SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has been one of the top talking points of 2022. Businesses have invested significantly in content development to gain phenomenal organic (free) traffic from SEO services.
SEO is a magical door & gateway to quality lead generation, driving traffic to your site, quality lead generation, sales conversion, enhancing brand awareness, and earning substantial revenues. There are multiple types of SEO services, and Local SEO has been a stand out of all.
Local SEO strategy helps your business get more visibility in Google local search results. Local SEO is lucrative for any business that has a physical location or serves a specific geographic area in the city. E.g., if you will search for an item or a product near me, keeping the location access ‘On,’ you will see a map (also known as a map pack) with three listings underneath your search tab, showing you the results in your locality or specific area of the city. This is the crucial area of your business strategy that you must focus on by implementing a Local SEO strategy to show your business in the top results of local searches.
In 2022, more than 50% of searches on Google are related to local searches, out of which more than 40% involve clicks on the 3 Google Map Pack. Out of all the local searches, more than 80% end up contacting within 24 hours, leading to higher chances of revenue generation for the businesses.
Local SEO Trends for 2023
In 2023, Local SEO will achieve remarkable heights similar to 2022. Let us walk you through the Local SEO trends for 2023.
1. Google My Business
Google My Business has taken a phenomenal rise in 2022. Innumerable businesses have listed their business on Google to get them shown at the top of search results.
In 2022, Google has put great emphasis on search intent. It helps in not just showing search results based on the typed keywords but also helps in precisely knowing what the user is looking for. E.g., when someone searches for a furniture showroom, the google search results will not show “best furniture showrooms” results.
Google will use the location of the user and will display the best furniture showrooms near the user within their locality, starting from those who have listed their business on “Google My Business.” Then it will show results of furniture showrooms not listed under “Google My Business.”
More than 50% of businesses listed on “Google My Business” have more views and clicks than those not listed.
In 2023, “Google My Business” will be lucrative for businesses. If you haven’t set it up, you can set it up now. It is easy and free to list your business on “Google My Business” to get a higher ranking on Google search results.
2. Zero Click Results
Google has been ensuring for the last two years to make the search results “Zero Click Results” to keep the user’s engagement as less as possible by going to the site and searching for the information.
Google is showing the typed search query of the users’ in featured snippets, answered box, 3 Google Map Packs, a knowledge panel, top stories, video & image results, twitter results, and site links.
The primary aim of Zero Click Results is to ensure that the users get the answer upfront, saving their time and efforts and making the Google platform quick, efficacious, & beneficial.
In 2022, more than 50% of Google searches end on the search result page as users get their answers upfront. E.g., if someone types “what is the age of Roger Federer?”, it will directly show the answer in the answer box rather than allowing the user to open the link and search for the engine.
In 2023, the numbers will increase, and more than 60% of Google searches will end on the search result page. We recommend focusing on vital & informative keywords to crawl users to your site.
3. Optimize your site for mobile devices
In 2022, more than 80% of customers have made their purchases via mobile devices. This number is expected to rise in the upcoming years. Customers find shopping online through a browser or app on their mobile devices convenient. It is not only time-saving but gives them the flexibility to purchase from anywhere and anytime without any mandatory requirement of having a desktop or laptop. Also, in 2022, more than 50% of website traffic happened on mobile devices.
Hence, it is essential to focus on website development for mobile to enhance user experience and make the website mobile-friendly. Ensure to keep optimal fonts and images that load faster, and the website should not lag when users surf your site through products & services.
In 2023, we recommend developing an excellent user-friendly interface for mobile website users to drive more traffic to your site, generate quality leads, and earn massive revenues.
4. Focus on voice search for Local SEO
Voice search has been one of the most used features in 2022. More than 30% of global users use voice search on mobile devices for searching on Google. It is a must requirement to keep essential & informative keywords that users will say in voice searches that will land them on your site. Google has made excellent improvements in its voice search in the last three years, and in 2023, voice search will play a crucial role in searches for local businesses. Nowadays, people are using Alexa, Siri, Hi Google, & various voice search assistants for doing searches.
At Sun Media Marketing, we provide voice search optimization services that will help you boost voice search for local searches and drive quality traffic to your site. Check out our voice search optimization services.
5. Video Content is still the king
Google Zero Click Results have given a tremendous rise to Video Content. Also, users have shifted to YouTube for doing searches. YouTube is the second most visited search engine after Google in the world. Users prefer watching videos to get answers to their queries as they explain it meticulously in their local language by providing subtitles that make it efficient.
In 2022, more than 50% of Google searches have shown video content at the top. Video Content makes consumers connect quickly with the products, services, & brand names as they look real & natural to them in the virtual world. Video content helps in building strong trust and helps buyers make an instant buying decision.
In 2023, we recommend focusing on video content for Local SEO Strategy optimization and getting maximum traffic to your site.
6. Text Content will be in the spotlight
It is a must to have beneficial, relevant, & informative content to get at the top of local search results ranking. In 2022, blog posts with a 1,000 to 1,500-word count were preferred the most as they contain detailed information about the user’s query & answer everything to help them make an informed purchase decision. In 2023, the same trend will continue.
We recommend developing strong gripping content with all the relevant information that will answer all customer’s queries on a single blog page without letting customers go to another site. E.g., if a user is searching for types of shoe soles, then your blog should have types of shoe soles, benefits of each sole type, which sole is best for a particular weather condition, materials used in manufacturing, pitch your business shoes, and co-relate your shoes with the benefits. This will make the user stay on your blog page without switching to another site for specific information.
Also, having all relevant information on your blog will increase its visibility in the search results. Taking the same example of shoe soles, if a user searches which sole is best for a particular weather condition, your blog will show in search results. If another user searches for benefits of different soles types, it will show the same in search results as it has all the detailed information for users.
Ensure to focus on essential keywords that local users will mostly search for to increase the visibility in Local SEO.
7. Meet the Search Intent of Users
In the last five years, the term “to buy” has gained a colossal rise in search engines. Users search using this term with different search intents. Hence, it is essential to understand the users’ search intent for planning the content strategy & gaining top ranking in Google Search results.
There are four types of search intent –
Informational (Learn)
Users search the keywords with the intent of learning. E.g., what is Digital Marketing? Examples, Types, Benefits, etc.
The search intent includes keywords related to – definition, what is, examples, features, why, benefits, advantages, importance, & pros & cons.
Commercial (Do)
Users search the keywords with the intent to do a commercial search for planning & deciding before moving to the next step of making a purchase decision.
The search intent includes keywords: Strategy, Plan, Methods, Steps, Process, Ways, Techniques, Tactics, Practices, and more How types of queries.
Transactional (Buy)
Once the users are clear with the benefits and steps and understand the answers to their queries, they move to the comparison part.
Here, the search intent includes keywords that are related with – compare, the difference between, versus (vs.), best, top, reviews, samples, trials, offers, discounts, coupon codes, & more related keywords for purchasing out of the options they have in mind.
Navigational (Go)
Navigational searches include searching regarding going to a physical location, web page, specific website, contact us, and more. When a user searches for a product or service near them, the google map pack might show your business in results, and customers will read reviews and news articles and compare it with the competitor. Hence, try keeping the reviews free of hatred or negative comments.
Navigational search intent keywords include – Near me, Directions, Address, Contact details, phone number, email address, and more related keywords.
There is hybrid search intent as well when the keyword intent is mixed or unclear, including what is, how, and why kind of words & search intent. In these scenarios, Google shows ultimate guides in search results that contain all the relevant information that might be helpful to users to answer all their queries.
You must keep these four intents in mind while planning & developing content for your site. E.g., if you are running a local business and want your business on top of Google Rankings, it is vital to make content that meets the users’ search intent.
We recommend developing a FAQs page at the bottom of every blog, article, and web page to answer all the questions that users will search for while buying the type of product or service you are selling. This will increase your site visibility in local search results.
8. Online Reviews
Online Reviews play a crucial role in helping customers make an informed purchase decision. Users read business reviews to know the experience of other buyers with your product & service. Any negative review can change the buyer’s mind and will let go of a potential prospect from your hands.
In 2022, nearly 90% of users have considered Google Business Reviews before making the purchase decision, and more than 90% of buyers have purchased the product or service after reading Google Business Reviews. Many users prefer buying from businesses with an average rating of 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5.
Businesses paying the utmost attention to each & every review on their Google Business Page are earning excellent revenues, increasing users’ engagement on their page.
In 2023, we recommend keeping business reviews above 4.5 stars out of 5 to show your business at the top of Google Local search results.
9. Website is important
Though Google zero click results have reduced website engagement, which should not disappoint you that your website doesn’t matter. In 2022, more than 50% of searches have ended on the first page of search results without clicking any link.
However, some users click on links and navigate through websites to read blogs, articles, and newsletters to find relevant information for understanding the product & service, knowing the usage, benefits, features, importance, comparison, and more before making the purchase decision.
In 2023, focus on keeping beneficial & valuable information for the users to make them crawl to your site and pay huge emphasis on relevant keywords for Local SEO search.
Conclusion
SEO services will always be the foremost priority of businesses for earning organic (free) traffic to their site, generating leads in the short & long-term, meeting business goals, and earning significant revenues. Local SEO is one vital factor that every business must pay attention to in 2023 to develop a strong local customer audience, as they are potential prospects with more than a 90% chance of sales conversion.
We recommend focusing on the trends mentioned in the blog and implementing them in your Local SEO business strategy.
If you have any questions regarding any of the Local SEO trends for 2023 or want a free quotation of Local SEO services, Sun Media Marketing is here for you. Contact us and build a robust Local SEO network to take your business to newer heights. We are available via call at +1 (917) 267-8626 & +91 -9898-630-296 & via email at info@sunmediamarketing.com.