Posted by: Zach Olsen, Marketing Intern

Optimizing for local search, or taking the right steps to show up in the top rankings of search engine results for terms that your audience uses when looking for your local business, is an area that if pursued can make a big impact on your bottom line.

SBI + M has compiled some interesting data on the subject:

• 54% of Americans have substituted the Internet and local search for phone books (comScore networks).
• 66% of Americans use online local search, like Google local search, to locate local businesses (TMP/comScore/SBI + M).
• 82% of local searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, phone call or purchase (TMP/comScore).

Most people looking for your local business online are truly interested in following up in-person, making the Internet a powerful tool for your local marketing. Here are a few tips for how to improve your site’s local search results:

• Utilize local content. Use names of cities and suburbs in your website’s titles, H1 tags, URLs for various pages, and ALT and title descriptions of images. Talk about local and community events in your blog posts and titles, as relevant.
• Get listed in local directories. Getlisted.org is a great resource for creating multiple listings in one spot.
• Link locally. Link to local websites using town/neighborhood names in the anchor text.

There’s no magic wand or get-ranked-quick schemes when it comes to local search results. But making systematic improvements to your online presence will help you get the traffic your business needs.