The rise of the Internet is often seen as the harbinger of destruction for physical stores.
Why would people bother to shop in stores when they can do it online?
The truth, however, is that the Internet – especially with the use of local SEO – has helped store owners not just stay operational during unprecedented times but also grow their foot traffic.
- Why does in-store traffic matter?
- How can local search engine optimization drive and increase the footfall in your store?
You’ll find answers to these questions in this article here. Plus, we have
- 5 expert tips to optimize your local SEO and have your storefront bustling with customers.
Read on.
The world is moving online. Why both about your store’s foot traffic?
Nasdaq predicts that by 2040, 95% of all purchases will happen online.
Then, you won’t have to worry much about getting foot traffic to your physical store. You might not even need a physical store. A digital shopfront would suffice.
But today, eCommerce sales constitute less than a quarter of the total retail sales.
The following graph from Statista shows that the share of eCommerce is consistently growing.
Yet, it is not enough to ignore in-store sales.
Even by 2025, more than 75% of shoppers will still be shopping offline.
After all, the in-store experience of touching, seeing, and feeling the products you buy is unmatched as compared to seeing things through a screen.
Moreover, a BigCommerce study had previously proven that:
- 58% of shoppers hate shipping charges, and
- 34% of shoppers felt returning products bought online is harder
Both of these purchase hindrances are absent in an offline shopping atmosphere.
Thus, even if online becomes the new normal in 2040, in 2022, and for the next bunch of years, you need to do all it takes to drive more people to your store.
Among other things (like offering a seamless in-store experience) you can leverage local SEO tactics too.
How can doing something “online” help you get traffic “offline”?
Here’s how local SEO (if done right) can drive and increase the footfall in your store…
Your website’s local SEO and your store’s foot traffic – How are they related?
According to Google’s consumer insights, 88% of those who do a local search on their smartphone, visit a related store within 1 week.
That means online visibility does have a positive impact on your store’s foot traffic.
And it is not just about store visits.
Online visibility also increases the chances of conversions. Google’s data tells that 28% of searches for something “nearby” result in a purchase.
But how does it happen?
To understand that, we’d have to take a careful look at the average shopper’s journey.
Here’s an example to illustrate that.
Say you want to get a spaceship-themed birthday cake.
How would you begin your journey?
You’ll open your favorite search engine on your mobile phone or laptop/desktop. And you’ll look for bakeries offering custom cakes.
Now it is logical that if you live in Los Altos, you wouldn’t want to take a 7-hour drive all the way to San Diego for a cake.
To avoid getting search results from far-off places you’d use the keyword “customized cakes in Los Altos” instead of just “customized cakes”.
If you are like most people today, your device’s location would be on. So just typing “customized cakes near me” would also give you results close to your location.
Here’s what you’ll see –
You can see the top 3 options. With their review right there.
To be honest I’d go with the last one.
No, I don’t know the owner personally. It is just their high rating.
84 people collectively think it is worth 4.9 stars. That’s definitely better than 4 people giving 3.5 stars or 11 people giving 4.6 stars to a bakery.
So it is decided where I’ll be heading for a spaceship-themed cake. I know the store’s opening timing and the exact address. I can also check out the bakery on the map and get driving directions. This couldn’t have been simpler.
Your customer’s buyer journey – no matter what you sell – is going to be similar.
And a Google My Business listing, which is basically step #1 of local SEO will help you find a spot on the top of the search results and get more traffic to your store.
Let’s also consider customers who are tougher to please.
They are ready to delve deep into research and truly find out the best custom cake shop near them.
These people would scroll down a bit further and…
Yes, they’d check out local business listings.
And if, say, the third bakery that a casual customer picked was listed on Yelp too, they’d win brownie points from the more demanding customers too.
Imagine how much their reputation and foot traffic would increase with just the optimum use of “Los Altos” on their website, local listings, and a well-optimized Google My Business listing.
Further down the search results, you’d see the websites of local customized cake shops, which can help potential customers learn more (and get impressed by your offerings).
- “Near me” searches have shown a 136% year-on-year growth.
- And people visit 1.5 billion destinations every month based on their Google search.
Thus, it is obvious that optimizing your website to show up for local search queries will definitely drive people into your store and help increase the footfall.
5 local SEO tips to try today for a bustling storefront
Now that you have understood how local search engine optimization results in an increase in visits to the store, here are 5 local SEO tips from experts –
- Update your Google My Business listing
Only creating a Google My Business listing is not enough.
You need to keep it updated.
Ask people to leave reviews, and list your operating hours, website, email, phone number, price ranges, pictures, and products too. The more information people can find quickly, the better it is.
- Appear in local directories
Yelp is just one example. But to be found online for local searches it is best to get listed on multiple local directories.
Also, the more backlinks your website gets from local sites, the higher your chances of ranking for that location.
- Show up on Google Maps
Yes, people do search for places on Maps. In fact, these are the most high-intent people.
They are probably heading out or already on the road, and they want to find places that offer what they need. If your store’s location is listed on the map, they’d find you there, and then they’d be much more likely to drive to you.
- Use the right keywords
Yes, of course, you’ll use location-based keywords. But don’t forget to mention nearby locations too.
If your website shows that you are worthy and reviews and social proof back you up, people will be down to driving a few miles to your store. So don’t shy away from adding neighboring location-based keywords.
- Optimize your site for mobile
- 84% of “near me” searches happen on mobiles.
- And 76% of people who use their smartphone for looking up something nearby, visited within 24 hours.
That makes it imperative for you to have a mobile-friendly website. Or else your search appearance would go waste and people would assume their experience in your store would be as lousy as your website.
Start leveraging local SEO for boosting in-store traffic today
If you are ready to drive more people to your store and have a bustling storefront, engage a local SEO company today.
While it may sound simple, local SEO isn’t easy.
And anyway, if done right and by the experts, you’d be busy serving customers and won’t even have time for search engine optimization.
So it is best you onboard experts and get ready to open your store gates to a flurry of old and new customers.