5 Steps to Local SEO Success

Optimizing a brand's locations for search, discovery, and traffic -- both online and in the real world

There has never been more ways to find a Starbucks. You can go to the store locator on the website. Chances are, it will be the mobile version, because that's how local search happens more often than not.
Or you could use the Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Bing Maps apps. You could check Yelp, Foursquare, Facebook (Places), or the newest local discovery app, Vurb. If you're over 50, then your car's navigation system is also an option. What's more, you might just type "coffee shop" into a search engine and see what comes up -- could be a Starbucks but more likely it's a neighborhood cafe.
This challenge for brands like Starbucks...and Bank of America and Target and McDonald's and H&R Block and Verizon -- any brand with hundreds or thousands of locations -- boils down to two things: search and discovery. How easy is it for consumers to find the restaurant, the store, the branch, the office? That's search. And how likely is one to find a particular store over another when searching the category? That's discovery. All of which drives foot traffic, web traffic, and ultimately sales. Managing this at scale is no small task. Given how fragmented the local search ecosystem has become, brands face a nearly impossible challenge in getting this right.
What I'm describing here is broadly known as local SEO i.e. search engine optimization for physical locations. What are the benefits and ROI? Not only does it mitigate lost traffic and sales that would otherwise go to competitors, but if you do this right, it will generate incremental sales by owning premium real estate on the mobile devices of today's consumer.
One thing is for certain. Tackling this challenge requires technology. It requires a software platform designed to automate the bulk of local SEO. It also requires the human touch to truly excel in this space. If you're looking to win in local SEO, the solution must combine the best of both worlds: technology and services.
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