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Focusing on local SEO can ensure your business gets more online visibility by ranking highly on Google. Local SEO success leads to a better online reputation, more traffic to your website, more calls to your physical business, and, eventually, more sales and revenue. Local SEO is also a no-brainer for businesses looking to gain a competitive advantage in their geographies.

Local business listings or directories are sites where customers can find business information. Some of the biggest directories are Google, Facebook, and Bing. However, there are also niche, industry-specific directories such as Healthgrades for healthcare and dental or Avvo for legal, where a business must ensure its presence to attract potential customers.

Google has a separate algorithm to determine local search rank, which is a function of the following three parameters:

• Distance - The closer you are to the customer, the higher you’ll rank
• Relevance - The closer your offerings are to the customer’s search query, the higher you’ll rank
• Prominence - Google looks at how your business is rated compared to others in the area. The better your online reputation, the higher your local search rank.

While several variables impact local search rankings, Google’s local search algorithm gives over 50% weightage to the completeness of your Google Business Profile, your reviews, and the accuracy of your local listings.

Managing your online reputation is a continuous process and not a one-time activity. It starts by asking your customers to review you after an appointment or a purchase. You also have to ensure that you respond to each review, especially the negative ones. Finally, you can use your reviews on your website and social channels to build further trust with potential customers.