According to eMarketer, searches for local businesses, especially via mobile phones, have seen a dramatic increase over the last five years. On average, there are 113 million searches for local goods and services, such as those offered by your company, via mobile phones each month. Tapping into that increase in interest takes time and effort put into search engine optimization strategies, or, more specifically, local SEO strategies.

First off, Just What is Local SEO?
Local SEO, as defined by Search Engine Journal, is the method of honing an SEO campaign from a national or international focus to outreach on a local level. For example, instead of focusing on the United States, you’ll now focus on attracting customers through content that is focused on Phoenix, New York, or wherever your business is located.

Why Combining Local SEO with Content Marketing is Essential
Admittedly, most of the tools utilized in local SEO campaigns are no different than those used on the broader scale, with some exceptions. Optimizing local business pages, making an effort to promote business reviews, and optimizing citations are tools that are often reserved for localized campaigns. Content marketing — that all important thing SEO services have been rattling on about for years now — however, remains the central cog to your marketing effort, even when it has a local focus.

As you may have guessed, prepping your content for the local market comes with some unique challenges. That shouldn’t be read to mean it’s overly difficult, just that you need to keep a few extra things in mind:

• Keyword research is integral.

If you want to attract local customers for your pizzeria in San Francisco, you need to work those terms into your content somehow, not to mention your static website copy, as The Huffington Post suggests.

• Consider what sets your local customers apart from those anywhere else in the country. As a local business owner, you know about the concerns and desires of your community better than anyone else. Sharpen your content to reflect consumer fears, hopes, and interests, and you’ll stand a great chance of earning renewed attention — oh, and revenue.

Whether you’re engaging in a local or national campaign, \”content is king\” remains the golden rule of the field. Tweak your content to reflect your company’s local customers, and you’ll be generating more foot traffic before you know it. Read more here.