One of the biggest challenges an eCommerce brand faces is market competition. On average, the world had over 26.5 million eCommerce websites in 2023. America accounts for half of them, with a 53% market share.
If you’re part of this industry, you’ll know how hard it is to stand out amidst the famous competitors. For example, Amazon alone had a brand value of USD 577 billion this year, proving its market dominance.
With that said, you cannot give up promoting your new eCommerce brand. Perhaps you’ve tried a couple of national SEO and marketing tactics to no avail.
Did you ever think about leveraging local SEO? In this blog post, we’ll learn more about using local SEO to boost your new eCommerce website’s online presence.
Local SEO for eCommerce: Is That Even a Thing?
Forbes reports that local SEO targets customers from a specific area who are interested in buying your products. According to SEO Guru Atlanta, businesses without physical locations might not see results from local SEO strategies. Hence, many believe that this tactic only works great for brick-and-mortar stores.
This definition begs the question: Do you really need local SEO for a new eCommerce website?
According to WebFX, local SEO is necessary for any business if you want to increase visibility and revenue. The thing is, consumers prefer getting an online experience instead of (or before visiting) physical stores.
Before promoting your eCommerce brand on a country-level scale, don’t you want to stand out amidst the local crowd? That’s where local SEO comes in.
3 Ways Local SEO Can Help eCommerce Websites
Let’s dive deep into the benefits of local SEO for eCommerce.
#1. Improves Local Search Visibility
Let’s say your website was built in Atlanta, Georgia. This state has over 1,000 eCommerce websites that you must compete with. To stand out in this competition, you’ll need to collaborate with an experienced Atlanta SEO specialist.
With their help, you can:
- Put together the right strategy.
- Boost local search visibility.
- Attract nearby customers.
- Use local keywords and benefit from location-specific backlinks.
Here’s an example: Perhaps you’re selling sugar-free gummy bears on your website. To promote this, you’ve created content around local keywords. If someone from Atlanta searches ‘sugar-free gummies near me,’ your new eCommerce website’s blog posts might pop up.
#2. Listing in Google Business Profile
Google mentions that you can have a business profile even if there isn’t a physical address. For instance, you can list your brand in the local directory if you deliver services or products to the customers.
In today’s era, direct selling has gained momentum. Hence, eCommerce websites selling services can increase revenue, transform the customer experience, and boost online presence.
Let’s say you’re offering cleaning services in Atlanta. Industry leaders believe that such websites should be built with eCommerce capabilities. In that case, your customer can easily book and pay for the service online. The address can be your home or service location.
During the search, customers will use keywords like ‘cleaning services near me’ or ‘best cleaning services in Atlanta.’ Leveraging these keywords and listing your business on the Google Business Profile can help with search visibility.
#3. Enhanced Brand Recognition
Local SEO is important if you want your new eCommerce website to succeed. This tactic boosts brand recognition by ensuring your company stands out in local searches.
For example, the right strategy will help you appear on Google Maps, leading to a stronger local presence. Similarly, consistent NAP (name, address, and phone number) data across local directories can reinforce reliability and credibility.
When you target local keywords, you’re essentially creating an effective pathway to reach your target audience. In turn, you can enhance recognition and trust among the community members.
How Can an eCommerce Brand Use Local SEO?
A few ways eCommerce websites can boost visibility in local search rankings include the following:
- Building local citations
- Improving on-page local SEO strategies
- Claiming Google Business Profile ranking
- Posting localized keyword-rich content
- Ensuring consistent NAP information
- Optimizing your website for mobile device-based local SEO
- Encouraging customers to post reviews and testimonials
- Adding schema markup to the eCommerce website
- Creating backlinks from other local websites
All these tips will help your business stand out in a highly competitive landscape. These will improve search visibility and attract nearby customers. You can also drive targeted traffic, even when your brand is operating online.
By 2028, online retail sales will have a value of USD 1.6 trillion. That’s 28% of all retail sales in America. To stand out in this competition, you must leverage something unique.
As mentioned in this blog post, new eCommerce websites can use local SEO to help boost visibility and attract customers. You can enhance brand recognition by listing your service or fulfillment center on Google Business Profile. Remember to also check the local SEO tips mentioned for eCommerce brands.
