Search engine optimization is a combination of techniques, including using certain keywords in your content, to increase website traffic. When done well, it boosts your site’s rank in digital search results for keywords related to your goods and services. SEO isn’t always location-specific and doesn’t necessarily need to be if you have an online-based business. As long as people from all over the globe can buy what you offer, it’s more important to create product-specific SEO.

However, there are some businesses where local SEO really matters. If your business relies primarily on local traffic to stay afloat, it’s essential to include location-specific keywords in your content. You need to make sure people in your geographical area can find you quickly and easily online. Here are five industries that can benefit most from focusing on their local SEO efforts.

1. Legal Services

Usually, people who need legal counsel want to find a law firm in their general vicinity. They don’t want to have to travel hours to meet with an expert or consult with someone online. To provide reliable legal services, lawyers need to be familiar with the laws and regulations in their client’s city and state. Therefore, it’s crucial for anyone offering legal services to appear in localized search results online.

Law firm digital marketing should maintain a heavy focus on improving local brand awareness, visibility, and traffic. If you’re a legal expert struggling to compete with other nearby legal services, it could be due to weak local SEO efforts. If you focus on using more geographic keywords in your content, you should be able to rank higher in your local search result pages.

2. Medical Services

Dental practices, doctor’s offices, hospitals, and clinics need local SEO to thrive. You typically can’t treat patients over the phone or online. Therefore, medical services need to be able to earn foot and website traffic from people who live in the same area. Besides structuring a user-friendly website, medical professionals can improve their local rankings by publishing location-specific content.

If you’re a dentist trying to build clientele in a new area, it’s not enough to just use dental-related keywords in your content. If you do, you may increase website traffic, but it may not be quality traffic. Plus, it’s harder to rank for generic keywords than it is for location-specific keywords because generic keywords have more competition. If your practice is in Los Angeles, use phrases like “dental cleaning Los Angeles” or “dentist in Los Angeles.” This will help ensure your page is visible to the right audience.  

3. Real Estate Agencies

Real estate agencies rely heavily on local search results to do business. When people search for a new home, they typically have a specific location in mind. You need to ensure you’re one of the first agents that comes up when someone searches for homes in your area. Otherwise, you’ll lose business to competing agents who are better at local SEO.

Whenever possible, target specific markets and areas in your content. The goal is to be as detailed as possible to earn the attention of home buyers who know exactly where they want to live. This means using neighborhood keywords as well as city and state keywords. You should also take the time to make your real estate listings as informative and interesting as possible. If your content provides value and extra details, serious buyers will prefer to come to you over vague competitors.

4. Home Improvement

Home improvement and local SEO naturally go hand-in-hand. Whether you’re a plumber, pest control agent, or home supplies company, you rely on nearby customers to survive. It won’t do you any good if someone from India finds your webpage because they can’t utilize your services. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to make sure much of your content utilizes location-specific keywords. That way, you’ll naturally filter out anyone who isn’t from your area and increase your local traffic.

There are many ways to improve your local ranking on Google and other search engines. Start by adding or claiming your business on Google. Verify your business locations and make sure your listed hours are accurate. Next, add high-quality videos and photos to boost your online visibility and enhance interaction. Finally, post promotions and business updates online and incorporate location-specific keywords in content and meta tags.

5. The Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry is a broad umbrella that includes everything from event planning to lodging. Travel agencies, restaurants, and nightclubs all belong to the hospitality industry. They also share the need for in-person business. You can’t very well book hotel rooms or rental cars if potential guests don’t know your business exists. That’s where local SEO comes in.

Think about the last time you searched for a restaurant online. You likely typed in a specific area as part of your search. Or you may have entered something like “Mexican restaurant” in your mobile search and your phone automatically suggested “near me.” After that, a list of top nearby restaurants automatically popped up. Your goal as a business owner in the hospitality industry is to use local SEO to make sure your business pops up just like that.

If you haven’t been using localized keywords in your content, it’s time for a change. You’ll experience an increase in online and in-person traffic as you focus your efforts on location-specific marketing. Remember that organic (unpaid) SEO takes time to deliver results. Therefore, it’s imperative to start now and be consistent so you can start benefiting from this powerful marketing tool.