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Local SEO Services for Small Businesses

Best Local SEO Services for Small Businesses

Find a local SEO service provider that will help your business succeed from our top picks for 2024

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Traffic can make or break a business, both the online and in-person kind. If you need a way to boost your traffic and increase revenue, you’re in the right place. Local search engine optimization (SEO) services use proven strategies, tools, and current trends to drive more traffic and customers to your business. It’s a vital tool that every business owner needs to utilize. Unfortunately, there are a lot of SEO facts and opinions floating around out there, and it gets confusing.

To help you sort through the top professional SEO services, we’ve compiled a guide identifying the best SEO companies. The following will help you select the perfect solution to your local SEO needs. We provide all the details, including pricing, pros and cons, and expert reviews.

Our Top Picks

Small Business Local SEO Services Reviews

Our guide will help you identify the best local SEO services for small businesses. Our research began with a list of 31 high-profile local SEO companies. After diving into features, pricing, customer support, and consumer reviews, we narrowed our list down to the five best professional SEO services.

No matter your industry or the size of your business, our guide has you covered. Check out our methodology section below to learn more about our comprehensive research.

Thrive Internet Marketing Agency

Best for Consistent Results

Thrive Internet Marketing helps small businesses attract, impress, and convert online leads through digital marketing, SEO strategy, social media marketing services, reputation management, web design, and e-commerce, such as Amazon marketing.

Renowned for their proven track record and customized strategies, Thrive excels in delivering tangible results, making them an ideal online marketing partner.

BrightLocal

Best for Assessing Local Search Performance

BrightLocal is a trusted and innovative digital marketing and SEO agency that empowers small businesses with the tools and insights needed to thrive in the competitive online landscape. With a comprehensive suite of SEO, local SEO, reputation management, and local marketing solutions, BrightLocal provides you with the means to boost your online visibility and drive customer engagement, ensuring lasting success in the digital age.

SEO Discovery

Best All-In-One Option

SEO Discovery serves businesses that want to enhance their digital presence through local SEO strategy. With deep experience and a global reach, SEO Discovery crafts customized strategies that elevate your online visibility, attract organic traffic, and position your business for digital success.

Searchbloom

Best for Technical SEO

Searchbloom is a digital marketing agency known for equipping small businesses with a robust online presence through their proprietary Authority Relevancy Technology (ART) of local SEO.

It offers several free and paid tools specializing in SEO, PPC, and web design. Their in-house expert team creates SEO that produces enhanced visibility and fosters growth, making Searchbloom a go-to partner for small businesses seeking digital success.

1SEO

Best for Comprehensive Short-Term Contracts

1SEO is a digital marketing agency specializing in tailored solutions for small businesses. Services include digital marketing advertising, local SEO, paid advertising, and creative services. 1SEO creates flexible, custom plans (and pricing structures) for each company to deliver exactly what you need and can afford. With a proven track record backed by case studies of online success, 1SEO will empower your business to thrive online.

On this page:

Compare the best Local SEO Services side-by-side

BrandBest forStarting PriceFree Option
Thrive Internet MarketingConsistent ResultsRequest a priceNo
BrightLocalAssessing$39 / month14-day free trial
SEO DiscoveryAll-In-One Solution$250 / monthFree 30-minute consultation call
SearchbloomTechnical SEORequest a quoteFree marketing plan
1SEOComprehensive Short-Term ContractsRequest a quoteFree consultation

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is a digital marketing tool that enhances your business’s visibility in online searches within your immediate area. It involves optimizing your website and online presence to ensure that potential customers in your local community can easily find you when searching for the products or services you offer.

What are local SEO ranking factors?

Local SEO ranking factors are the various things search engines like Google search for when determining the position of a business or website in local search results. 

These factors are crucial in deciding which companies appear at the top of local search listings. According to Guy Sheetrit, Founder of Over the Top SEO, who has generated over a million leads and generated over 16 million dollars in revenue for local brands, “There are several local SEO ranking factors, but the most important factors include Google My Business listing, NAP consistency in local citations, click-through rate from search results, keywords, and review quality.”

Let’s break those down for you:

  • Google My Business (GMB) or a Google Business Profile is the information and optimization of your Google My Business listing, including completeness and accuracy.
  • Consistent NAP is your business information, including your company name, address, and phone number in data, categories, and customer reviews.
  • On-page SEO campaign means optimizing your website’s on-page elements, such as title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and content, for local keywords and location.
  • Citations are the number and consistency of mentions of your NAP information across various online directories, websites, and local business listings.
  • Online reviews matter both in quality and quantity, as well as the sentiment and interactions associated with those reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook.
  • Click-through rates indicate the engagement and interactions of users with your business online.

Expert AJ Silberman-Moffitt agrees. Silberman-Moffitt, a business professional with over 30 years of experience, including Senior Editor of the SEO department and the Buzz Ambassador at Tandem Buzz, and recently named a Top Copywriting Voice by LinkedIn, says, “In addition to your profile, you should encourage customers to leave Google reviews, as this is a ranking factor. You also want to ensure you create backlinks to your site. It’s one thing for you to give yourself praise, but getting the support of others can help establish your credibility.”

Silberman-Moffitt also lists content marketing, general SEO, and a good user experience once a person lands on your site as must-have ranking features.

What are the benefits of local SEO services for a small business?

There are many benefits for a small business using local SEO efforts. The biggest is an increased online presence that boosts your brand awareness. Others include:  

  • Enhanced online presence
  • Engagement with local customers
  • Improved visibility in local search results
  • Increased customers and business
  • Higher ranking and access to your vital information
  • Cost-effective marketing strategy
  • Precise audience targeting
  • Efficient customer acquisition
  • Higher competitive edge
  • Improved online reputation
  • Business growth in your local market

Even just having an optimized Google Business Profile can be a tremendous help.

Silberman-Moffitt explains, “There are many benefits of having an optimized Google Business Profile. Per Google, those businesses with completed profiles have a 70% better chance of getting website visitors. On top of that, these businesses also have a 50% greater chance of visitors making a purchase from them.

Even more beneficial is how customers will think a business is considered reputable—2.7 times more likely—than what they think of businesses without completed profiles.”

How much does local SEO cost?

Pricing for local SEO services is all over the place. Of those we reviewed, prices range from $39 (BrightLocal) to $250 (SEO Discovery) a month. But experts say it can cost even more. 

“Local SEO services can cost from $500 to $5000 depending on the project scope. For small businesses looking to keep these costs down, I recommend studying free marketing resources provided by Google and implementing them,” says Sheetrit.

While this can seem like a considerable expense to a small business, Silberman-Moffitt finds it worth every penny. “Think about how long it would take to learn and utilize SEO best practices, and then think about how that time could be better spent focusing on other aspects of your company. When all is said and done, regardless of how much the services cost, you’ll realize it was money well spent,” she said.

Local SEO Services Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why is SEO important for small businesses?

SEO is crucial for small businesses because it enhances online visibility, attracts targeted traffic, builds credibility and trust, and offers a cost-effective marketing strategy. It allows you to compete with large corporations, especially through local SEO. SEO services provide valuable analytics and allow you to adapt to changing market conditions, ensuring long-term results and a competitive edge.

How do I optimize my website for local SEO?

A comprehensive approach to local SEO will help your website rank higher in local search results, driving more targeted traffic to your small business.

Optimizing your website for local SEO involves doing as many of these key steps as possible:

  • Ensure a consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) on all pages.
  • Create a dedicated “Contact Us” or “Locations” page with detailed location information.
  • Utilize schema markup to provide search engines with structured data about your business.
  • Encourage customer reviews, respond to them promptly, and include testimonials on your site.
  • Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile listing.
  • List your business in relevant local directories.
  • Ensure your website is mobile-friendly for users on the go.
  • Create localized content, such as blog posts or landing pages that target local keywords and topics.
  • High-quality link-building from local websites and organizations.

How much should a small business pay for SEO services?

The cost for local SEO services varies by your location and your exact needs. We have identified prices as low as $39 a month, but some experts say it can range up to $5,000 monthly. While paying a service to handle local SEO for you will save you a considerable amount of time, you can do a few minor things to cut costs, such as creating a consistent NAP, a dedicated contact page, and a Google Business Profile.

Basically, the more you learn to do yourself, the more you will save. Just don’t let it become too time-consuming that it prevents you from focusing on your core business.

Methodology: How we chose the best local SEO services for small businesses

We compiled a list of 31 small business SEO services. Out of these, we identified five prominent vendors that garner significant online attention due to their offered features, customer support, and brand reputation.

Our information-gathering process involves collecting and verifying data from the pool of vendors through:

  • Interviews
  • Videos
  • Live demonstrations
  • Reviews of vendor and parent company websites

We also implemented our proprietary rating system, assigning scores from 1 (subpar) to 5 (outstanding) in the following categories:

  • Features
  • Pricing transparency
  • Onboarding and support
  • Brand reputation

Each of these categories carried a weight of 25% in our overall evaluation. In assessing local SEO services for small businesses, we placed emphasis on the following key features:

  • A variety of SEO services offered
  • Thorough performance dashboard
  • Short-term contracts
  • Marketing extras and add-ons
  • Up-to-date strategies

This thorough combination of research and interviews created this buying guide. We’re confident you’ll find it helpful in identifying the best professional SEO services to meet your business’s unique needs.


About the Authors

Raechel Conover headshot

Raechel covers HR, finance, technology, and small business software for the NAWBO Expert Reviews Team. As an experienced journalist and small business owner, she is passionate about helping entrepreneurs make informed purchasing decisions.

jamie ostroe headshot

Bringing more than a decade of editorial experience to the NAWBO Expert Reviews Team, Jamie is dedicated to ensuring articles are accurate and helpful. Her experience running a small business inspires her to help others choose the best products for their unique business needs.

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