How a local business ranks in Google and other search engine results pages (SERPs) can make all the difference when it comes to how many nearby customers they attract.
But constantly optimizing your local search presence, not to mention keeping up with changing ranking algorithms and local search trends, is a highly demanding, complex job, and that's why many businesses decide to hire a local SEO agency to handle their local search engine optimization efforts for them.
Whether you're a small to medium-sized business, a multi-location brand, or anything in between, there are some signs you can watch out for to know when it may be time to hire a local SEO marketing agency.
When Should You Hire a Local SEO Agency? 10 Signs It's Time To Hire Local SEO Experts
1. You're not appearing in Google's Local Pack often enough
Despite efforts, your business rarely shows up in the top 3 local search results.
2. You don't have time to constantly optimize your local search presence
Keeping up with frequent changes in local search, optimizing Google Business Profile, and managing local citations requires time you can't spare.
3. You rely heavily on local searches to attract business, but you're not ranking high
Your business depends on local customers, yet your website or Google Business Profile isn't showing up in key local searches.
4. Your local competitors are consistently outranking you
Competitors consistently appear higher in local search results, leading to missed opportunities for your business.
5. You're unsure how to optimize effectively for local search intent
You don't know how to effectively tailor your SEO strategy to local search intent queries.
6. Your Google Business Profile needs improvement
You struggle with optimizing GBP, managing reviews, or ensuring your profile is complete and appealing to potential customers.
7. You're expanding to multiple locations
Managing local SEO for multiple business locations has become overwhelming and you need expert guidance.
8. Your local listings are inconsistent or incomplete
You have missing or conflicting information in local directories, which is negatively affecting your local SEO.
9. You want to improve local review management
You need help with collecting, analyzing, and responding to local reviews to boost credibility and rankings.
10. You're launching a new business and want quick local visibility
You need to establish a strong local presence right away to compete with established businesses in the area.
How a Local SEO Agency Can Help
A local SEO agency can take the burden of managing and optimizing your local search presence off your shoulders. These agencies specialize in helping businesses appear higher in local search results, so they know the ins and outs of local SEO best practices, including how to optimize Google Business Profile listings, manage local citations, and increase local visibility.
By working with a local SEO marketing agency, you can ensure that your business is consistently showing up in search results for the right queries and in the right locations.
Local SEO agencies stay up to date on the latest algorithm changes and trends in local search, allowing them to continuously refine your strategy. They can also perform competitor analysis to identify areas where you might be falling behind and create a plan to help you outrank other local businesses.
Whether you're looking to hire local SEO experts for one location or multiple, a reputable local SEO agency can deliver measurable results, from more web and foot traffic to increased leads and conversions. Hiring a local SEO agency not only saves you time, but also ensures you're maximizing your local search potential with expert guidance tailored to your business needs!
How To Choose a Local SEO Company To Work With: 10 Questions To Ask Local SEO Agencies You're Considering
1. Can you show results from past clients or case studies?
Ask the local SEO agency to provide specific examples of their work, including before-and-after data showing how they helped other businesses rank higher in local searches. This can give you a clear idea of the results you can expect. A word of warning: be wary of local SEO experts who make grand promises about results without showing anything to back up their ability to deliver those results!
2. Do you specialize in any specific types of local businesses?
Some local SEO agencies have experience working with certain industries, like healthcare, retail, restaurant, or hospitality. If the agency experts you choose specialize in your industry, they may already understand the specific challenges and opportunities you face in local SEO, which can be an added bonus of working with them.
3. What's your strategy for optimizing Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile optimization is THE most important ingredient for local SEO success. Ask how they approach optimizing GBP listings, including managing reviews, choosing categories, adapting to competitors' strategies, and other tactics.
4. How do you measure success, and how often will you report on progress?
Find out how the agency tracks and reports on key metrics such as local search rankings, organic traffic, and conversions. Make sure they provide regular updates so you know how your local SEO efforts are performing.
5. How do you manage local citations and ensure consistency across directories?
Building local citations, or listings of your business information, on other highly-trafficked and industry-specific directories, in addition to Google Business Profile, is another key component of a comprehensive local SEO strategy. Ask how the agency builds valuable citations and ensures your business listings are accurate and consistent across all platforms.
6. What's your approach to handling local reviews and reputation management?
Online reviews, especially Google Reviews, play a big role in determining local search rankings, not to mention they build customer trust and heavily influence potential customers' purchase decisions. Ask how the local SEO agency helps manage reviews, including conducting sentiment analysis, responding to feedback, and encouraging positive reviews.
7. Do you have experience managing multi-location businesses?
If you have multiple business locations (or might in the future), ask if the agency has experience optimizing multi-location brands for local search. This requires a different strategy than working with single-location businesses.
8. What other local SEO strategies do you implement?
Ask about their approach to other essential local SEO tactics, like building local backlinks, creating locally relevant content, and optimizing your website's on-page SEO and user experience.
9. What is your process for staying on top of updates to Google's guidelines, algorithms, and Business Profile features?
Local SEO is constantly evolving, and Google updates its local search algorithms frequently. Not only that, but Google periodically changes guidelines and adds or removes GBP features. Make sure the local SEO agency you choose has a proactive approach to staying on top of these changes to maintain and continue improving your rankings when things get shaken up.
10. How do you stay competitive with other local SEO agencies near me?
Finally, ask what sets them apart from other agencies in the area. This will help you gauge their level of expertise and commitment to delivering results for your business, so you can choose the best local SEO agency available to you. For example, do they offer other SEO or digital marketing services in addition to local search engine optimization?
Wrapping Up
When you need a helping hand with local search engine optimization, hiring a local SEO agency might be just the solution you're looking for. If you aren't sure whether or not you should hire local SEO experts, remember to check for some of the signs it might be time to do so that we mentioned at the beginning of the article.
Then, when you're actively considering different agencies, make sure to ask the right questions to ensure you hire the best local SEO agency; one that has the experience and an approach that aligns closely with your needs and goals, so you can be confident they'll have a significant impact on your business's visibility and growth!
