Forty-seven percent of customers say they’re more likely to buy from a retailer with a local presence. But when it comes time to shop, how do they discover the best options in their community? Local SEO positions your retail location in front of potential customers who start shopping online but may be open to visiting you in person. It gives them a chance to learn about your business and offerings, as well as see up-to-date information on hours, pricing, and special events.
As important as local SEO can be for small businesses, keeping up can be very challenging. When your business changes, your online presence must also change, making it even more difficult for companies with multiple locations.
Fortunately, technology has brought about flexible options for managing local SEO at scale. With research and a commitment to investing in this marketing tool, you can use it to grow your business in ways not possible through other means.
Ready to drive traffic from search engine results pages? This guide will walk you through retail SEO strategy so you can start today.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is search engine optimization geared toward boosting your visibility in local search results. Unlike general SEO, which targets a broader audience, local SEO focuses on customers in a specific geographic area.
For example, a customer looking for the best grocery store in their hometown would use search queries for the town name and “groceries,” with the most optimized business showing up first. Someone seeking a beauty bar in a vacation spot could type in the service they are looking for, “blow out,” and the area they’re visiting, “Las Vegas.”
Without local SEO, the customer might not see the best (or closest) retailer for their needs. It’s a missed opportunity for the business and the customer, who may ultimately be left unserved.
How Local SEO Drives Real Sales for Retail Stores
Local SEO can connect the online ecommerce and in-person buying experiences. Specifically, it matches retailers with their ideal customers at these three stages of the shopping journey.
Customers Looking for Solutions Locally
Around 54% of customers search online for local solutions before purchasing in-store.
When your business appears in local search results, you can attract new customers looking to shop in their current area. For instance, a vacationer searching for “phone chargers near me” can be assured that a store has what they need before ever walking through the business’s doors.
Customers Comparing Options Online
When several local retailers offer a product, shoppers may compare online to help them decide.
Local SEO helps ensure that your store appears in these options and gives potential customers a chance to see how your offerings compare to the rest. They may even choose to shop online and then pick up the product in-store or through curbside pickup.
Customers Using Map Apps to Find a Kind of Store or Product
Mobile searches are increasingly common and help account for over 62.5% of web traffic. If you optimize for local SEO, your store can appear on map apps and guide customers directly to your location.
For instance, someone searching for “boba tea shops near me” on Google Maps will see nearby boba shops as illustrations on the map, making it easy to choose one within a quick drive.
Why Does Local SEO Matter for Retail Stores?
Local SEO increases visibility, drives foot traffic, and helps you shape your brand image. Without it, potential customers may be left guessing about what you offer or may not know you’re within easy driving distance. When done right, local SEO offers the following benefits:
Increased Visibility
Local SEO isn’t just about matching customers to what they think they want, it’s also about discoverability.
Consumers looking for a solution in their area or who need an immediate solution may turn to local SEO to expand their shopping horizons. This gives you a big opportunity to reach a new audience that is eager to buy.
Cost Effectiveness
Local SEO is a free and accessible way to enhance online visibility. It has better results for those who actively update listings and engage with customer reviews. It also offers a predictable budget compared to cost-per-click (CPC) or social media ads, which fluctuate based on impressions and clicks.
Businesses that invest time or hire an SEO team may see even greater benefits, making local SEO a transparent and cost-effective marketing strategy for small businesses in any market.
Community Engagement
Local SEO strengthens community engagement by helping customers find and support nearby businesses. It also builds trust and loyalty over time, especially when a company responds to reviews and adjusts listings based on local preferences.
When business owners use Google Posts as part of their local SEO strategy, they can share special events or update hours, keeping their community informed and connected. It’s also a great way to showcase the partnerships or sponsorships a company has within the community, helping further their relationships overall.
8 Essential Tips for Optimizing Local SEO
You can do many things to boost your visibility in local search, but it’s best to take a “first things first” approach. Start with the first suggestion on this list and work your way down all the SEO tips for the best results.
1. Claim and Optimize Your Online Listings
Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the most important step in mastering local SEO. Without first claiming your listing, you can’t easily update your details, and people won’t see the most up-to-date information when they search. You may already have your listing, but it must still be optimized.
Check your listing for accurate and complete information, such as your:
- Business name
- Address
- Phone number
- Website
- Hours of operation
- Services offered
- A high-quality cover photo
Not only will this help you show up in search engine results pages (SERPs), but — if there are several similar businesses in the area — customers will know they’ve found the right one to meet their needs.
2. Find the Right Keywords
After you’ve claimed your listing and populated it with the correct information, you can begin thinking about what relevant keywords you’ll use for service and product descriptions.
Keyword research gives you insight into the words potential customers use when they’re searching for products or services your business offers.
- Start by listing the terms that describe what your business offers. Examples for a bakery may include “fresh cupcakes,” “donuts,” or “birthday smash cakes.”
- Add location modifiers like “bakery in New York City” or “best bakery near Peoria.”
- Use a keyword research tool to come up with additional ideas. Google’s Keyword Planner is one free option to find words with low competition and good search volume.
- Consider slang and colloquial language. Ideas include neighborhood names like “Theater District” or food items unique to your area.
- Prioritize long-tail keywords or phrases with more words. Instead of using “New York bakery,” try for “best gluten-free bakery in Brooklyn,” which will target more qualified traffic.
Write down all the keywords that make the cut.
3. Use Local Keywords in Your Content and Listings
Now that you’ve identified the right keywords to use, you can incorporate them naturally into your website, social media profiles, and Google Business Profile. These words help search engines understand your business’s relevance to local searches and lead customers to your business when they search. You can also use technical SEO site tools like headings and meta descriptions on your website. (A website or SEO professional can help guide you in the right way to do it.)
Be sure to include product or service descriptions in your Google profile. You can also regularly post updates through Google Posts that include your target keywords to keep your profile active and engaging. All of these activities give Google more information about what you offer and can help you climb search rankings.
Just don’t overdo it! Write how people would talk, and don’t jam too many keywords into a sentence or paragraph.
4. Optimize Your Local Pages and Product Pages
Ensure that each page on your website is well-optimized for local SEO, with keywords used on every page in a natural and organic way. Be sure it offers high-quality resources that people find useful and not just filler. Google considers sites with recent and authoritative content more favorably than outdated or irrelevant web content, so taking the time to refresh your site in this way can really pay off.
You should also create unique web pages for different locations if you have multiple stores. For each page, customize the URL to target local keywords, like www.example.com/bakery-NYC.
The same goes for your Google Business Profile, which should be unique to each location. Even if you offer the same general products or services in all markets, optimize each to stand out as truly local. (This is a great opportunity to use those colloquial phrases uniquely for each business location.)
5. Build and Manage Local Citations
Local citations are mentions of your business name and information on other websites. Whether you submitted your business to a directory or earned a mention in the media, ensure that your business information is accurate everywhere it’s mentioned. Check business listings regularly to ensure the hours, menu information, or pricing is correct. Set up a Google search for your business name to catch any mentions about you and ensure they are accurate.
If you don’t own the resource or website that has incorrect business information, reach out and provide updated information. Present it as an opportunity to serve their target audience with the most recent details.
Consistency is the key to avoiding customer confusion and keeping SEO ranking at its highest.
6. Encourage and Respond to Online Reviews
Positive reviews help with SEO rankings by encouraging customers to interact with your Google Business Profile. That’s why it’s important to prompt satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google Business Profile and Yelp. You can make it easier for them by including QR codes that go directly to reviews on your receipts and use in-store displays to remind customers that their feedback is valuable. Incentives, such as prizes or discounts, may be used to thank customers for their honest (but not always positive) reviews.
When someone does leave a review, respond promptly — within 24 hours, if possible. Templates can simplify the process.
For positive reviews:
- Thank the customer for their review. Mention specific details if applicable.
- Keep responses concise, genuine, and in your brand’s voice.
- Encourage customers to return or try other services.
For negative reviews:
- Respond promptly and apologize for any inconvenience or dissatisfaction.
- Address specific issues and provide solutions or next steps.
- Avoid being defensive or confrontational, focusing on resolving the issue.
Show the same level of care for all positive and negative reviews. This demonstrates you’re serious about the customer experience and keeps you from missing a chance to improve.
7. Leverage Location-Based Social Media Marketing
Use social media to engage with your local audience by setting up a business page or profile where your customers engage the most. Look at other brands in your industry to see where customers talk about them, or consider which platforms are most popular with the demographics of your brand (TikTok, for example, may be more suitable for younger customers). Use your new platform to share updates about local events, promotions, and community involvement, which helps build a strong local presence.
Don’t limit your activity to just your page. Join community Facebook groups for local eateries or festivals and post when relevant. Keep your posts professional, informative, and detailed enough that customers can find you and take advantage of whatever special opportunities you’re offering.
8. Invest in Technical SEO Improvements
Customers can be easily discouraged if they find your business through search, but the site experience is difficult. Ensure you meet their expectations with a seamless web and mobile experience that meets Google’s site speed standards and that shows up on all devices.
Use Schema markup within the HTML on your retail website. This special kind of code helps search engines understand your website better. When you add it, your business details — like hours, customer ratings, and reviews — can show up directly in search results. Also, pay close attention to additional details like title tags, alt text, and internal linking, and do your best to avoid duplicate content. These more technical pieces of on-page SEO make a difference in helping you achieve higher rankings.
How Investments in Local SEO Can Drive Organic Traffic: A Case Study
Driven Brands and its 11 brand entities offer a compelling example of effective local SEO. Initially, the company ranked 15th for non-branded local searches, and the company showed up too far down the search results pages for customers to easily find them. It enlisted the help of Chatmeter to optimize local SEO for its over 3,000 locations through local listings, content, and reviews.
Driven Brands also used the Chatmeter review widget to display updated reviews on its brand sites, helping signal to Google that it had relevant, new content that made it rank higher in search.
The result? In just three months, the company moved up the ranks in search to beat out the competition for top keywords. It also earned a 94% response rate for 50,000 monthly customer reviews, proving it had its customers’ best interests at heart.
Boost Sales with Chatmeter’s Local SEO Solutions
The goal of local SEO isn’t just about getting your name to show up on Google — it’s about making meaningful connections with customers in your community. Whether they’re searching for a last-minute gift, comparing prices, or looking for a nearby café, local SEO ensures your business is visible when and where it matters most. And as consumer habits continue to evolve, having a strategy in place to manage listings, reviews, and local content isn’t just an advantage — it’s essential.
For retailers looking to stay ahead, the right tools can make all the difference. Chatmeter helps businesses take control of their local SEO by keeping their online presence accurate, responsive, and competitive. With a streamlined approach to managing local listings and customer engagement, businesses can focus less on the technical details and more on delivering the best experience for their customers, both online and in-store.
Want to learn more about how Chatmeter can help your retail store find more customers online? Book a call with our team today so we can run you through all the ways Chatmeter can help your business grow.