Any business can take advantage of local search engine optimization (SEO) benefits. Back in 2014, when Google launched its Pigeon update, it was predicted that it would be a game changer for local search engine result page patterns. This was an opportunity to increase local optimization strategies even further. Today, 50 percent of customers who enter a product or service query into a search engine for their area end up visiting a store that came up in their search result.
What Was Google’s Pigeon Update?
The Pigeon update was a new algorithm for Google’s U.S. English users. This was to provide more relevant, accurate, and useful search results based on locality. It was to tie web search ranking signals more closely to location and distance ranking parameters.
It took local SEO out of the umbrella terminology of small mom ‘n’ pop stores and made it so that any service, online shop, and the seller had to prioritize the local tangent of the business in order to stay in tune with Google’s best practices.
Google Loves Local Businesses and Companies
Google shows a slight leaning towards favoring the businesses who are new, small, and agile. This is in keeping with the tendency of the general public to move away from giant corporations and into patronizing local and artisanal brands. Google always wants to give their users what they desire.
This enables smaller size business owners with significantly lower budgets the potential to break in new ground and increase their online visibility. This also plays into Google’s love of generating more specific results for the user based on their history and geographic location.
Finding a Digital Marketing Company that Knows the Importance of Local SEO
If you are serious about getting the most gain out of Google’s practice of favoring local businesses, then it makes perfect sense to seek out the services of a digital marketing company that operates in your area. They will be able to help your business get more traffic by using the latest SEO algorithms. They are also guaranteed to utilize pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and other web development technologies to make your business stand out against competitors.
For example, if your business is situated in the Canberra area, then using a local company such as Canberra SEO to help you get found online is a wise move. A local digital marketing company will understand how to raise your business profile locally, nationally, and globally, depending on your needs.
They understand best how to optimize your website from all angles by using the tools to promote it and single it out from among all the others. Updating a business website is a crucial component in maintaining its relevance and online presence.
Make the Stats Work for You
With 64 percent of local customers using Google and other search engines to find out information about where to obtain goods and services in their neighborhood, prioritizing your website for the use of locals has never been more critical. Hiring an expert in SEO is a sound business practice.