Local SEO is a crucial way for businesses with a physical presence to attract nearby customers actively searching for their services. Whether you run a retail store, a restaurant, or a professional service, getting found in local search results is essential to driving foot traffic and growing your customer base.
But setting up a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) isn’t enough. You need to prove to Google that your business is relevant, active, and regularly visited. This is where a simple but powerful SEO growth hack can make a difference. If you have employees commuting or walking to work, you can leverage their daily routines to boost your local search rankings.
The Hack: Leverage Employee Search Behavior to Improve Local SEO
For businesses with a physical location and employees, there’s an effective way to signal to Google that your business is popular and relevant. The trick is simple: have your employees become part of your SEO strategy. Here’s how:
- Employee Search: Ask your employees to search for your target keywords or a combination of keywords and your business name as they commute to work. For instance, if you run a bakery in Toronto, they could search “Toronto bakery” or “Best Toronto bakery + [Your Brand Name].”
- Use Google Directions: After the search, have them use Google’s “Get Directions” feature to navigate to your location. Whether they’re driving, walking, or using public transportation, these actions send strong signals to Google that your business is frequently searched for and visited.
These repeated searches and navigations make Google see your business as an important local entity, which leads to improvements in your local search rankings over time.
At Shareef Solutions, we help local businesses like yours optimize their SEO strategies in simple, effective ways. Our goal? You focus on running the business, and we’ll take care of getting you more leads.
Why This Works: Google’s Local Ranking Factors
Google’s algorithm for local searches rewards businesses that show real-world activity. The more people search for your business and physically visit it, the more likely Google is to rank you higher in local search results. By turning your employees into search participants, you’re continuously telling Google, “People are looking for this business and going there.”
Consistency is key. The more frequently this happens, the more solid your presence becomes in the local search landscape.
At Shareef Solutions, we understand how to leverage local SEO strategies like these to give your business the boost it needs to outshine competitors. Our experts use Google’s local ranking factors to your advantage, creating strategies that drive results.
How to Implement This Strategy
The process is simple and doesn’t require a lot of effort. Here’s a quick breakdown:
It’s a low-effort, high-impact strategy that can bring long-term benefits if done consistently. And if you need help setting up the perfect keyword strategy or ensuring your business is fully optimized for local SEO, Shareef Solutions has you covered.
Maximizing Your Local SEO Potential
While this hack works best for businesses with a physical location and employees, it’s important to pair it with other consistent SEO practices to maximize your potential. Optimizing your Google Business Profile, collecting reviews, and publishing relevant content all contribute to local SEO success.
By incorporating employee search behavior into a broader SEO strategy, you give your business a significant competitive edge. Google loves real-world engagement, and this hack is a direct way to signal that your business is a key player in the local scene.
At Shareef Solutions, we don’t just offer local SEO services; we create customized strategies that align with your business goals. Our focus is on bringing you more leads while you focus on providing excellent products or services.
Boost Your Business with Real-World Signals
Employee-driven search behavior is an effective and straightforward tactic to boost your local SEO, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. To achieve consistent growth and visibility in local search results, you need a well-rounded approach that includes:
When done right, these strategies work together to strengthen your business’s position in local search results. And when combined with the employee search hack, you’ll see even better results.
Don’t want to juggle all of this yourself? Let Shareef Solutions handle your local SEO efforts while you focus on running your business. We specialize in creating lead-generating strategies tailored to your unique needs.
The Bottom Line: You Focus on Business, We’ll Focus on Leads
This simple local SEO hack is one of the quickest ways to give your business a boost in search rankings. By leveraging your employees’ regular search behavior, you can significantly improve your presence in local searches and attract more potential customers.
But this is just one step. To fully succeed in local SEO, you need a consistent and comprehensive strategy that covers all the bases—from keyword research to review management.
That’s where we come in. At Shareef Solutions, we take care of the hard work, crafting a local SEO strategy that gets results. You focus on what you do best—running your business—and we’ll handle getting you more leads.