Why is local search engine optimisation important for the SME sector?

Let’s say you’re in a city you don’t know very well, but you want to quickly find the best places. It would be good to know where the best coffee shop is, which way to go to the most appealing beauty salon, where to have lunch or which garage to take your car to. If you are a small or medium-sized business owner and you want your potential customers to find you first through the internet in such a situation, you can easily do something about it now. Local search engine optimisation, also known as local SEO, helps you with exactly that.

This solution is particularly useful if, as a small or medium-sized business owner, you have felt for some time that you have fewer and fewer new customers, your revenue is stagnating and the popularity of your business has somehow stalled. Before you wave it off saying you don’t have money to spare for this, we have to reassure you that if used properly, local search engine optimisation costs almost nothing!

What exactly does local search engine optimisation mean?

It is an effective online marketing tool that very few Hungarian businesses currently use, but the sooner you use it, the more popular you will become in the given region. In short, the essence is that if someone, for example, is walking in the city centre of Eger, where they would like to have a cup of coffee and types “coffee shop Eger” into Google search, your business will be displayed first, if you really have a cosy little coffee shop in the city. If you convince them online, they might be sitting at your place minutes later. Of course, only if you use local search engine optimisation.

Why does this mean new opportunities for my company?

If those who want coffee can peek into your business from their armchair at home, see pictures of it, see its atmosphere and read reviews, there is a much greater chance that people will not choose the competition. You can convince people that you are the best without even meeting your potential customers. According to surveys, among those who use local SEO, customer trust doubled, the likelihood of visiting the shop increased by 38%, and the likelihood of making a purchase increased by 29%. In addition, you can see how many people have seen your business online, what reviews you have received, and you can even see how many people have planned a route to your shop. If you don’t like the numbers, you can still refine your online presence.

How can I take advantage of it?

The magic word is Google My Business. If you register your business on this platform, the search engine collects all important information in one small place and displays it among the first results. If the settings are correct, after the search, as an organic result of the Google search, all photos of your business, opening hours, exact address and reviews will appear in a small square on the right side. So, in fact, after a few clicks, you can convince people to use your services.

How much will this cost me?

Google My Business is completely free. However, to achieve a perfect result, it is worth seeking expert help. We can help you with this. We not only set up the account, but also find and use the most suitable, personalised keywords that will help even more customers find your business.

Why doesn’t everyone use local SEO?

In Hungary, this method is still new. If you take advantage of this opportunity now, you can immediately get ahead of your competitors, just like those who immediately took advantage of search engine optimisation in 2004. This innovation opens up new opportunities for your business, as a proper online presence increases your customer base, which also leads to increased revenue. We will soon have a more detailed article on user decision-making, so keep an eye on our blog!