Most of us remember those large yellow books that appeared on the doorstep once a year. They contained all the local businesses and services that you could ever need, right at your fingertips. Thankfully, now we can achieve the same thing, just with a lot less paper. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) allows customers to access local businesses, services, and products using a keyword query on a variety of search engines. Here are a few ways in which SEO has replaced the Yellow Pages.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the ability to optimize a webpage specific to a geographic location of which the person is searching. When a business wants to maximize their local search, they will want to add their NAP (name, address, phone number) to websites that list local businesses. This includes Google, Bing, Yahoo, and more. When a prospective client completes a search for a particular product or service in that area, your NAP will be listed. Your location will also show up on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) when your company is a result of a particular search.
Why Is Local SEO Better than the Yellow Pages?
There are numerous benefits that SEO has over Yellow Pages. Just a few of the benefits include:
1. Better Organization
The Yellow Pages are categorized by product or service, and then in alphabetical order. However, you won’t know the locations closest to you without a lot of further research. Local SEO allows a customer to search for a particular company with a keyword “near me” to show them all available products or services close to their geographical location.
2. Less Expensive
The Yellow Pages used to be the end-all, be-all for advertising your business. Many businesses would spend a lot of money to get a quarter-page or half-page ad. While now it isn’t costly to be listed on paper, the return on investment you receive from concentrating on Local SEO is much better than the Yellow Pages. Getting started on building your company’s SEO doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, you can begin by merely ensuring your correct NAP is listed on your company’s search results. That is a free and simple way to get started on your organization’s Local SEO.
3. Easy to Advertise
It is incredibly easy to begin a SEO campaign. You can begin by registering your business with the most popular search engines, increasing your listings across the internet, and start writing geographically-targeted content to attract local customers. However, if you are a business owner with a lot on your plate, it may be better to hire a marketing agency to take care of your SEO.
After reading through this blog, you should now understand why SEO is the new Yellow Pages and the benefits it can provide to your company. Are you ready to get started building your site’s SEO and attracting local customers and clients? Contact the team at DigitalMarketing.com!
