Local SEO for E-commerce: Strategies to Optimise Your Online Store

Local SEO for online stores? You read it right! E-commerce can benefit significantly from this tactic. 

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Local SEO is powerful for attracting local customers and increasing visibility in geo-relevant results.

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Also, searches that have local intent, such as “buy electronics near me,” tend to be further along the buying funnel, which attracts those who are ready to buy. 

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Need a multidimensional strategy to attract clients in your local markets, boost conversions, and establish trust? Then, dip into the guide prepared for you!

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1. What is local SEO for e-commerce?

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SEO for e-commerce in local search targets the visibility of your online store in the local search results to increase your e-commerce store’s chances of consumer visibility within your area.

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Therefore, the purpose is to get locals searching for terms such as “near me” or “[product]+near me,” or even “[product]+in [city],’” which means your e-commerce store will appear among the top-searched results in SERP.

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Local SEO helps your e-commerce site target customers who are searching for products provided in your area. It’s a must for you if your business:

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• Operates physical outlets and would like to increase traffic to the outlets.
• Provides delivery services to a specific region or delivers services to customers within a certain locality.
• Functions in highly competitive markets where local targeting can be a solid competitive advantage.

All such stores that are fully operational online but have regional services, such as quicker delivery in some areas, may also find local SEO for e-commerce helpful.

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2. Local SEO strategies to optimise your store

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Local SEO is an effective way of targeting customers—and, fortunately, this type of SEO for e-commerce doesn’t always have to be a big investment in time or money to achieve the desired effect.

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You can perform it internally if you have the right tools to help you in the process. 

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We recently outlined how AI in e-commerce drives results.

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Above all, there are specialised platforms, such as SE Ranking, that can help you avoid overlooking anything when managing multiple Google Business profiles consistently.

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From getting your business featured in local directories to gathering insights from your user reviews—they include everything needed to track your positions in local searches for multiple target areas. 

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2.1 Optimise Google Business profile 

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Having a Google Business Profile (GBP) is vital to local search rankings and improved visibility. 

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To begin, create and manage your GBP listing. Find your business on Google or Google Maps—if the listing for the product is already present, take over the listing. 

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Ask colleagues to share their old mailbox credentials to restore access to the listing.

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If, for some reason, they can’t access the email, you will have to go through account recovery, described in the video below on "How to use Google Business Profile Appeal Tool".

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If your e-commerce business does not have a listing, create one and follow the procedures for verifying it.

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Include information about your business, such as your business name, address, phone number (NAP), and others. It is advisable to follow Google’s Content Guidelines to avoid getting banned for any reason. 

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Aesthetics are critical.

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The best photo and video material should be posted: the team, the logo, and the work process. Include your products and services in your GBP to offer the customers a direct link to your e-commerce website.

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Use features created with certain industries in mind. For instance, a bakery could link with applications for food delivery.

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2.2 Expand Your E-commerce SEO Keyword Strategy

You don’t need to change a lot of things in your SEO strategy, but incorporating local keywords into the page title, meta description, and localised content is a good point to start.

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Currently, the searches you are targeting are most probably broader terms. However, to hone to your local customers, use local phrases like: 

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• Organic skincare -> Organic skincare in Paris
• Custom furniture -> Custom furniture in Lyon
• Luxury vacation rentals -> Luxury vacation rentals in Marseille

How do you get the right keywords for your business? It basically comes down to finding the middle ground between what people are looking for and what is possible to rank for.

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Here are a couple of easy ways to get started with your local SEO strategy:

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• Google Keyword Planner. This free tool for AdWords users lets you enter a starting phrase, and it’ll give you a list of related keywords and how many people search for them. 
• Google Autocomplete. All you have to do is enter a phrase into the Google search and see what comes up. For instance, if you are searching for a “Marseille bakery,” you could well be presented with “Marseille bakery delivery,” “gluten-free bakery Marseille,” or even a “vegan bakery in Marseille.”

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After you have your list of keywords, use them in your website content—as you normally would, with no stuffing.

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2.3 Craft Localised Store Pages and Other Content

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Create product descriptions and content that speak to your local customers and make your products part of their local lives.

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You can also mention landmarks, popular cultural places, and how your products help to meet the needs of the locals.

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It would be beneficial to include:

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• Google Map embed
• The store’s opening hours
• Information about other related shops in the vicinity
• Detailed services and amenities can be found in that store
• Metadata that includes Title Tags, H1 tags, and Meta Descriptions
• The brief history of the store and its location. Reference local amenities to give Google more information, such as whether your business is near transport facilities.

2.4 Implement Local Search Structured Data

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Structured data can be quite useful for enhancing Google’s local ranking signal. Implementing local Business Structured Data can add such optimisation.

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It’s important for your store to appear within the local search results, which can be valuable when you are up against larger and more established brands.

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Optimising for the Local Pack (three local results at the top of Google Maps and SERP) can increase traffic significantly.

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2.5 Build Local Backlinks for E-commerce

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For local SEO, it’s important to establish a relationship with your community, and backlinks can help with that. The more chatter about your business within your locale, the more people will believe in your business.

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First of all, try to get listed on websites like Trustpilot, business listings, or any other local directories.

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Whenever possible, verify your business profile. Then, look at the vertical directories and ensure your NAP is accurate throughout the business listings. Small things like that count.

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Another great way to obtain backlinks is to cooperate with local media outlets or influencers.

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Gaining a shoutout from them and local citations can be really helpful in promoting your online profile. And if you can do it with another local business, it’s a win-win because you both benefit.

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2.6 Work with Customer Reviews 

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To ensure that your local e-commerce SEO listing is active and appealing, respond to customers through updates, comments, and questions.

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Since your customers’ reviews and ratings can influence your rankings, search engines use them to determine how high you rank.

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Of course, collecting customers’ feedback is important for winning their trust on local search sites.

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It also educates new visitors about your business and increases the click-through rates on your e-commerce website.

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Here’s how to do that effectively to improve local SEO strategies:

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• Ask local users to leave reviews on directories.
• Gather the reviews through online surveys using email addresses or phone contact details. 
• Place review buttons on product pages. Allow customers to rate products at the shopfronts from which they shop.
• Never ignore negative comments. Be very polite to change things and gain trust back—that’s the best way to handle such a situation.

2.7 Ensure Quality Mobile Optimisation 

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Your website must function without glitches on any device—mobile, tablet, or PC.

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If your site isn’t built responsively, you are losing customers. Long loading times, difficult navigation, and an extremely small font size will scare local customers away.

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Also, since voice search is becoming more important for a local SEO strategy, you will need to optimise for it well.

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People are changing their search queries, which used to be akin to “best pizza,” to something more specific, like “Where can I find the best pizza near me?”

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Using natural language in your content and answering some of the most asked questions will help you rank well on local voice search results.

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3. Bottom Line

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Local SEO strategies are a total game-changer for e-commerce SEO. Want to be the king of your locality?

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Then, it’s time to fine-tune your online presence—get your Google Business Profile right, build local backlinks, refine your keywords, and ensure your site is mobile-friendly.

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It’s time to start using them to drive traffic, increase conversion rates, and gain more local search traffic.