{"id":64307,"date":"2025-02-12T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog.dream.press\/blog\/?p=64307"},"modified":"2026-02-17T22:15:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T06:15:29","slug":"local-seo-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/local-seo-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Local SEO Strategies To Attract More Customers in Your Area"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are thousands \u2014 maybe millions \u2014 of plumbers in the world. They can all unblock your pipes and fit new faucets. But when you search Google for a plumbing firm, only local providers come up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Because <\/strong>Google<\/strong><\/a> knows that geography matters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From hospitality and retail to security and manufacturing, most companies focus on serving nearby customers. Your business is probably the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to reach more local customers, try local SEO<\/a> (search engine optimization). This marketing tactic involves optimizing your online presence for a specific location or region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, we’ll explain what local SEO is all about and how you can execute this marketing game plan. Let’s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Local SEO? (And Why Should You Care?)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The aim of SEO is to make your website more likely to appear when someone searches for certain terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local SEO has a more specific goal: make your website more likely to appear for people searching within a specific physical location.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Optimizing your website for a local area is a 2-for-1 deal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Higher ranking:<\/strong> When people in your target area search for terms related to your website, you’re more likely to rank high in the general search results. This is because Google and other search engines personalize results for each user.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Local Pack appearance:<\/strong> When Google thinks the user is looking for a local business or venue, the Local Pack appears. This box lives at the top of the results page, highlighting businesses near the user. Your site could be one of them!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"Local<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    In other words, local SEO is like a cheat code. Instead of battling with every similar website around the world, you’re only taking on local competitors!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Local SEO Works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To understand what local SEO looks like in the real world, let’s go back to the plumbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Mario and Luigi are skilled tradesmen. They can handle pretty much any plumbing task (especially anything to do with big green pipes), and they have a great reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But when local people searched for plumbers, the brothers didn’t come up on Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To fix this issue, they made some adjustments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • They added their business address to their website, along with a section that mentions all the locations they cover.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • They set up a Google Business Profile<\/a> and filled out details about the business.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • They took listings in local directories online and started to post in local community groups on social media<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • They did some local link-building by reaching out to other business owners.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      It’s an important step because 58% of consumers say they use a business\u2019s website to verify information they\u2019ve seen on Google, social media, or elsewhere, based on DreamHost\u2019s consumer trust research<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Within a few weeks, Mario and Luigi appeared more regularly in search results, and soon enough, they became the first name that popped up whenever local people searched for plumbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      By the end of the year, their calendar was full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This might sound like a princess-rescue-type fairytale, but it rings true:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • 63.6% of consumers<\/a> say they are likely to check reviews on Google before visiting a business location.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • 76% of people<\/a> who search on their smartphones for something nearby visit a business within a day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • 28% of searches<\/a> for something nearby result in a purchase.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Want to hear the craziest stat? Less than <\/strong>half<\/em><\/strong> of businesses<\/strong><\/a> work on local SEO. <\/strong>They are literally throwing away good web traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Not you, though. Be smart like everyone’s favorite Italian plumbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n