Investigating the Relationship Between Local SEO and Social Media Engagement

In today’s digital age, it’s not enough for small local businesses to simply have a website. In fact, those who are only depending on one form of marketing is not enough though. Let’s imagine, you are a business owner running a local business. You are investing on social media, but have you ever thought people searching for businesses like yours on Google search engine or maps couldn’t find your business.

To reach their target audience and drive more customers to their brick-and-mortar stores, you need to invest in multiple forms of marketing. Which could be SEO, local SEO, Social Media, Paid Advertisements etc. But here we are not going to cover everything. We will focus only on Social Media and local SEO.

Why these two? You have this question in your mind already. Let me tell you, around 70% of local businesses are investing on either social media, or local SEO or both.

These two seem very different, aren’t they? Because both have different modes of reaching customers. In local SEO your customer searches for businesses like yours and finds you. Whereas in social media you share contents to reach your ideal audience.

The relationship between these two areas of marketing is often unclear. In this blog, we will investigate the relationship between local SEO and social media engagement, and provide research-backed insights to help small local business owners like you to understand the importance of investing in both areas.

First, let’s define what we mean by local SEO and social media engagement. Local SEO refers to the practice of optimizing a website to rank higher in local search results, such as Google Maps and Google My Business. So when an ideal customer searches for businesses like yours, your business pops up at top three positions resulting in a possible engagement.

At the same time, social media engagement refers to the level of interaction and activity that a business generates on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And here you have to push content so that your business can be discovered in the scrolling journey of the ideal customer.

Now, let’s explore the relationship between local SEO and social media engagement. While these two areas of marketing may seem separate, they are actually closely intertwined.

Here are a few key ways in which local SEO and social media engagement impact each other:

Social media profiles can impact local search rankings: According to a study by Moz, social signals (such as likes, shares, and followers) are among the top factors that Google uses to determine local search rankings. This means that businesses with active and engaged social media profiles are more likely to rank higher in local search results.

Local search listings can impact social media visibility: When a business appears in local search results, it can also lead to increased visibility and traffic on social media. For example, when a business appears on Google Maps, customers can easily click through to the business’s website and social media profiles.

Social media can help build local links: One of the key factors in local SEO is building high-quality local links. Social media can be a powerful tool for building these links, as businesses can share their content and engage with other local businesses and organizations.

Social media can increase brand awareness and loyalty: By building a strong social media presence, businesses can increase their brand awareness and build loyalty among customers. This can lead to increased word-of-mouth referrals and positive customer reviews, which can in turn boost local SEO rankings.

So, what does this mean for small local businesses? It means that investing in both local SEO and social media engagement is essential for success in today’s digital landscape. 

As most of us feel, local SEO and social media engagement seems different from each other. But if you look closely at it you can find the similarities in terms of benefits. Investing in both areas is essential for small local businesses looking to reach their target audience and drive more foot fall to your physical location.

You can create a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that maximizes your online presence and visibility. And that can be easily established by investing in social media as well as putting efforts towards local SEO.

To further highlight the importance of investing in both local SEO and social media engagement, here are a few research-backed statistics:

According to a study by BrightLocal, 97% of consumers search online for local businesses, and 93% of those searches result in a purchase or store visit. This highlights the importance of local SEO in driving foot traffic to physical locations.

A survey by Sprout Social found that 71% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand to others if they have a positive experience on social media. This underscores the importance of social media engagement in building brand loyalty and generating positive word-of-mouth referrals.

According to research by Search Engine Journal, businesses that rank in the top three local search results have an average click-through rate of 30%, while those that rank lower have an average click-through rate of just 3%. This highlights the importance of local SEO in generating website traffic and attracting new customers.

A study by Hootsuite found that 54% of consumers use social media to research products and services, and 71% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals. This highlights the importance of social media engagement in driving online sales and conversions.

These statistics clearly indicate the importance of investing in these two areas of marketing.

What we found out from this investigation, local SEO and social media are deeply connected to each other. Implementing a marketing strategy on these two verticals, businesses like yours can boost the online visibility which could turn into more footfall to your brick and mortar store.

I thought it might be helpful for you if you want to make it happen by yourself without outsourcing the marketing campaign management to any agencies. If you have plans to do so, here are a few key tips for small local businesses looking to improve your local SEO and social media presence:

• Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing: This is one of the most important steps in local SEO, as it allows your business to appear in Google Maps and local search results. Make sure your listing is complete and up-to-date, and encourage customers to leave reviews.
• Create and maintain active social media profiles: Choose the social media platforms that are most relevant to your target audience, and post regularly with engaging content. Be sure to respond to comments and messages in a timely manner, and consider running social media ads to increase visibility.
• Focus on building local links: Look for opportunities to partner with other local businesses and organizations, and share your content on social media to attract local links. Be sure to also monitor your online presence for any incorrect or inconsistent NAP (name, address, phone number) information, which can negatively impact local SEO.
• Encourage customer engagement and loyalty: Encourage customers to engage with your business on social media by running contests, responding to comments and reviews, and sharing user-generated content. This can help build brand loyalty and increase positive online reviews, which can in turn boost local SEO rankings.

At Mark My Words, we understand the challenges faced by small business owners like you and offer expert social media management and local SEO services to help you reach your target audience and drive more footfall to your physical location. With our services, you can focus on important business aspects while we take care of your marketing campaign. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your local business thrive online.