NYC, Houston, and Chicago

Niche SEO Guides   |   August 28, 2022

When it comes to local SEO, businesses in big cities like New York, Houston, and Chicago know that they can’t afford to take things lightly. Why? Because competition is fierce and potential customers are bombarded with choices. Think of how you find businesses when you’re looking for something specific in a big city – chances are you turn to Google (or another search engine) and type in what you need + the city you’re in. If you don’t see a business pop up on the first page of results, you’re probably not going to bother with clicking through to the second page. Our habits as consumers have made it clear that we value convenience and ease of use, which is why ranking high on search engine results pages (SERPs) has become so important for businesses – especially local businesses.

However, Some businesses make the mistake of thinking that they can just rely on generic SEO tactics to improve their ranking. The truth is, with the increased competition in big cities, local SEO has become more important than ever. Local SEO refers to the process of optimizing your online presence to make your business more visible to people who are searching for businesses like yours in a specific location. Along with local seo, hyperlocal social media marketing has been shown to help bring brand awareness in target markets. Here is some reason why Local SEO is so important in big cities

Important Points

There are more businesses than ever before

In big cities, there are simply more businesses vying for attention. In New York City alone, over 220,000 businesses are fighting for customers. This makes local SEO in NYC one of the most challenging, but also one of the most important, local SEO markets. Similarly, Chicago is home to about 230,000 businesses, and Houston has over 200,000 businesses. The density of businesses means that customers have a lot of choices. In a big city, a customer might need to buy a new pair of shoes. They could go to the local mom-and-pop shop, or they could choose from any number of big box stores or online retailers. The customer is going to choose the business that is the easiest to find and that offers the best value. By getting to the top of the search engine results, businesses can increase their visibility and make it more likely that customers will choose them. To capitalize in these competitive markets, businesses need to have a well-optimized website and an SEO plan that is designed specifically for their city. The same SEO strategies that work for one area might not work as well in another, so it’s important to tailor your plan to your specific location. TheSearchGeeks is a local SEO company that specializes in helping businesses rank higher on search engine results pages. We can help you create a customized local SEO plan that will help you get to the top of the results and win more customers.

More people means more potential customers

Of course, the flip side of having more businesses in a city is that there are also more potential customers. In Chicago, for example, there over 2.7 million people are living in city. That’s a lot of potential customers for local businesses to reach out to! By simply driving more traffic to your website, you can convert more leads into customers. The more traffic that your website gets, the more likely you are to generate sales. If you can get to the top of the search engine results, you’ll be able to reach even more potential customers. Additionally, different people have different needs. People in big cities tend to be very diverse, with different needs and wants. This means that businesses need to be able to target their marketing to specific groups of people. For example, a business that sells baby clothes would want to target new parents, while a business that sells power tools would want to target homeowners and contractors. Local SEO can help businesses reach their target market by using specific keywords and targeted content.

People are searching for local businesses more than ever before

Thanks to the internet and smartphones, people are now more connected than ever before. This newfound connectivity has changed the way people shop and buy. According to Google, 88% of consumers who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit or call a business within 24 hours. Additionally, a new study shows that 78% of local mobile searches result in an offline purchase. This just goes to show how important it is for businesses to have a strong presence online. About 63,000 google searches are being performed every second and out of that, 46% are local searches! The opportunity for your business to be found online has never been greater yet it is still being overlooked by many businesses. Another major way people find local businesses is through social media. Liquor store social media is especially important for those in the industry.

Reviews are more important than ever before

In the past, people would rely on word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family when looking for a local business. While this is still a powerful form of marketing, online reviews have become increasingly important in recent years. In fact, according to BrightLocal’s Consumer Review Survey, 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendations. This means that businesses need to be actively monitoring and managing their online reputation. Additionally, Google has stated that online reviews are a major ranking factor in their algorithm. So, not only do positive reviews make your business more trustworthy in the eyes of potential customers, but they can also help you rank higher in search results! This makes it critically important for businesses in competitive markets like NYC, Houston, and Chicago to have a solid Local SEO strategy that allows them to get noticed and get reviews! TheSearchGeeks can help you with this. We will work with you to create a customized plan that will help you rank higher and get more reviews!

How to get started on fixing your
local online presence:

Trust the experts!

TheSearchGeeks has a team of Local SEO experts who have years of experience helping businesses in competitive markets like NYC, Houston, and Chicago. We know what it takes to succeed in these markets and we can help you create a customized Local SEO plan that will get you results. Trusting an expert for Local SEO in NYC, Houston, and Chicago allows you to focus on your business while we take care of your digital transformation

The bottom line

Local SEO is more important than ever before, especially for businesses in competitive markets like NYC, Houston, and Chicago. With the surge of online searches and the importance of online reviews, It is critically important for businesses to have a strong online presence and to be actively managing their online reputation. Ranking at the top of Google is a necessity in these markets to reach potential customers. If you are curious about how well your Local SEO strategy is working, or if you need help getting started, contact TheSearchGeeks today!