Did you know that 82 percent of consumers now do research on their smartphones before making a purchase? Or that 45 percent read online reviews before finalizing their purchasing decisions? 

A website represents the most important tool that a business has. While the business model proves unique for an addiction treatment center, that doesn't mean your company gets a pass when it comes to your online presence, 

You still need to be found online. To the people you stand to help, it's crucial that your rehab center pops up in local SEO. After all, you're in the business of saving lives, and you can only do this if your company proves easy to find online. 

This means moving beyond basic SEO. Otherwise, the life-saving services that you offer will never get found by those who need them most. 

Read on to learn more about how local SEO services can work for you.  

Local Search Marketing 101

Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) represents the most effective way to gain marketing traction online. Because of its location-specific nature, it ensures that people within the radius of your rehab center can easily find you.

In essence, it enhances the relevancy of searches that people do, giving them easy access to nearby companies rather than results from all over the world. According to Google, 46 percent of searches exhibit a clear local intent. 

Now, remember those figures about smartphone searches?

It's important to understand that smartphone search has been instrumental in the rise of local SEO. People search on their phones when they need immediate results and instant gratification.

They search for companies on their phone when they want to find something close to their physical location. Whether you're a restaurant or a rehab center, the intent of such searches remains immediate results. 

So, how does local SEO work? There are many different ways to optimize for local SEO. To know what's right for your rehab center, let's dig a bit deeper into the underlying differences between general SEO and local SEO.

SEO Versus Local SEO

The level of purchase intent differs when it comes to various types of search engine queries.

For example, an individual who searches "symptoms of alcoholism" implies far less intent than the individual who searches "alcohol rehab near me" or "alcohol rehab [location]." 

In other words, they are in different locations on the Customer Journey. Or, in the case of addiction, they are in different places on the road to recognizing addiction for what it is and researching the best path to rehab. 

When it comes to search today, if a potential client searches via Google Maps or if Google knows their location, then their search results will be automatically populated with local companies. 

So, individuals no longer need to include wording such as "near me" or the name of their city in a search. But many people still do. The bottom line is their expectation of finding a nearby location where they can go immediately.

In other words, if Google assumes your intent is finding a local business, then those options will pop up front and center. In a nutshell, this is why local SEO proves so important.

If your addiction treatment center isn't optimized to show up in local searches, then you're losing out on highly qualified leads. Because the vast majority of those searching for local rehab services are ready to commit to recovery. 

Local SEO for Small Business

What's your goal when it comes to Local SEO? To be found in the "3-pack" or "local pack." These terms refer to the list of three local businesses that come up as a block below the map in Google search results with local intent. 

Getting featured in this "local pack" proves crucial to your rehab center's success. It also means a variety of information about your business gets highlighted. This includes your review rates, photos, and opening times.

Where does all of this additional information come from? None other than your Google My Business profile. This profile is a crucial element of local SEO marketing and one that'll only increase in importance as Google expands its local search capabilities.

Information from your Google My Business profile can show up in a variety of ways on search engine results pages (SERPs) including Google maps, the local pack, and as branded searches for your rehab center (a.k.a. the Knowledge Panel).

So, how much input do you have when it comes to your addiction treatment center's Google My Business profile? You can input your treatment centers service hours, category, description, contact details, and services offered.

But other areas such as your profile attributes, Q&As, and reviews depend almost entirely on online consumers. 

What can you do to harness the full potential of your Google My Business profile? Keep your profile accurate and up-to-date. Include photos and information that enhance the attractiveness and trustworthiness of your rehab center.

That way, more people will trust and click through to your business. That said, Google My Business is just one of many citations. Keep reading to find out more about how these work.

What Citations Are and Why They Matter 

When it comes to Local SEO marketing, you need to understand the concept of citations. Citations refer to any place your business's NAPW appears online. NAPW refers to your treatment centers' name, address, phone number and website URL.

Where do you find citations? They appear on business listings websites in online directories. 

For your local SEO efforts to be successful, it's crucial that you get your NAPW in the right places. That way, people looking for addiction help in your area can easily find you.

And if you fail to do this? Then, you'll lose out on the competitive edge that location can give you. 

Two types of citations exist:

• Structured

• Unstructured

Structured citations refer to your business listings. They get populated from form fields that you filled out when your listing was claimed.

As for unstructured citations? These generally come from social media and the press. These are instances where your NAPW appears in a news piece, just not in a structured format. 

What do citations mean for your addiction treatment center? When it comes to local SEO, you can't underestimate their importance. 

Citations and Local SEO

Did you know that 68 percent of people stop using a local business when they find inaccurate information in online directories? As you can see, citations can have a major impact on whether or not people choose your rehab center or another one.

In fact, they prove so important that in the local SEO marketing world, getting these citations often gets referred to as "table stakes" or "playing the game." 

In other words, it's time to get savvy about building citations in the most useful online spaces. Just make sure your citations get regularly cleaned up and updated.

Ranking Well in Local Search

This all begs the question: how do I rank well in local SEO? To do this, you need to understand the three basic factors of local SEO:

• Relevance

• Proximity

• Prominence

Relevance refers to how relevant your products and services are to individuals searching the internet. Proximity deals with how close your business is to the individual involved in a search. And prominence has to do with your reviews.

To get the ball rolling on your Local SEO rankings, get listed in online business directories. Especially Google My Business (GMB). By setting up your GMB profile you put your rehab center on the map. 

Just make sure to input all of your center's information accurately and in detail so that you can take full advantage of local SEO's three factors: relevance, proximity, and prominence. 

These factors will help you ensure you get ranked in "Position 0." This refers to the position even higher than rank one at the very top of your location search results. 

Get Listed on the SAMHSA Website

Each industry has its own best practices when it comes to ranking high in local search. For addiction rehab facilities, make sure that you get listed on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website. 

This directory will help to ensure your rehab center comes up at the top of searches for your area. But how does it work?

When individuals start searching for rehab help online, they very quickly get directed to SAMHSA's site. As a part of this site, consumers can search for a rehab treatment center by location.

This will place your center in front of those who need it. It'll also help with all of your Google rankings.

You see, Google likes authoritative, official sites. So, when your website gets listed on something like the SAMHSA, your rankings will increase. 

Craft a Hyperlocal Blog

You should also explore starting a blog where you can speak specifically to members of your community. A blog gives you the opportunity to let potential customers know that you speak their language.

It also gives you a platform to address what your community needs and your rehab center's specific role in serving the community. Communicate where your center fits into the community. Describe how you serve others in detail. 

Use a blog to enhance your local presence and to communicate your rehab center's value to your city and the people who need it most.

As you do this, maintain a hyperlocal tone. This means referring to local places and local history. It means using the right tone and voice to make potential customers feel welcomed and reassured. 

Find out more about the importance of content marketing to your rehab center. 

Local SEO Services 

At this point, you've got a much better understanding of how local SEO works. But what if you're feeling overwhelmed by all of the steps needed to begin optimizing your local SEO? Don't give up!

Hire an experienced local SEO service to help you navigate the complicated waters of this type of optimization. They can help you unify your directory listings and ensure their accuracy.

A great service can also help you better localize your website to attract more location-based customers. 

Because of the nature of search engines such as Google, local SEO can come with plenty of extra work. After all, you're aiming for a moving target that's always changing. Just make sure you opt for a service that focuses on local SEO.

Learn more about local SEO marketing now and how it has benefited real rehab centers like yours. 

Your Keys to Local SEO Marketing 

As we've already discussed, the rules and best practices for SEO versus local SEO prove vastly different. So do the outcomes and goals. Fortunately, optimizing for local SEO not only proves easier but results in better-qualified leads. 

As you can see, Local SEO proves crucial to the success of your addiction rehab center. After all, the vast majority of your customers will be locally based and looking for local solutions.

Local SEO levels the playing field when it comes to SEO. Even if you don't rank very high for specific keywords, you can still earn a top spot in Google's "local pack" due to your center's proximity. 

When it comes to optimizing so that your business gets found online, make sure that you start with your Google My Business profile. Then, make sure your NAPW gets listed in important directories such as the SAMHSA.

Take advantage of a hyperlocal blog to where you can include localized keywords to bring more location-based traffic to your website. Remember, content remains king. So, don't undersell the importance of maintaining an informative, valuable blog.

Local SEO Services

Finally, make sure that you find an experienced, reputable local SEO agency to handle your Local SEO services. That way, you can guarantee that your rehab center gets in the "local pack" AND ranks at the top through other searches as well. 

This multi-pronged approach to local SEO represents your key to appealing to the people who need you most when they need you most.

Ready to ensure your rehab center is taking full advantage of online marketing? Contact us today discuss where you're at and your goals for the future. We can help you help more people.