Enhance Your Local Organic Visibility
A Lawyer, an accountant, a physical trainer, or a local dog walker are all local professions that will benefit from being listed in the local maps listings in the search engines - but why?
Simple, how many of you have conducted the following searches in Google and been presented by Google with a local ‘map’ option?
How about;
- Commercial lawyer Auckland city
- Accounting firm near Albany
- Dog walker near me
- Physical trainer for mums in Glendowie
In each of the above search strings, the searcher provides Google with information about their location. Even the ‘dog walker near me’ option tells Google to look at your IP address from your phone or your ISP and use that to determine where you are physically based.
If you’re not listed in Google Maps (local SEO listings) at all, then you can grow your business considerably by utilising this marketing method.
Are you ready to grow your business online? Then the local maps listings are an excellent way to start your marketing.
How to Improve Your Local Map Rankings with Google My Business?
How are local customers finding your business? Or, more importantly, how are they finding your competitors business? Are they finding them via Google maps?
Go to Google and type in a phrase or service that is related to your business and then the location that you want to be found in. For instance, search for ‘accountants in Tauranga’, and you will find a list of 3 businesses Google feels they want to display in the maps for this phrase.
What if you’re an accounting firm operating in Tauranga, you’ll want to be listed in that map section – no?
Achieving local map listings is not as straightforward as simply creating a Google My Business page and waiting. Things are a little more intricate than that!
There are various factors that determine both the map listings and organic listings; luckily, you've come across a company that has a pretty good understanding of the factors involved with ranking in the local maps listings!
We advise our clients that they consider integrating Google products with at least an official business listing if they want to improve their local maps listings and organic listings.
What is Your Google Maps Marketing Strategy?
It’s pretty simple; really, you need to inform Google of what your business is and where you’re located. Google will then make a note to list your business into their maps listings when someone searches for your services nearby.
The number 1 factor Google uses to place the ranking in the map listings. The searchers' proximity to the business and if the company is correctly listed for that niche.
But this isn’t the ONLY factor that Google uses, and in competitive niches, you’ll find that more is required to obtain a position within the maps.
Combining Local Maps in Your Overall Marketing Campaigns
As with everything on the internet, the phrases that are used in any platform can significantly help determine what terms you want to gain rankings for. It’s the same when you’re thinking about the map’s listings.
Make sure that you incorporate phrases relative to your business. Or, if this is not possible, select phrases that are linked at the business category level.
Local SEO Map Optimisation Services
We start by examining the products and services that you offer and where your business is located, or if you have multiple locations.
From here, we’re able to construct a plan of action of where you need to be and what needs to be done to get your website there.
Each of the business listings in Google needs to be unique and, in some way, linked to the location. After that, we need to find and obtain suitable places to list your business on ideal directories.
This builds trust with Google that you’re the right lawyer, accountant, personal trainer or dog walker to be listed into their local map listings.
Select A Professional Google Maps Optimisation Service
Local search engine optimisation involves particular bespoke SEO methods that target your website and brands associated with a geo-targeted audience. Local SEO is essential for businesses aiming to attract highly relevant targeted traffic from the search engines.
Local SEO can be used for a business with a single brick and mortar location, a business with several locations throughout the country, or perhaps a service-based business that offers its services throughout an area.
We are professionals with specialised experience in SEO and Google products and are here to assist if you are still beginning with Google Marketing.
You will find that only a handful of SEO agencies in New Zealand are aware of how the local maps listings operate and can manipulate them effectively. By harnessing Google maps local listings as part of your ongoing marketing strategy, you will be building a powerful brand across the internet.
How Local SEO Can Benefit Your Business in New Zealand
A restaurant, a plumber, private investigators, fertility doctors, plastic surgeons all rely upon people searching for their business using Google. People are searching for services or products near them and our local SEO services can help deliver the trust, technical and citation improvements that are necessary to increase your rankings for local keyword groups.
It might be a person needing a 'dentist near me', a 'dermatologist in Auckland' and a Chinese restaurant on the North Shore it doesn't matter. We will help with all aspects of localised SEO campaigns & personalisation searches.
If you're unsure of how this can benefit you, or want to discuss a potential project then call us on 09 884 0475, or fill out the enquiry forms and we can get the ball rolling.
Local SEO Results from Our Local Client SEO Work
Here are a a few examples of our success in helping clients obtain local SEO rankings*. These results are certainly achievable for local businesses here wanting to gain leads and traffic from the internet, using Local SEO Services in Auckland and New Zealand.
*the clients themselves have been hidden for privacy purposes.
Organic Rank Tracking
This client approached us in the UK with the aim of ranking for a particular set of competitive keywords that were competing with hundreds of other companies in the same industry.
After changing the on-page structure Google moved the website down to position 83 for a period. We advised the client not to panic, Google will eventually adjust once we change the internal linking structure and the external links pointing to the page.
The phrase climbed to page 1 after 8 months and hit the #1 spot after 14 months of SEO. In addition to ranking this website organically, we were able to obtain #1 rankings for that main keyword phrase in the Local Snack Pack.
The client now has multiple related phrases ranking on page 1 effectively doubling their traffic year on year and have now had to hire more sales staff.
Local SEO Map Rankings NZ
This screenshot is from the 'Insights' section within Google My Business for a client in Auckland. This is part of the overall Local SEO services that we are providing for this client.
This client was receiving ZERO calls from their Google Maps listing prior to our involvement, they now receive over 50 calls a month because of their #1 ranking position!
Dominate the map positions, take over existing local competitors by using our Local SEO Services.
This client is now expanding staffing levels to cope with the demand.
In addition to obtaining map listings, we also run this client's Google Ads and Organic SEO.
Would you like an additional 50+ calls from people all looking for your services?
#1 Rankings For Italian Client
This law firm approached us from Italy wanting to reach #1 in Google.com for their primary keyword phrase.
We also ranked their website #1 in the maps (Local Search) in all search engines, which they now enjoy more leads thanks to our work.
Having had little success with previous SEO companies and a rather 'weak' attempt at doing SEO on their own, they reached out to us and examined everything.
Ultimately, this needed to be approached from the ground up and rebuild the website with a faster theme, faster hosting, optimised images and re-align all the content and URLs to suit the niche.
Our perseverance paid off, and within seven months, the client ranked #1 for their keyword phrase and has since enjoyed over 20 leads a month for this particular niche.
Local SEO Consultant Services
What Local SEO Factors Are the Most Important?
We do not claim to know the entire Google Local SEO Algorithm, but we have a reasonably good idea of how the Google My Business listing interacts with the website and vice-a-versa.
Google will examine several micro-factors that link your business with a particular location and how people interact with your whole brand, profile reviews, and patterns of searches for your business.
Google will consider how your business/brand is performing to other similar nearby businesses within the same niche, which plays a part in organic listings.
Here are some of the main factors we consider essential:
- Correct optimisation of your Google My Business Page
- Mentions of a website Brand and searches for that brand
- Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone)
- Local links and Local Citations
- Construct the best framework for your business to interact with its customers with Google My Business Reviews.
Critical requirements as part of a local SEO campaign:
- Local Citation Building
- Optimise pages with metadata that incorporates location information
- Local SEO Audit (on-page and off-page)
- Topically relevant pillar pages that include sub-location information
- Local content creation with localisation
- Specific local searches from mobiles and iPads within the vicinity of the business.
Traditional SEO is also required to ensure high standards of SEO back up the map listings:
- You need to make sure your website loads quickly and is optimised for Google Core Web Vitals (fast-loading, short time for user to interact, with no buggy layout shifts)
- Highly relevant landing pages that correspond with the searches intent
- Relevant and high-quality external links from other local businesses, including the chamber of commerce etc...
- A solid UX
- The best practice concerning URLs, meta titles, Header Tags, content distribution, alt tags, internal linking, descriptions and more...
So, Why is Local SEO In Auckland So Important?
How do you search for the services, products, locations and businesses that you need to contact?
That's right - You Google it!
Google deals with over 5.6 billion searches a day around the world. That's a lot of Googling!
Knowing that Local SEO is the best method for a local business to ensure that Google sends highly targeted traffic relevant to their business, it is vital to be found on the local map listings.
If you're not listed on the Maps, then guess what? Your competitors are, and they are taking business away from you by being there. It is our role as SEO consultants to send that traffic to you.
Throughout a local search engine optimisation campaign, you can anticipate increased levels of keyword-rich traffic to your website from potential customers operating within your location. We expect you to receive more enquiries and sales and more engagement with your brand.
The days of customers and businesses examining a newspaper or the Yellow pages are over, and the future is the internet for all companies that want to succeed.
Common Local SEO Questions & Answers
Local Search Engine Optimisation is a combination of four main factors.
Proximity – the physical distance between the searcher on the internet and the business that provides those services. The closer that your searcher is, the better the results for your business will be in Google Maps.
Location: Google knows the location of the search, using their phone or ISP location. The information that your website gives Google about the area of your business, both on-page and off-page, will determine the map positions that your business.
Authority: Google will give higher credibility to websites that are linked from websites that Google has determined as an ‘Authority’ and are ‘Trustworthy’. A highly ranked website in the maps will be deemed to be an authority in the niche.
Niche: Your website needs to represent the best information for your niche; how does your domain name, URL structure page titles tell Google what your website is about?
Local SEO is a particular strategy that enables a business to be more visible in the local search results in Google. If you have a brick and mortar company that operates in a geographical location, and you need to be found by potential customers that Local SEO services are essential for your business.
When your business is found in the maps section of Google, from a mobile or desktop device, your business will receive more traffic. This additional traffic will, in turn, mean more leads, more local returning customers, increased authority and trust from local customers and increased sales.
Any business that operates from a physical location, either in a service industry or where people need to find your business, is the most suitable for using Local SEO Services. Examples of companies that benefit from Local SEO;
- Lawyers
- Accountants
- Medical services, doctors, dental clinics,
- Construction industry services; plumbers, electricians, roofers, builders
- Pet care
- Retirement homes
- Funeral services
- Bars and Restaurants
Local SEO is the increased exposure of a company in a specific local area. Any local business will want to be exposed for all of the possible phrases or terms any potential customer types into the search engines. This way, Local SEO maximises your website targeted phrases exposure, provided it is done correctly, that is!
If you’re trying to gain a foothold in a local area, then Local SEO will enable your business to be found first, above all other companies. Local businesses are often small or medium-sized and, as such, depend on a constant stream of nearby customers for their continuous revenue.
Take, for instance, a local café; you’ll find that 70% of the customers live within a kilometre of the business and regularly eat there. The remainder of the customers will see your business by searching on Google Maps – Local SEO.
Any successful local SEO campaign will help your business by increasing your company's exposure in the search engine rankings and the local map pack. If you’re in the local map pack, your website will receive the highest conversions across all types of advertising.
Almost half of all searches (46%) are from users seeking local information in the search engines. The searches conducted by users are generally seeking local services or businesses operating within a particular area or location.
Many characteristics can define a good local SEO company.
First and foremost, a local SEO agency offering Local SEO services should be listed in the Google snack pack (top 3) for targeted search terms. If the local SEO agency appears in Google maps, this is a good indicator that they know what they are doing and can deploy and beat other SEO agencies at Local SEO.
Does the local SEO company have several cases studies showing that their clients were not listed on the maps and were moved to be pronounced in the local map listings? This could be on Google Maps, Bing and Yahoo maps and even Apple Maps?
You might find that some Local search engine optimisation companies might not want to disclose their client details. This is certainly understandable, and for that reason, simply the local agency rankings should be sufficient.
Does the local SEO agency have a reputation for performing well from reviews on Google My Business, Yelp, Foursquare? Several positive reviews will help provide you with confidence that the agency knows and understands the techniques to obtain local listings.
A reputable local SEO agency should be able to access the competitive level of your industry niche and determine how difficult it will be to achieve the top 3 rankings within the maps. They should then be honest with you and give realistic expectations accordingly.
Our services aim to deliver ranked listings within all major search engines, including Google, Bing, Yahoo and Apple Maps.
This is a good question; some clients choose to have a local SEO audit and competitor analysis and then opt for a one-off fix.
This might be good in the short term but is short-sighted, as the algorithm that determines rankings changes and your competitors are also looking to gain your positions!
By choosing this short-term fix, you are leaving yourself open to being potentially overtaken by your competitors in the long term. Techniques to appear in the maps often evolve and develop; by the time you consider again fixing your rankings in the maps, you may well have dropped several positions and be left behind.
Contact Us today for discussions on how we can assist you with your local listings.
Our Services Help You To Focus On Your Business
Having met and worked with several business owners in the past decade, we noticed that practically all of them want to focus on their business and don't want to deal with the intricacies of online marketing and their websites positions in the Local SEO.
Many client's don't have the foggiest idea of what the details are that help rank a website and frankly aren't interested. They want the results that our services will bring.
With our tried and tested Local SEO methodologies that have been tested with backed up data, business owners trust our rankings and services.
Our Local SEO services deal with all of the factors that enhance local SEO listings. From managing Google Maps data to optimising for higher positions within the maps for different keywords to creating informative content and taking advantage of any new features Google releases.