In France, nearly 46% of Google searches are local. And 86% of consumers use Google Maps to locate businesses.
Local SEO focuses on improving your website’s ranking on search engines within a specific geographic area. The goal? Attract more potential customers to your physical location. Standing out in your local catchment area is crucial for businesses with a physical presence.
Want to know how to get found on Google? Here are our top tips to boost your local SEO.
Why Invest in Local SEO?
Local SEO is about getting your business to show up in search engine results pages (SERPs) for location-based queries. It’s especially vital for industries like restaurants, hospitality, retail, artisans, and service providers operating locally.
Benefits of Local SEO
- Attract nearby customers – They’ll be aware of your physical store. A business that isn’t listed risks losing credibility.
- Improve visibility in your target area.
- Gain a competitive edge over local competitors.
- Drive quality traffic – People making local searches are often ready to buy. For example, someone searching “Chinese restaurant” at 7 p.m. is likely looking for dinner right now.
4 Tips to Improve Your Local SEO
1. Keep Your Business Profile Up to Date
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is free and essential for local visibility. Regularly update your listing with:
- Essential business details (hours, phone, address)
- High-quality photos
- Relevant business attributes
- Responses to reviews and private messages
- FAQs and answers
- Special offers or services
Highlight what makes your store unique.
2. Optimize Your Website’s SEO
Offer a seamless user experience (UX) across all devices — desktop, mobile, and tablet. Ensure your N.A.P. (name, address, phone number) is consistent across all platforms.
Google’s ranking signals for Local Pack results:
- Business profile: 32%
- Reviews: 20%
- On-page SEO: 16%
- Links: 14%
- Behavioral signals: 10%
- Citations: 8%
For organic results:
- On-page SEO: 34%
- Links: 30%
- Behavioral: 12%
- Business profile: 10%
- Citations: 8%
- Reviews: 6%
3. Encourage Positive Google Reviews
- 2 out of 3 French consumers read online reviews.
- 3 out of 5 won’t visit a business rated below 3.5/5.
- Positive reviews increase contact rates by 39%.
- 90% of users read business responses to negative reviews.
Top 3 ways to collect reviews:
- Ask in person
- Email follow-up
- SMS request
4. Leverage Social Media
Being active on social platforms boosts local SEO and helps create community engagement. Choose your channels based on audience, sector, and goals.
SMS Marketing: A Local SEO Power Tool
From 2020 to 2021, SMS marketing grew by 18%. Though often overlooked, it offers a real competitive advantage for local retailers.
Why Use SMS for Local Reach?
- Simplicity: 160-character messages are quick and easy to send and remember.
- Speed: 97% of SMS messages are opened — over 90% are read immediately.
- Low planning: Compared to emails or social campaigns, SMS is fast and flexible.
Types of SMS Campaigns
- Promotional / Commercial SMS – Promote offers, news, events
- Informational / Transactional SMS – Send updates, alerts, or confirmations
This channel is perfect for reaching offline users who may not browse the web. 84% of French people aged 12+ own a smartphone.
High ROI and Flexible Pricing
SMS campaigns are cost-effective, with rates decreasing based on volume. For best results, schedule your bulk SMS sends on:
- Tuesdays or Thursdays,
- 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Bonus: SMS Drives Loyalty
SMS offers direct communication and a stronger customer connection — essential for building a presence in a small, local market.
Ready to launch an interactive SMS campaign and engage your core audience?
Dataventure can help you build a custom drive-to-store strategy.
Use geo-targeting to bring traffic to your store. Create responsive landing pages or mobile microsites with our in-house studio. Explore multiple modules to optimize your SMS campaign performance.
Contact us to learn more.
