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Exeter is a thriving city in Devon with a bustling local economy and growing population. This can make it an excellent place to start a business, but you will find that it can be competitive in many industries. In order for any Exeter-based business to survive in today’s internet-driven marketplace, it is important to have a strong presence in local search engine results pages. Local SEO is an essential strategy for any Exeter-based business, and this post will show you why it is so important and key to your success in 2025 and beyond. Interested? Keep reading to find out more.
Local SEO Defined
Before looking at the main reasons why local SEO is so important for businesses in Exeter, it is worth defining local SEO. HubSpot defines local SEO as:
“The process of improving search engine visibility for local businesses, primarily those with brick-and-mortar locations. By following local SEO best practices, businesses can improve organic traffic from searches performed by customers in nearby areas." https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/local-seo"
Essentially, local SEO will get your business noticed when people are searching for products/services you provide in the Exeter region. This is particularly beneficial for businesses that are targeting local residents, visitors, and/or businesses.
Why Is Local SEO Important for Exeter Businesses
So, why exactly is local SEO important for businesses in the Exeter area? Here are a few of the main reasons:
Local Search is a Powerful Tool
First, you will find that local search is a powerful tool. As many as 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information, so you want to make sure that you are easy to find when your target market is looking for products/services you provide in the Exeter area. If a small business is looking for a digital marketing agency, for example, then they will search for “Exeter marketing agency” or “marketing agency Exeter.” Local SEO will ensure you are visible and easy to find by your target market.
Increase Organic Traffic
Being highly visible online is key in today’s internet-driven marketplace, but you also want organic traffic to your website. Local SEO helps improve your local SERP ranking, which will always lead to an increase in organic traffic to your website. An increase in traffic should lead to an increase in conversions, provided that you have a high-quality website that is intuitive and easy to use. Even if you do not sell online, an increase in organic traffic is hugely valuable and should lead to more walk-ins.
Raise Your Community Profile
Another important reason - yet one often overlooked - to invest in local SEO is that it can raise your community profile. Exeter is a busy city, but it is also one with a strong community spirit. Local SEO will raise your profile and help you connect with other businesses and residents - this is key for building trust and developing a positive reputation.
Stand Out In A Competitive Marketplace
There is the potential for high levels of success in a thriving city like Exeter, but it can also be hard to stand out online and get noticed. It is fiercely competitive online, so you need to be smart when it comes to digital marketing. Local SEO will help you leapfrog the competition and stand out in a competitive marketplace.
Top Tips For Local SEO
It is clear why local SEO is so important for businesses in the Exeter area, so here are a few tips that will help you boost your visibility in local searches.
Optimise Your Google My Business (GMB) Profile
One of the most important tools for local SEO is Google My Business. In fact, statistics from Google show that customers are 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from a company with a completed GMB profile. Therefore, you want to fill out all of the sections with accurate and up-to-date information.
Use Local Keywords
You also want to perform keyword research to determine what search terms are being used by your target market and integrate these keywords into your content. Using the above-mentioned example of an Exeter marketing agency, there are various variations of this that could work, such as:
Digital marketing agencies Exeter
Digital marketing agency Exeter
Exeter digital marketing agency
Content marketing agency Exeter
Exeter digital agency
Obtain Backlinks from Local Sources
A strong backlink profile is always important for SEO, but for local search, you want backlinks from credible local sources. This could include links from local media, popular blogs, local websites, and business directories. Links from these sources will signify to Google that you are a credible and authoritative resource in the local area, which will help improve your visibility in local searches.
Obtain Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are hugely important in terms of local SEO and building trust. Therefore, you should always follow up with customers and ask them to leave a review. When you have multiple positive reviews, it will improve your ranking and also make it much easier to convert interested visitors into customers.
Optimise For Mobile
Finally, you need to make sure your website is optimised for mobile. Google has implemented mobile-first indexing in recent times, which means it is the mobile version of a site’s content that is crawled using a smartphone agent. This is not surprising as over 50% of web traffic comes from mobile these days, particularly local search, as people will often search for local businesses on their phone while out and about. Optimising for mobile will improve your local ranking while also improving the user experience.
For businesses in Exeter, local SEO is one of the best ways to boost your business in 2025. Exeter can be a great city to run a business in, but it is also highly competitive. Therefore, you must make sure that you are highly visible online and easy to find by your target audience when searching for products/services you provide. Local SEO will improve your visibility online, increase organic traffic, raise your profile, and help you stand out from the crowd.
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