The CMS you choose for your SMB will impact everything from your site traffic to your stress levels. Use this guide (& help from GPO) to pick the best one.
Even without a storefront, your business can show up in local searches! Learn how to optimize for local SEO and reach the right audience in key locations.
Local SEO is all about connecting your business with customers searching for a product or service in a specific geographic area. Traditionally, this means someone is looking to make a purchase right then and there. A hungry consumer might search “burrito bowls downtown austin” when looking for a lunchtime dining option. Or an athlete in need of a new pair of shoes might search “running store nashville” to go shop in person.
While local SEO is an absolute must for businesses with a physical local presence, can it still work for a business that operates virtually? Like all digital marketing channels, yes – if you employ the right strategies. In this guide, we give you the lowdown on how to make local SEO work for your online or service-area business.
When consumers research a purchase, they want to ensure they can actually get/touch/buy/ship the product or service in/to their area.
With 46% of all Google searches focused on local information, appearing in local search is indispensable for building brand awareness, increasing visibility, and attracting more customers to your site.
Optimizing for local SEO usually involves creating high-quality geo-tagged content, like localized landing pages or blogs, and managing online listings on Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, Bing, and more.
Even if you don’t have a physical local presence, you can still make local SEO work for you. As consumers, we’re not always looking to visit a brick-and-mortar location. Sometimes we want the convenience of products delivered right to our doors or a service provider who comes to us. Your online business could be exactly what a searcher is looking for.
With the right strategy and execution, local SEO can be just as powerful for virtual brands as it is for in-person ones — and we’ve proven that firsthand with some of our clients. For example, we launched GPO Local Pages last year for a virtual weight loss company and have seen astounding success. They achieved an organic conversion rate of 6.6% in just a few weeks!
Not all digital marketing channels work the same for all businesses, and local SEO won’t be the right fit for everyone. However, several industries can (and have) had great success leveraging local SEO even with no physical local presence. If your product or service can be delivered by phone, email, video call, mail, or travel, local SEO could be a great fit.
You don’t have to visit a lawyer in person to get your case heard and managed; many law firms successfully serve clients across entire states without ever meeting in person. As long as they’re licensed in the state, lawyers can take cases from any locality.
Think personal injury lawyers who may have an office in a big city but represent clients in a town 300 miles away. They can utilize local SEO strategies to ensure their firm shows up for relevant searchers from “car accident lawyer houston tx” to “motorcycle accident attorney odessa tx.” Or, consider immigration law. It’s federal! That’s one reason our clients, Weinstock Immigration Lawyers, can use local SEO to earn visibility from coast to coast.
Online pharmacies are revolutionizing access to medications like birth control and GLP-1 injections, eliminating the need for in-person doctor visits. However, shipping restrictions mean they can’t serve every state. That’s where local SEO comes in. By optimizing for city- and state-specific searches, these providers can reach the patients who need them most in the regions they serve.
Virtual therapy is in high demand as patients enjoy the flexibility of online sessions. Since therapists are licensed at the state level, they can see clients anywhere within that state. Many have a hybrid approach where they see patients both in person and virtually. Local SEO can help them connect with more clients who need their support. Targeting specific regions where they’re licensed lets them show up for searches like “online therapist accepting patients in California.”
You don’t need a public storefront to benefit from local SEO. By creating localized landing pages for high-demand areas and using location-based blog content, online businesses can target regions where they see the most sales. For example, a candle maker who ships nationwide may notice strong sales in Dallas. Creating a city-specific page about “handmade soy candles in dallas” can help capture even more customers from that area.
Running a remote agency or having team members in multiple cities doesn’t mean you can’t leverage local SEO. Create targeted local content for the cities where your team operates, and you can increase visibility in key markets, making it easier for potential clients to find you. Plus, if in-person meetings are ever needed, having a local presence where your team resides ensures you’re always within reach.
Service-area businesses like radon mitigation, mobile mechanics, and landscapers may not have physical storefronts, but they depend on local customers to thrive. These businesses are prime candidates for local content that targets specific cities and neighborhoods where their services are offered. Local SEO for service area business can increase visibility, attract more local leads, and ensure they show up when potential customers search for their services.
Not all traditional local SEO strategies will work if you don’t have a store or office, but you can still optimize for local search. Here’s how.
Even if you don’t have physical locations, local landing pages are a must. Instead of targeting only where you have a physical presence, create location-specific content for your service and delivery areas, like city-level pages where you ship GLP-1 medications.
Blogs serve as a great resource for customers and provide a fantastic ranking opportunity. Instead of generic topics, add localized keywords. For example, if you’re a plumber in Austin, you may change your blog from “How to Winterize Your Pipes” to “A Texas Homeowner’s Guide to Winterizing Pipes” for that targeted local reach.
If you are an online-only business, you can’t have a Google Business Profile (GBP). However, service-area businesses can create a GBP and hide their physical address, allowing them to appear in local searches without showing a storefront. Make sure your GBP is optimized with accurate information, images, social links, reviews, and more.
Customer reviews are powerful trust signals that can skyrocket your credibility and search rankings. In fact, 91% of consumers rely on online reviews to gauge a business’s local relevance and trustworthiness. Want to maximize impact? Encourage customers to mention their city or region in reviews to boost local SEO and attract more customers.
At GPO, we specialize in search, content, and local marketing. We’ve helped everyone from enterprise brands to small businesses leverage the power of local SEO to attract more customers and increase conversions. We’ve crafted high-performing local pages for brands with hundreds of locations, service area businesses, and online-only businesses. Between GPO Local Pages, high-quality marketing content, and optimized business listings management, we know how to get your brand in front of customers when it matters most – whether you have storefronts or not.Struggling to rank locally without a storefront? GPO’s Local Pages help businesses like yours attract more customers. Contact us today and learn how our tailored strategies can optimize your virtual presence for local searches.
The CMS you choose for your SMB will impact everything from your site traffic to your stress levels. Use this guide (& help from GPO) to pick the best one.
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