Local SEO for Small Businesses in Kerala: A Complete Guide

Local SEO optimization is crucial for small businesses in Kerala to thrive in the competitive digital market. Kerala is home to several small businesses spanning across various sectors. An SEO Company in Kerala can help improve visibility in local search results, allowing businesses to stay ahead of the competition. Local SEO strategies attract customers, help boost search results, and finally increase sales by enhancing brand visibility within the target area. This article is a complete guide to local SEO for small businesses in Kerala.

What is Local SEO and How is it Relevant to Small Businesses?

Local SEO is targeted towards a smaller region where a business is located. Local search engine optimization helps your business to appear in search results for a particular area. Improving local visibility helps businesses connect with customers from a specific region, improves traffic, and leads to higher conversion rates.

What is Local SEO- Image Source: Seobility

As far as small businesses are concerned, they do not want to compete with global high-end brands. Gaining visibility in local searches benefits these businesses and that is where local SEO comes in. It allows businesses to connect with customers from the same city or region. For instance, when you search for a business near you, you get search results for places near your location. This helps consumers to make steady decisions and this can also improve brand awareness among consumers. Studies find that 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to find local information, and consumers want ads to be personalized to their region. Understanding the Importance of Branding alongside effective local SEO strategies can help businesses connect with customers within their community and increase leads. 

Benefits of Local SEO for Small Businesses in Kerala

• Enhance local visibility –  when people search online, local SEO strategies ensure that your business appears for customers nearby. This helps attract more customers to your store.
• More store visits – over 75% of people who search for a nearby business ends up visiting the store on the same day. Google My Business profile gives out important information like store timings, address, and phone number, which helps customers to connect with the store easily.
• Region specific website traffic – local SEO ensures that your business reaches users in your region, attracting only relevant website traffic and enhancing the conversion rates. 
• Improved brand recognition – when your business shows up in relevant area specific searches, it helps with brand recognition and builds brand reputation within that area.

Importance of Local SEO for Small Business- Image Source: INTAKE SEO

These are just a few of the benefits of local SEO on small businesses. Now let’s move on to the detailed guide on local SEO strategies used to attract targeted customers, enhance web traffic, and improve conversion rates.

Also Read: Importance of Performance Marketing for Small Businesses in Kerala

Local SEO for Small Businesses

1. Google My Business 

Google Business Profile-dExito Branding

When you search on Google for let’s say a restaurant in Calicut, you will get local search results from Google search and Maps. Having a Google My Business profile and optimizing it allows your business to appear in these results. With a Google My Business profile you can list all the necessary details pertaining to your business such as the address, contact information, photos, reviews, location, and operating hours. Make sure that all necessary information is included correctly and update it from time to time. Inorder to optimise your Google My Business profile, you need to include relevant keywords in your description, posts, and answers so that your business shows up in the search results. Google My Business is an important SEO strategy to gain visibility In local search results.

2. The Map Pack

Map Pack is a feature in Google search results that shows a list of three different kinds of search results for a query. When someone searches for a service, the Map Pack appears with a list of businesses related to the query along with a map and beneath this, the normal search results. To be ranked in the Google Map Pack, you need to have an optimized and updated Google My Business profile. 42% of the people who search, click on the Google Maps Pack result. Being listed in the Map Pack increases your visibility and foot traffic.

3. Local Keyword research

Using local keywords is an essential factor to rank in local search results. Use location specific keywords for local searches such as “restaurant in Calicut” or “hotel in Kochi”. You can find relevant keywords using Google suggest by entering the word in the search box and looking at the list of suggested searches. These are the most popular search terms related to the word that you entered.  

4. NAP

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. Make sure your NAP citations remain consistent throughout your website, Google My Business profile, and other platforms. Google uses this information to confirm the accuracy of your information.

5. Reviews

Positive reviews about your business on your website and Google Business profile can enhance your trust and also impact the search results. Potential customers read the reviews before making purchase decisions. Encourage your satisfied customers to leave a review on your website or Google Business profile because it can positively impact your visibility on search results. Make sure to reply to all reviews as well. The frequency and recency of the reviews are also factors affecting your search rankings. Also, reviews from Google Local Guides are considered more important than a normal reviews.

6. Schema markup

Schema markup is a code that you add to your website to give search engines a better understanding of your website content. In local SEO, schema markup can improve search rankings by providing information such as location, contact information, working hours, and reviews. You can use local business schema markup and add your business details like address and contact information. Then there is review markup to highlight the reviews and ratings to attract customers. 

7. Link building

Backlinks from other websites or directories can be seen as an authoritative source and helps with better local search rankings. These links act as signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy. Collaborate with other local businesses in your area for link building opportunities. Get listed on local directories like Justdial, as these directories rank well and can drive traffic to your website. Getting featured in online news stories can also improve your search rankings. But keep in mind that practices like link farming can adversely affect your site reputation and rankings. The links must come from relevant websites. When it comes to link building factors like relevance, quantity, diversity, and domain authority plays a crucial role.

8. Mobile optimization

Optimizing the website to make it mobile friendly is another local SEO strategy which is crucial for better rankings and also to provide a better user experience. Most people search on mobile devices, so it is important to have a website optimized for mobile devices with a responsive design. Page load speed can also affect the performance of the website, a slow loading or difficulty to navigate websites results in increased bounce rates. Search engines consider page load speed as a ranking factor, so optimizing images and reducing file sizes can help improve page load speed, thus improving the local search rankings.

9. Social media

A strong social media presence plays an important role in local SEO for small businesses. Posting regularly on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X(formerly Twitter), etc., with locally relevant keywords and hashtags makes your posts popular among the local community. Social media is a great way to interact with your audience and build a trustworthy relationship with them. Collaborating with local influencers can help increase your follower count and is a great way to promote seasonal offers and discounts. Choosing the right Social Media Platform For Digital Marketing can further enhance your reach and engagement, helping businesses grow effectively.

10. Voice search

Using keywords optimized for voice searches can enhance your business visibility. It is estimated that 71% of consumers use voice search instead of typing. With this huge popularity with voice search, consider using more long-tail keywords that are conversational. For example, instead of using the keyword “restaurant in Calicut” the voice search keyword would be more like “What is the best restaurant in Calicut?”. These types of keywords imitate how people converse in a natural tone. Using these keywords help businesses to show up in voice search results.

Conclusion

Optimizing for local searches is crucial for small businesses in Kerala to stay ahead of the competition. Local SEO enables your business to appear on local searches and connect with local customers. This enhances the visibility as well as encourages costumes to visit your brick and mortar store. Following this guide will help attract customers from your region to your business. The most important step in local SEO is creating a Google My Business profile and optimising it. Timely update your Google Business profile and add accurate NAP citation to be ranked on Google Map Pack. Conduct keyword research for search engines as well as voice searches, use long tail keywords. Encouraging reviews, add schema markup, quality link building, and optimization for mobile devices can help improve your search engine rankings and business visibility. 

dExito Branding is a leading Digital Marketing Agency in Kerala, specializing in performance-driven strategies to boost your online presence. We deliver measurable results that drive business success. Let’s take your brand to the next level!