How to Use Local SEO Blogging for Your Small Business
- Rachel Meyer
- Jan 7
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 22
For many small businesses, a good chunk of their business comes from local customers. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar shop or attend craft markets throughout the year, your location is integral to your business.
If this sounds like you, you've probably already worked hard to incorporate local SEO into your website so you can get even more customers from nearby areas. But did you know you can use local SEO on your blog as well?
In this post, we’re going to look at how you can use local SEO blogging to help your small business reach more regional customers. I’ve included examples, content ideas, and everything else you need to get you started.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is optimizing your website for search traffic in a specific area. It uses a combination of on-page and off-page SEO tactics to help your website appear when someone requires your services or is looking for a nearby shop.
How a Blog Helps Local SEO
Like I said in the beginning, you probably already know how local SEO helps your website. But here are some of the specific benefits of incorporating it into your blog.
Rank for local searches
Raise your hand if you've Googled something hyper-specific to your area in the last month. Maybe you were looking for good plants to grow in your garden, or restaurants to take your friends to, or the best beach in your area.
Okay, you can put your hand down now.
Your search probably led you to a blog post filled with helpful information specific to your question. Those blogs implemented local SEO to bring you to their website and showed you that they're an expert on the area.
Provide original content
Blogging is becoming more competitive by the day, especially with the rise of AI. Anyone can write a “10 places to go in x city” post. But can just anyone write “the local’s guide to stationery stores in Old Town Alexandria”?
Incorporating local topics into your blog is a great way to create unique content, especially when you include personal insights. It also helps with the experience and expertise part of Google’s E-E-A-T framework.
Create timely content
Another thing Google loves is timely content. Creating these posts is easier than an evergreen long-form guide, but they aren't relevant for very long. Still, you need both for a well-rounded content strategy.
In local SEO blogging, this could look like writing a post on local events you should attend this year, sharing local news related to your business, or tying current trends to your area.
Getting Started with Local SEO Blogging
Brainstorm topics
Before you can start writing content, you'll need to brainstorm things to write about. Pull out a piece of paper or a Google Doc and write down ideas related to:
Your business
Your blog
Your audience
Your area
Remember, focus on things that align with the above items. If you run a small boutique, you shouldn't write a post on the best trails in the area, no matter how much you love hiking. That won't appeal to your audience or align with your business. (Unless, of course, it's an outdoorsy boutique.)
Use local keywords
This one is probably pretty obvious, but if you want to rank for local search, you need to use local keywords. So, rather than writing a post on “independent stationery brands”, go with something like "Maryland stationery brands" or "Maryland stationery stores".
There are a few benefits when you do this. 1) It makes your content more original. 2) It makes your content specific to your area. 3) It helps you rank for local searches and position your business as an authority.
Incorporate keywords naturally
Keyword stuffing is so 2016. Whatever you do, do not cram your post full of local place names because "more is better". That sucks to read and is actually punished by Google’s algorithm these days.
Instead, make sure you use your keywords and place names naturally throughout the post, just like you would any other keyword. This is why you should write about timely topics, too. It makes adding those location names easy.
Publish consistently
Blogging and SEO both take time to see results. It can sometimes feel like you’re not getting anywhere. But that doesn’t mean you should just publish the occasional blog post and then disappear.
You want to put out consistent content, especially in the local SEO category. I recommend making half the posts you publish something local related for optimal results. So, if you put out two posts a month, one should be area-specific. That's how you'll see the best results.
Go with local links
When you put links in your blog posts (and you are, right?), you should try to link to local businesses or fellow local blogs when possible. This will help promote a local link economy and hopefully encourage other local companies to link back to you.
In local SEO, links from relevant sites in the area can help your website a lot. If you link to other local sites, you show Google's algorithm that you truly are a trustworthy local business.
Local SEO Blog Content Ideas
Local events
Sharing about local events, especially if you're attending them, is a great way to spread the word and create timely content. You could write about festivals, craft fairs, holiday celebrations, and so on.
Examples:
The Best Holiday Markets in Annapolis
23 Festivals for Families in DC
The Can’t-Miss Summer Events in Northern Virginia
Best For:
Craft businesses
Local travel
Brick and mortar stores
Local businesses
Want to really support the local economy? Write blog posts about fellow businesses. You could interview other business owners, review their stores or products, or include them in listicles.
Examples:
Local Business Interview with Jane Doe
Our Review of Annapolis Antique Store
The Best Shops in Downtown Annapolis
Best For:
Local travel
Local news sites
Business services
Case studies
Case studies are great for any business. But if you’re a local business helping with local problems, a case study has even more value. It builds trust and shows potential local customers you know what you're doing.
Examples:
How We Helped Double This Local Restaurant’s Bookings
How I Redesigned _ Store’s Logo
A Fun Family Photoshoot in Downtown Annapolis
Best For:
Service businesses
Photographers
Home service providers
Local news
Similarly to the local events, you could write about local news on your blog. It depends on what your customers want to read about. While you might think a new tax law is interesting, they might prefer to read about a new shopping center opening.
Examples:
Local Business Honored with Award
Everything Locals Need to Know About the New Shopping Center
Annapolis Welcomes New Bookstore
Best For:
Local news sites
Local travel
Brick and mortar stores
Posts themed for your area
This is my favorite way to incorporate local SEO. You take a regular post and theme it specifically to help people in your area. So, rather than write a post just about winter outfits, you create a post on winter outfits for [your location].
Examples:
The Best Plants to Grow in Central Maryland
3 Common Plumbing Problems in Baltimore
The Best Restaurants in Anne Arundel County
Best For:
Any local business!
The more you use local SEO on your website, the better you'll rank. Incorporating your blog as part of your strategy will help accelerate that growth and provide more value for local customers.
Learning to write posts for local keywords isn’t easy. If you’d rather outsource it to a pro, I would love to work with you! Click the button below to learn more.
Comments