How Adding Custom Services Can Increase Your Local Search Performance for Free

In today’s digital landscape, small businesses, like the one in our example in Springfield, IL, must find cost-effective ways to enhance their local search visibility. One powerful yet often overlooked strategy is adding custom services to your online presence. By fine-tuning your service offerings, you can improve your rankings on Google and attract more local customers without spending a dime.

Understanding Local Search and Heatmaps

Local search rankings are crucial for businesses that serve specific geographical areas. To measure and track your performance, heatmaps provide valuable insights into how well your business ranks across different locations.

What Are Local SEO Heatmaps?

A local SEO heatmap is a visual representation of your business's rankings across various points in a geographic area. It shows where your business appears in local search results, using color coding to indicate ranking strength:

Green: Top 3 rankings (excellent visibility)

Yellow: Ranks 4-10 (moderate visibility)

Red: Outside the top 10 (poor visibility)

Below, you'll see an example of a "before" heatmap where a business, like the one in our example in Springfield, IL, did not rank within the top 20 spots anywhere in the service area.

How to Read a Local SEO Heatmap

Understanding a heatmap can help identify weak points in your local SEO strategy. For example, in the "before" heatmap, the business showed no visibility across its target area. However, after implementing custom services, a significant improvement was achieved.

In the "after" heatmap, the business is now ranking 7th at its physical address, demonstrating how targeted service optimization can drive measurable results.

We'll be painting the map green in the near future with a slew of revamps, but it is interesting to see this isolated action changing results!

Why Custom Services Improve Local Search Visibility

Adding custom services to your online presence helps align your business with specific customer needs and local search intent. Here’s why it matters:

The Importance of Niche-Specific Services

When potential customers search for specialized services, they tend to use specific terms. For instance, instead of searching for "plumber," they might look for "emergency water heater repair." By offering and listing these custom services, businesses can:

-Increase their relevance for highly targeted searches

-Reduce competition by focusing on niche services

-Stand out from generic competitors

How It Affects Google’s Local Algorithm

Google prioritizes businesses that clearly define their offerings and align with search queries. Adding custom services allows you to:

-Show up in more relevant local searches in Springfield, IL, and surrounding areas

-Improve relevance signals in Google's algorithm

-Increase the likelihood of appearing in the Local Pack and Google Maps results

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Custom Services

Follow these simple steps to enhance your local search presence with custom services:

1. Identify Key Services:

-Research what customers in your city and nearby towns are searching for by analyzing using tools like Google Keyword Planner or checking your website's own search keywords with Google Search Console.

2. Update Your Google Business Profile:

-Log into your profile and navigate to the "Services" section.

-Add specific services that match your target audience's needs.

-Add your services in with cities like "Plumbing Jacksonville" for local towns you service as well.

See Your Own Heatmap for Free!

Curious to see how your business ranks locally? Discover areas for improvement with a free online presence audit from Elevated Ideas. Get a customized heatmap showing your business's current rankings and insights on where to focus your SEO efforts.

Claim Your Free Audit Here

By implementing custom services and tracking your progress through heatmaps, your business can achieve better rankings and drive more local traffic, all without spending a penny. Start optimizing today!