When it comes to marketing a small business, there are few strategies as powerful as the combination of social media marketing and local SEO.
You might already know that these marketing activities are important. But what you may not realise is that they can actually work together to make your business more visible, trusted, and accessible to your local audience.
The thing is, social media marketing and local SEO marketing compliment each other, which means there is an opportunity for small businesses to leverage their power.
The bonus is you don’t need to be an expert in either to make them work for you. With a little know-how, you can use these two strategies to drive real, tangible results for your business.
What’s the Connection Between Social Media and Local SEO?
At first glance, social media marketing and local SEO might seem like separate strategies. But when used together, they create a dynamic marketing combo that can improve your online presence and bring more foot traffic to your store.
Local SEO focuses on making sure your business shows up when local customers search for your products or services. Think about when someone types “best coffee shop near me” or “plumber in Sydney”— local SEO ensures that your business is the first to appear in these searches.
On the other hand, social media marketing allows you to reach your community, develop connections and build relationships as you engage your audience, and build a loyal customer base.
But here’s the key: social media can directly impact your local SEO rankings.
How Social Media Directly Boosts Your Local SEO
While it may seem like social media is just for building brand awareness, it actually plays a critical role in improving your local search rankings as well. Here’s how:
1. Increased Traffic to Your Website
Every time you share a link on social media, whether it’s a new blog post, a special promotion, or a product update, you’re driving traffic to your website.
Google loves websites with consistent traffic, and this engagement helps to boost your local SEO rankings. The more people visit your site via social media, the more likely you are to climb the ranks in search results.
2. Encourages More Brand Searches
When people engage with your posts and hear about your business on social media, they are more likely to search for your brand on Google.
This could look like typing in your business name directly or looking for terms like “best bakery in Melbourne” if that’s what you specialise in. This behaviour signals to Google that your business is important, improving your local search ranking.
3. Social Proof and Reviews
Customer reviews are critical for local SEO, and social media is an excellent platform to be able to generate them. Customers who interact with your business online are likely to leave positive feedback, either on your Facebook page or Google Business Profile.
These reviews can directly improve your ranking in local search results, especially if you are receiving them consistently, keeping them fresh and relevant.
Optimising Social Media for Local SEO
So, how do you make sure your social media pages are actually working for you in terms of local SEO?
Here’s the secret: consistency and optimisation.
1. Fill Out All the Details
This might sound obvious, but it’s crucial to complete your profile on every social media platform. Include your business name, address, and phone number (NAP).
Make sure it matches exactly how it appears on your Google Business Profile and website. Consistent NAP information across platforms is a huge ranking factor for local SEO.
2. Geotagging Your Posts
Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow you to add location tags to your posts.
Tagging your business location every time you post not only helps your followers find you but also boosts your local search visibility. Whether it’s a photo from your store in Sydney or a community event you attended in Brisbane, geotagging ensures your business appears in local searches on these platforms.
3. Engage with Local Businesses to Strengthen your SEO
Interacting with other local businesses on social media isn’t just about good networking—it can directly benefit your local SEO footprint.
As you engage with businesses in your area by tagging them in posts, sharing their content, or collaborating on promotions, you increase your visibility within the local community and signal to search engines that your business is active and relevant.
Mentions, backlinks, and shared audience engagement help boost your authority, making it more likely that Google will rank your business higher in local searches.
Whether it’s partnering on a giveaway, commenting on a local business’s post, or featuring each other in Stories, these small interactions add up to big local SEO gains.
Driving Traffic to Your Local Listings Using Social Media
If you’re working on improving your local SEO, your Google Business Profile (GBP) and local listings are essential. But how do you drive more traffic to them from your social media platforms?
1. Share Your Google Business Profile
Don’t be shy about linking your Google Business Profile in your social media posts or bio. This makes it easy for people to leave reviews or contact you directly. More visits and more reviews on your GBP will directly impact your local SEO rankings.
2. Post About Local Events or Partnerships
As a local business, you should be engaging with the community in every way you can. Share posts about local events, new collaborations, or local promotions. This kind of content signals to both Google and your followers that you are a part of your community, which helps to boost your local SEO.
3. Encourage Customer Interaction
When customers engage with your posts—whether by liking, commenting, or sharing—it helps your visibility in local search results. The more people talk about your business, the more Google takes notice.
How Local Businesses Are Thriving with Social Media and Local SEO
Let’s take a look at how one business used social media and local SEO together to boost their visibility.
Case Study: A local hair salon in Sydney combined social media marketing with local SEO by consistently sharing high-quality posts about new haircuts, client testimonials, and local events. They tagged their location in every post, asked clients to leave Google reviews, and shared content from local influencers.
Result: After 3 months, they saw a 30% increase in foot traffic and a significant improvement in their Google search rankings for “best hair salon in Sydney.”
This example shows just how much social media can impact local SEO when you implement a thoughtful, community-focused strategy.
Want to Combine Your Social Media Marketing Efforts with Local SEO?
Droid Media helps local businesses grow by combining strategic social media marketing with local SEO to boost visibility and attract more customers.
If you want to strengthen your local presence but aren’t sure if you’re on the right track, then let’s have a quick, no-pressure chat.
We’ll discuss your current marketing efforts, identify any gaps, and help you map out your next best step.
