When you search online, you might want to find a business or service near to where you are like a petrol station, a restaurant, or a coffee shop. A ‘near me’ search will bring you results that are relevant to the area you’re in, based on your phone’s GPS.
‘Near Me’ searches have grown in popularity over the years and now they’re an essential part of SEO. With the rise in mobile use and voice search, customers depend on local search results to find businesses and services close to them, and it’s a powerful opportunity for businesses to reach those potential customers to grow their brand.
Claim and maximise your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) plays an important role in your local SEO strategy and it’s one of the most effective ways to rank for near me results. In addition to making sure your name, address, and phone number are all accurate, you also need to keep your business hours up to date so customers know when you’re available. Optimise your profile with relevant keywords in your business description and make sure you’re using high-quality images in your feed, from pictures of the premises to product images, that show customers what you offer. This will also signal to search engines that your business profile is authentic and engaging.
Create location-based content
Optimised content that’s based on the location you’re trying to draw customers to can help your business appear in near me searches for that area. You might have a chain of stores in various spots around the UK—create landing pages for each destination so you can optimise for localised terms. As well as dedicated landing pages, you should also incorporate those location-based words and phrases in blogs, social media content and local guides to help search engines associate your brand with those locations.
Incorporate local keywords into your content
Carry out in-depth keyword research to identify those terms that are relevant to your business, the industry you operate in, and the area where you’re trying to attract customers. If you’re a café based in Manchester, for example, you might optimise for broad searches like ‘café in Manchester’ or go more granular with neighbourhood-specific terms like ‘best café in Castlefield’. This local context can significantly enhance the chances of your business landing in the results.
Adapt to the AI landscape
The rapid rise of AI answer engines alongside traditional search means businesses must move within an evolving landscape. Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is the practice of optimising your content to be directly used by AI-driven search engines to answer user queries. To help appear in this new landscape, focus on providing direct answers, structuring your responses for AI clarity, using headings, lists, and brief paragraphs. Similarly, build comprehensive FAQ pages and create blog content that anticipates and addresses customer queries.
Optimise your site for mobile
More often than not, these searches take place on a phone, as you’re likely to be on the go when you’re looking for a place or a certain product. So, make sure your website is easy to navigate on mobile. Search engines prioritise mobile responsive sites for near me search results, so if you can design a user-friendly site that reduces friction for your visitors, it can help to improve your SEO rankings.
Make use of schema markup
Schema markup is code that’s used to help your website show up more effectively in local searches, so people can find you more easily. Do your research to choose the relevant schema type for your business, such as LocalBusiness for location details, and integrate your schema markup code in the HTML of your site. You can then test this using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool so check it’s appearing correctly.
Build local backlinks
Generating backlinks from high-authority local websites and businesses is an essential step for boosting search engine rankings, especially in local search results. Backlinks signal to search engines that your website is a trusted and relevant source within your local area.
To acquire valuable local backlinks, try partnering with nearby businesses to request reciprocal links from their site, submit your business to local directories, and leverage local news sites or bloggers for coverage of your business. You could also sponsor local events or charities who often offer backlink opportunities in exchange for participation.
Manage customer reviews
Customer reviews give your business visibility and can inspire other people to check out your products or services for themselves. But this is a double-edged sword—while positive reviews encourage more business, negative testimonials can turn them away. Make sure you’re proactive about managing and responding to reviews, and attempting to resolve issues as promptly as possible, so other customers (and search engines) can see that you’re committed to maintaining your reputation and delivering great customer service.
The benefits of near me searches
There are so many advantages to optimising for near me searches. Not only does it make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for when they’re in a specific destination, but it also helps them discover small businesses to boost the local economy.
Every business is looking for ways to grow and build their customer base, and attracting local residents or visitors to the area is one of the best ways to achieve this. Visibility in these all-important search results can help customers find your company much more easily, and gives you a competitive edge over other companies in your industry that aren’t optimised for location keywords.
Embrace the tactics we’ve outlined here to grow your business, boost your visibility in local search results, and get discovered by customers around you.