What is Local SEO, and How Does it Work for Lawn, Landscape, and Outdoor Living Businesses?
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The Content Team,
HALSTEAD.
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Nearly half of all Google searches are seeking local information, which is why investing in local search engine optimization (SEO) is a game-changing strategy that helps your lawn, landscape, and outdoor living business thrive in your community. Since Google holds nearly 93% of the total search engine market share, creating a strategy that appeals specifically to its algorithm is key.
Your business is likely one of many landscape industry businesses in your area, so how can you stand out from your competition? The key to outperforming your competition is appearing higher in the search results—and local SEO is the strategy to help you do it.
Defining Local SEO: What it is and How it Works for Lawn, Landscape, and Outdoor Living Businesses
Local SEO is a highly targeted approach to optimizing your online presence so that your landscape industry business appears prominently in local search results. By adhering to local SEO best practices, service provider businesses also enhance organic traffic.
When someone performs a search with local intent, such as “lawn care service near me” or “landscape construction company in [city name],” this signals the search engine to display local businesses in the search results. With approximately 60% of all Google searches occurring on a mobile device, Google also considers proximity (based on current geographical location) when providing search results—further demonstrating the need for local SEO.
For example, you may notice that if you search for “pizza restaurants,” the search results will vary depending on your location at the time of your search. This is how Google ensures search results are relevant.
Top businesses generally appear at the top of search results because they’ve implemented local SEO best practices. Searching for a pizza restaurant while you’re in Ohio and getting a list of pizza restaurants worldwide won’t do you any good. In the same way, an Ohio landscape business wants local prospects, not unqualified leads who live in Florida, to find them when they search “lawn mowing services near me.”
How Does Local SEO Differ from Traditional SEO for the Landscape Industry?
Local SEO and traditional SEO share the same goal of improving a website’s visibility in search engine results, but they have distinct focuses and strategies.
TRADITIONAL SEO
Optimizes content regardless of geographic location
Focuses on on-page optimization and content creation
Backlinks from high-authority websites, regardless of location, such as the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)
Targets general keywords with high search volume and location
LOCAL SEO
Targets a specific city, town, or region
Focuses on Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business (GMB), optimization, and local directories
Backlinks from reputable local sources, such as community organizations, local news outlets, and neighborhood blogs
Targets location-based keywords, connecting by proximity
Landscape industry firms that Implement a combination of local SEO and traditional SEO strategies maximize their online presence and reach, attracting prospects within a specific geographic area and improving overall organic search visibility. While local and traditional SEO are connected, they each require a unique strategy.
The Relevance and Importance of Local SEO for Local Landscape-Industry Businesses
Small businesses in the landscape industry should focus on local SEO because it helps attract people already interested in their services. 97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else, so implementing a local SEO strategy will help meet the prospect during the first stage of the customer journey.
Appearing prominently in the search results, particularly on Google Maps and local business directories, leads to higher website traffic and, ultimately, greater conversions and sales. As competition intensifies in the local market, embracing local SEO is not just an advantage but an absolute necessity for businesses aiming to thrive and grow in their communities.
Understanding Local Search and Your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is a free service that allows businesses to create a profile that includes their location, contact information, business hours, and customer reviews. When completed, it adds legitimacy by making information easy to find and creating a sense of community and trust through reviews, posts, and messages.
Your Google Business Profile and Its Role in Local SEO
Think of your Google Business Profile as your digital storefront on Google’s search engine and maps. It’s among the most influential and effective tools for enhancing online visibility within your local community. It’s essential that your Google Business Profile information is complete because this signals local relevance with Google, and engagements with your business help boost your reputation and credibility—leading to a higher rank in organic search, too.
When users search for products or services in their local area, Google often displays a “Local Pack” or “Map Pack” at the top of the search results page. This pack highlights the top local businesses relevant to the user’s query. A well-optimized profile significantly increases the chances of your business being featured in this prominent position.
How to Create and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
There are three steps to creating your Google Business Profile, and optimization is an ongoing process. The goal is to appear near the top of Google search results in the Local Pack, making it easier for prospects to discover and engage with your business.
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STEP ONE
The first step is setting up your Google Business Profile. If a profile exists but you don’t own it, click the link that reads “Claim this Business” or “Own this Business” and follow the steps on the site.
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STEP TWO
Ensuring you have a complete and optimized profile is important.
Personalize Your Profile
Completing your profile with as much information as possible will make it easier for prospects and customers to find you online. The essential details include your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). Double-check for any errors, as they can be detrimental to lead generation. Select the most relevant category for your business so that Google can understand what your business is about.
Do Your Keyword Research
Identifying location-based keywords and phrases to include in your profile requires keyword research. Your business description provides an excellent opportunity to include relevant keywords to help with search results.
Avoid keyword stuffing. Make it engaging and user-friendly. Knowing your target customers’ pain points helps you create a relevant keyword list, while keyword research tools and SEO experts help identify relevant keywords. Incorporating location-specific keywords, such as the city name, neighborhood, or nearby landmarks, to the seed keywords helps cater to a specific local audience.
As you gather reviews, pay attention to the words used, as they can give insight into valuable keywords and phrases to use in your local SEO efforts. You can update your profile with these keywords and use them in your website content.
Upload Professional Photos
Add high-quality photos showing beautiful outdoor living spaces your company has designed and built or landscapes you’ve meticulously maintained. Professional photography significantly impacts the users’ perception of your business.
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STEP THREE
Encourage your customers to review your business, which will help boost your credibility to attract more customers. You can respond to reviews (positive and negative) and connect with customers, helping manage your online reputation.
Keeping your profile up to date is essential. Anyone on the internet can suggest updates to your profile, suggesting that the phone number or address listed is incorrect, for example. Monitoring your email for notifications is critical so you can approve or deny these proposed updates.
What You Should Know About Local Citations and Directory Listings
NAP consistency throughout every online citation and directory ensures accurate local listings, the prevention of duplicate listings, and an enhanced user experience. Google relies heavily on NAP data to verify and display business information on Google Maps and local search results. Local citations, or online listings, come in various forms.
Business Directories: Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific directories such as the NALP
Local Chamber of Commerce: Membership or business listings on local commerce websites
Local Business Associations: Inclusion in local business association directories
Social Media Platforms: Mentions of your business’s NAP information on social media profiles and posts
Review Websites: Citations in customer reviews on sites like Angi, Yelp, Google, or other review platforms
Local Blogs and News Articles: Mentions of your business in local blogs, news articles, or event listings
Local Data Aggregators: Data aggregators are services that collect and distribute business information to various directories and platforms. The four major aggregators are Factual, Acxiom, Infogroup, and Localeze
To ensure NAP consistency across all local citations and directories, follow these best practices:
Use the exact same business name, address, and phone number format across your website, Google Business Profile, and all online directories.
Avoid using variations or abbreviations for your business name and address. For example: Choose either 123 Main Street or 123 Main St., but don’t use both across various sources.
Check and update your NAP information if you relocate your business, change its name, or update your contact information.
Regularly audit your business listings on various directories and platforms.
On-Page Optimization for Local SEO
On-page optimization refers to strategies and techniques applied to your website that improve visibility in local search results. This includes adding local keywords in the website content and copy, listing your NAP, and creating localized landing pages relevant to a specific service area. Embedding a Google Map on your website’s contact page that shows your service area or business location makes it easier for users to find you.
Schema Markup for Local Businesses
Local business Schema Markup is a structured data markup that provides additional information about a local business to search engines. It involves adding specific code snippets to the HTML of your web pages. The particular vocabulary helps search engines understand the context and content of a web page related to a local business, specifically NAP data.
Schema Markup creates a more structured presentation of your business information in search results. When used correctly, it is a powerful tool for local SEO that can help your lawn, landscape, or outdoor living business stand out in local search results.
Localizing Meta Tags and Headings
Your titles, headings, and meta tags help influence local SEO.
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META TITLE TAGS
The meta title tag is one of the most critical on-page elements for SEO. It appears as a clickable headline in search engine results. Adding the city, town, or region along with relevant keywords helps localize your meta title tag. For example, a generic meta title might be “Lawn Care | Lawn Mowing Services,” while a localized version could be “Lawn Care Omaha | Lawn Mowing Services in Nebraska.”
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META DESCRIPTION TAGS
The meta description tag summarizes your page’s content, displayed below the meta title in the search results. Use this opportunity to include localized keywords and a clear call-to-action that resonates with the local audience. It should be concise, compelling, and relevant to the page’s content and location.
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HEADING TAGS
Heading tags structure the content on your web page, with H1 being the page's main title. Including localized keywords in the H1 tag makes the web page content clear to search engines and users. H2 and other heading tags help organize sub-topics and content sections, and incorporating local keywords can help improve local SEO.
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IMAGE ALT TAGS
An image alt tag, also known as an “alt attribute” or “alt text,” is an HTML attribute that provides alternative text descriptions for images. These tags tell Google what an image contains, so providing relevant and descriptive keywords helps improve search visibility.
Use descriptive alt tags incorporating localized keywords to help search engines understand the context of the photos on your website. For example, your image alt tag may read, “luxury outdoor kitchen contractor Omaha Nebraska.”
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STRUCTURING URLS FOR LOCAL SEO
Including the location or relevant keywords in the URL of your web pages helps target the right audience. For example, instead of “example.com/service1,” use “example.com/city-service1” or “example.com/service1-in-city.” This format for web addresses signals search engines and your audience that your services are for a local area.
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LOCALIZING YOUR WEBSITE CONTENT
Mention the city or region you are targeting naturally within your website copy. These keywords should fit seamlessly within the content, providing valuable information to local users.
Local Content Marketing for Landscape Contractor Businesses
Blog posts optimized for local SEO are beneficial in reaching your target audience. Including location-specific terms that align with local SEO efforts helps you rank higher in local search results.
Creating Localized and Engaging Content for Your Target Audience
Blog content holds long-term value when written to educate the local audience about lawn, landscape, and outdoor living industry topics. Content marketing builds upon itself, and you can consider it an investment. High-quality blog content can attract backlinks from other local websites and blogs, helping local SEO.
Using Geotags and Location-Based Targeting on Social Platforms
Social media content for your landscape industry business can also help local SEO efforts. Using geotags and location-based targeting on social platforms is a powerful way to enhance your local marketing efforts and connect with your target audience in your specific geographic area.
Geotags allow you to add location information to your social media posts, photos, and videos, making your content more relevant and discoverable for users searching or browsing content within the same location. Social media platforms offer sophisticated location-based targeting options for advertising to reach prospects based on physical proximity to your business or within specific areas of interest.
Tracking and Analyzing Local SEO Performance
Using data to measure the effectiveness of your local SEO efforts will help you create a strategy that works. First, set clear and measurable goals. For example, you might aim to increase website traffic, phone calls, or visits to your local supply store business from local search results.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Local SEO Success
You can track key metrics related to local SEO performance with Google Analytics. Key performance indicators (KPIs) include organic traffic, traffic from local search queries, and bounce and conversion rates.
Your Google Business Profile offers insightful information about how users find and interact with your listing. It includes data on searches, views, actions (such as website visits and calls), and user geographic locations. A high click-through rate (CTR) indicates that your listing is compelling and relevant.
Keyword tracking tools can help monitor the rankings of your targeted local keywords in search engine results, helping you assess your visibility in local search and identify areas for improvement. Monitoring the local SEO performance of your competitors helps identify opportunities and areas where you can outperform them.
Consistently tracking and analyzing your local SEO performance allows you to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to refine your local marketing efforts and increase your visibility in local search results as a lawn, landscape, and outdoor living business. Regular evaluation and optimization are crucial for staying competitive in the local marketplace.
