How People Have Turned To Google To Find Businesses “Near Me” {Updated}
When trying to find a business near me, use the “near me” Google search
The days of having to flip through hundreds of pages in a phone book that you misplaced are over. More and more people are using Google to find local businesses. Google has also slowly been changing its algorithm to become accustomed to this change over the years. The landscape of SEO has changed dramatically in the past few years and spamming poor quality web 2.0 links is no longer a way to promote yourself.
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What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is simply optimizing your webpage to show up as a nearby result when someone is searching for a specific service or business in an area. So when someone seeking a web designer searches web designer near me, Google will find any businesses listed in close proximity. There’s also a lot of competition, which is why simply placing yourself on a virtual map isn’t enough. You have to have good SEO practice.
Mobile Traffic
It’s absolutely essential that any website you wish to be viewed by local customers is mobile optimized. Not everyone sits down at their computer to search for businesses near them. More people have been utilizing handheld devices over recent years, with an estimated 60 percent of searches coming from mobile devices alone in 2016.
If your website isn’t mobile optimized, Google’s going to sting you for it and your business will appear at the bottom of the list. Any web development company worth their own salt should already know this, so when a potential customer searches for “web designer near me”, your result will be above those without a mobile-first designed website.
Responsive design has been important for at least the last 10 years. People browse the internet at different resolutions and handheld devices are no exception. iPads, iPhones, and older devices all browse the web at different resolutions, so responsive web design is an absolute necessity.
How Google Has Changed For Local SEO
A few years ago, when customers searched for businesses near them, it would show them all kinds of results wide and far that weren’t beneficial to them or what the were looking for in the first place. Today, Google has become far more efficient in providing customers real-time results. When you search for web designer near me for example, Google will display a map of results on top where advertisements usually are. Right under that will more than likely be review websites like Yelp which also display nearby businesses.
Google has changed for the better in recent years to find websites that are properly optimized in a certain area so that they can show specific businesses in close proximity. This includes adding proper meta tags for the areas you wish to be found, having a valid number and business address for the residing area and having social media engagement for your business. Social media engagement is a huge bonus. Discover effective strategies to enhance the visibility and success of local businesses through SEO, social media, and community engagement tips.
Google knows that a lot of people still try to game the system and trick the search engine into displaying their company in the search results of a location they’re nowhere near. You know what a lot of these sites trying to trick Google don’t have? A proper phone number, an address, and virtually no social media presence. Google takes social media presence into account a lot, including reviews people have left for your business.
What are people saying about you? Are they saying positive things? Are they saying negative things? Running a business locally and abroad requires you to make sure Google sees your company as a positively reviewed business. When people search for a business nearby, Google is less likely to show your business near the top if it’s been poorly reviewed or slammed on social media for being a faulty business.
Making Sure You Capitalize On Local SEO
To make sure you show up at the top of the results for “web designer near me”, you need to follow a few simple steps:
- Make sure you have up to date meta information including tags and a description for every applicable page that includes the area of service you operate in.
- Engage with customers on social media and invite them to partake in the discussion. Google loves throwing brownie points towards businesses with active social media presence.
- Prioritize content over all else. If people are coming to your site and leaving without clicking anything, then you need to take a look at your content and re-read it from the perspective of a customer. Does it make sense to you as a potential buyer?
Local SEO has shown to be a profitable money printing machine if you utilize it correctly. If you’re not utilizing it at all, you could be losing an unlimited amount of potential customers. When people want information, they take out their phones and look for a service or business nearby. Make sure you follow the simple steps to ensure you’ll not only show up on that list but appear near the top of the results.
Some common questions and issues that come up with Google Business listings:
What are some common issues or comments reported by users of this tool?
Users of the tool frequently report a variety of issues and make specific inquiries. Some of the more common problems include difficulties with the map functionality, where it either fails to load or does not respond to user commands. There are also repeated mentions that the application appears to be abandoned or neglected, as well as continual updates that fixes are underway but not yet effective. In terms of inquiries, users are curious whether the tool can assist them with specific tasks, such as viewing postal codes in all directions around their location or displaying multiple websites simultaneously on a single page. Additionally, questions arise about how to locate areas within a 3-mile radius of a user’s current position.
How can users provide feedback or comments on the tool?
Users can offer their opinions and thoughts about the tool by posting a comment in the section provided below. This enables them to share their feedback with others.
What are the different versions of this tool and what updates or bug fixes were made in each version?
The tool in question has undergone a series of updates and modifications across various versions, dated from its inception to the most recent release:
– The initial version, 1.0, launched on April 23, 2015, provided the basic functionalities of the tool.
– Version 1.1 was released on September 24, 2015, adding the functionality to switch distance measurements between miles and kilometers.
– On January 6, 2016, version 1.2 introduced support for multiple types.
– The subsequent update to version 1.3 on March 30, 2016, allowed users to create links to share results.
– The same day, version 1.4 added a feature that identifies and utilizes the user’s current location if the location textbox is left blank.
– Version 1.5, rolled out on June 25, 2016, included a new feature to download KML files.
– Shortly afterward, on July 18, 2016, version 1.6 included a bug fix related specifically to the KML file download.
– In version 1.7, launched on July 1, 2016, users were provided the capability to find addresses by clicking or tapping on markers.
– Enhancements in version 1.8 on June 8, 2017, included the display of the number of results, along with the addition of a full-screen icon and a geolocation icon.
– Version 1.9, released on July 29, 2017, expanded its features with more preset radius values.
– The significant upgrade to version 2.0 on February 11, 2020, involved migrating the maps to use Leaflet Maps.
– On June 1, 2020, version 2.1 introduced a minor bug fix.
– Version 3.0, released on August 24, 2022, improved the back-end search and front-end interface. It also included a note welcoming user comments.
– Version 3.1, on September 4, 2022, updated the interface for listing place types and fixed a bug.
– Version 3.2 was released on February 1, 2023, with an unspecified bug fix.
– The most recent version, 3.3, announced on February 2, 2024, continued with further bug fixes to enhance the tool’s functionality. Each release builds on the tool’s features and stability, aiming to improve user experience and broaden its functionality.
What are the instructions for using this tool, including selecting a place type, radius, and center point, and initiating a search?
To use the tool effectively, begin by choosing the category of location you want to find. Next, decide on the distance from the central point you are interested in searching; options include 1 km, 5 km, 10 km, 20 km, or 50 km. After setting these parameters, select your central point on the map. Finally, initiate the search by clicking on the ‘Search’ button. These steps will generate a list of destinations matching your criteria. Learn more about optimizing your local business with Google’s Local SEO Starter Guide.
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