience?

4. Optimize Your Content for Conversational Queries& Voice Search

Google aims to satisfy search intent above all.

This is what led to the launch of the language model, LaMDA, that enables search engines to have a better understanding of natural language. Google has also launched Bard, a conversational AI service powered by LaMDA, which is being touted for its capability of natural conversation and providing up-to-date answers with great emphasis on search intent.

How can you use this to your advantage? By optimizing your content for conversational queries and voice searches.

62% of people who own smartphones say that they use voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. This is because people find it easier to speak into their microphones than typing out a query in a search bar.

Combine conversational queries and voice search, and you’ve hit the jackpot!

Target conversational long-tail keywords in your content.

Instead of using keywords like “salons near me,” use conversational keywords like “Where can I get a haircut?” to satisfy both user intent and voice searches.

Pro tip: use specific phrases, slang, and vernacular that are commonly used in the region you’re targeting. This is very effective in attracting your target audience.

Recommended read: A Beginner’s Guide to Optimizing Web Content for Better Reach and Conversions

5. Your Web Page Should Be Optimized for Mobile

One of the cardinal rules of local SEO is optimizing a web page for mobile devices.

According to research reports, 52.08% of web traffic comes from mobile devices—which means that you need to optimize your web design for enhanced user experience.

Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it predominantly crawls the mobile version of a website for ranking and indexing purposes before crawling its desktop version.

So if you haven’t optimized your website for mobile yet, you’re missing out.

Build A Reputable Brand Identity with Our Local SEO Services!

Now that you have a better idea of what local SEO can do for your business, it’s time to get the ball rolling.

At Search Berg, we offer comprehensive local SEO solutions for small businesses, established organizations, startups, and individuals.

Whether you’re a motivational speaker, a healthcare professional, a contractor, a lawyer, or an e-commerce business owner, our local SEO services company can help you improve your digital presence with industry-specific and audience-centric optimized content.

Reach out to us today and let us help you achieve sustainable growth with the best local SEO practices.