Putting Your Energy Business on the Map
Consider this—when was the last time you
searched Google for a business in your local area?
In all likeliness, you’ve probably done it countless
times in just the past week. And you’re not alone—research
shows that 89% of consumers search for a local
business at least once a week, with 58% searching at
least once a day1. So when customers in your service
area search for “propane delivery near me” or “HVAC
services” how do you get your business shown in the top
of the search results?
Local SEO (search engine optimization) is proving to
be the solution. Whether it’s including your business
information on your website, claiming your business’
Google My Business listing or even creating listings in
online directories such as Yelp or Angie’s List, local optimization
is all about gaining visibility where it matters
most—in the areas you service.
With nearly half of all Google searches being local, it’s
never been more important to have a local SEO strategy
for your business. Local SEO gives potential customers
and searchers the information they want, when
they want it and perhaps most importantly, where they
want it. There is no better time to connect with potential
customers than when they’re already searching for
businesses like yours. Better yet, since these prospects
have already expressed an interest in the products and
service your business offers, they are presumably qualified
leads that will likely yield a higher conversion rate.
Lead the Pack: The Local 3-Pack
With a vast majority of online experiences starting with
a search engine, it’s extremely important for your business
to appear at the top of results pages. When it comes
to local searches, there is no better spot than Google’s
local 3-pack. This block of three listings appears at the
top of the results page along with an area map to showcase
local businesses relevant to the search query and
criteria. With the local 3-pack appearing in 93% of local
searches2, this presents an unmatched opportunity to
drive traffic to your site and generate more phone calls.
In fact, a recent study found that 44% of people who performed
a local search clicked on a 3-pack listing, while
just 8% opted to load additional results3.
Meeting the Mobile Audience
The days of the printed phonebook are coming to a
long-anticipated end, as more and more customers are
turning to the web to find local businesses—both on a
desktop, and increasingly, on a mobile device. In fact,
Google states that between 50% and 60% of global
searches now come from mobile devices4. All it takes is
a simple search via a Smartphone or tablet for users to
Melissa Bellas
Warm Thoughts Communications
find businesses on-the-go from anywhere, at any time—
which is especially good news for local businesses. A
recent study found that as many as 95% of Smartphone
users have used their device to perform local searches,
of which 61% called the businesses5. With 78% of local
mobile searches now resulting in offline purchases6,
you cannot afford not to connect with this ever-growing
audience.
With so many people conducting searches multiple
times a day, landing your business a top spot on
Google’s results page could make a difference in acquiring
a new customer or closing a sale. With less than 50%
of businesses taking advantage of local SEO services7,
there is a big opportunity to get ahead of competitors
and stand out in local search results, maps and even
social media platforms. Take advantage of it! ICM
Citations
1. http://www.mediative.com/spotlight-on-local-mobile-consumer-search-
behaviour-part-two/
2. https://searchengineland.com/study-googles-new-local-pack-shows-in-
the-number-one-spot-93-of-the-time-229025
3. https://www.business2community.com/seo/need-know-googles-local-
pack-01903703
4. https://searchengineland.com/report-nearly-60-percent-searches-now-
mobile-devices-255025
5. https://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2013/11/12/fifty-
essential-mobile-marketing-facts/#3bd55e707475
6. https://searchengineland.com/study-78-percent-local-mobile-searches-
result-offline-purchases-188660
7. https://www.bluecorona.com/top-seo-company/local-seo
Marketing
Local Optimization
ICM/September/October 2019 17