Google’s focus in recent years has increasingly shifted towards local search, driven by the rise of mobile and location-based technologies. Embracing strategies such as top-rated listing management services for local SEO is just as important as ever. If you’re hoping to secure top placement in search results in this environment, you must understand how Google returns search results based on a user’s location.
Does Google Personalize Search Results Based on Location?
Yes, Google uses a person’s current location to deliver more accurate search results. This approach is most apparent when searching for a service – “car accident attorney” for example – without attaching a city name. In such instances Google invariably provides results featuring the local pack, and organic search results that are based on the searcher’s current location.
Even for a more generic term like “hats,” the results will recognize the country and include a combination of geographically relevant stores and common sites like Wikipedia. For businesses, this typically means that every target keyword will be influenced in some way by localized results.
How to Help Businesses Appear in Google’s Local Search Results
As a local agency or marketer, targeting localized search results can actually deliver more targeted traffic and a higher conversion rate. Customers in your client’s city can find that client’s business far easier – but you must make sure their website is optimized for local searches.
Why Listing Management Matters for Local SEO
Boosting local presence with business directory listings is a strategy familiar to most digital marketers. And one could argue that Google’s localized focus only adds to its importance, as a business’ proximity to the searcher partly determines who gets a search placement.
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