Near Me Searches: How To Optimize For It?
The Rise of “Near Me” Searches
Near me searches are critical for marketers, since it allows you to reach your intended customers during micro-moments when they most desire your service or product.
In the past two years, “Near me” searches have witnessed exponential growth, as highlighted in the stats below:
- There has been 150% growth for phrases like “near me now”. For example “Pizza near me now”.
- There has been a 900% growth for phrases like “near me tonight/today”. For example “clubs near me tonight”.
- There has been 200% growth for phrases like “now” + “near me”. For example “stores open near me now”.
Adding “near me” searches at the end of a search query demonstrates the user’s eagerness to take immediate action on the search results. More than likely, the user intends on visiting a place to purchase a product immediately, or within the foreseeable future.
How to Optimize For ‘Near Me’ Searches?
Register Your Business on Google My Business and Optimize the Listing
Before attempting to get your business to the top of ‘near me’ searches, you first need to list your business on a local business results page.
Open a business account on Google My Business. Following the search engine’s instructions, it’s easy to add your business to Google Local.
Implement Schema Markup
Using schema markup properly is a great way to stand out from the crowd and attract more consumers.
Schema markup is a kind of coding language that facilitates the appearance of rich results – the cards and snippets that show up in search results with images, reviews and ratings along with other relevant information from your site.
Schema helps search engines pull information about your business from your site to present in a way that’s more helpful and engaging for the user.
Implement schema markup on every location page that your marketing business offers. Always include the business address, contact details and hours of operation in your schema data.
Ensure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly
Given the fact that most ‘near me’ searches take place when the user is already out, the majority of local searches are from mobile devices. This means Google always rewards those sites that offer the best user-friendly experience to the user.
If you need any more convincing as to why prioritising your site’s mobile experience is necessary, remember that 61% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly marketing website.
Build Separate Pages for Each Location of Your Business
If your business has multiple physical locations, it’s essential to build separate web pages for each different location. In this way, each web page that serves a distinct r or city can rank separately for users’ ‘near me’ searches.
Optimize each web page and improve its chances of ranking by:
- Including your target keyword in your title and meta tags.
- Ensuring URLs are user friendly and readable.
- Including optimized alt tags and title tags for the images on the web page. Put in some photos of your business and make sure to include the location in both sets of tags.
- Writing an accurate description of your digital business with relevant details like opening hours, price lists and amenities.
Obtain Backlinks with Geographic Anchor Text
Backlinks are an essential part of any SEO strategy and will also help you improve your digital rankings on Google local results.
The key here is to acquire high-quality backlinks that come with relevant geographically rich anchor text.
Create a Blog
Building a successful blog is one of the best ways to top Google’s rankings, and when it comes to ‘near me’ searches it’s no different.
Creating a blog is an excellent way for you to share relevant articles related to your business’s niche frequently. Users can read your blog to find out useful information about your industry as well as details that will help them decide to purchase your product or digital service.