Back in the day, we had to look for business names on just dial or rely on an outdated media ad to get an idea of which local business can provide what we are looking for. Today, all we have to do is open the Google app on our devices, type in the search query and get all the kinds of information we need, whether it’s the business hour of a local store, or the phone number of a bakery. Not that long ago, Google used to recommend local businesses based on proximity to the searcher.
But, over the past few years, we have seen Google move away from the proximity factor and slowly increase its dependence on quality and relevance. This means that small businesses now have some leverage and influence local rankings. If you own one small business, then you must have a local SEO strategy in place. 2021 should be your year to build scalability into your SEO if you’re going to get ahead of your competition.