How Local SEO and Social Media Work Together
When we talk about getting more local customers, we know Local SEO plays a big part. But what if we told you that social media can do more than just gain likes and shares? When used the right way, it can support your local search efforts and help more people in your area find your business online.
Here at WebWorks Media, we help businesses grow by connecting the dots between different online tactics. One of the best combinations we’ve seen is Local SEO and social media working side by side. Let’s explore how they work together and how you can use both to bring more people through your doors.
Why Consistency Matters for Local SEO
You’ve likely seen the term NAP before. It stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. These three details need to match perfectly wherever they appear online if you want local SEO to work properly. Whether it’s your website, Google Business Profile, Facebook page, or Instagram bio, every listing should use the same information.
Google looks at consistency as a sign of trust. If one page says “123 King Street” and another says “123 King St”, it can confuse and may affect your visibility in local search results.
So, when setting up your social media channels, double-check that your NAP details match your website exactly. This tiny step can have a big impact on whether your business appears when someone searches ‘your service near me’.
How Social Engagement Can Boost Local Visibility
Being active on social media isn’t just for fun. Talking with your community online shows search engines that you’re active and relevant in your area. The more often you interact with local followers or local content, the better it can help boost local visibility online.
Here are a few easy ways to do that:
- Like and share posts from local businesses
- Comment on local news stories or community posts
- Tag local locations and events in your content
- Use hashtags tied to your area, like #ManchesterBusiness or #LeedsEvents
When people see your brand popping up in their local feeds, they become more familiar with your name. This builds trust and drives curiosity, which can lead them to search your services and visit your website.
Create Local-Friendly Content
While many brands focus on national trends or generic posts, creating content that reflects your local area gives you an edge. Highlighting local events, customer stories, promotions for your nearby shop, or even weather updates can make you more relatable.
Let’s say you’re in Bath and there’s a city-wide food festival coming up. Posting pictures from the event, tagging the location, mentioning other local vendors, or even offering a special during the festival gives you something unique to talk about. All of that content can improve your social reach and, at the same time, support your local SEO ranking.
Google loves content that shows geographical relevance. By mixing your local keywords into your captions, titles and even image descriptions, your social pages and linked content can show up in local search results. It’s all part of telling search engines exactly where you are and who you serve.
Encourage Local Reviews and Conversations
Reviews still play a big role in local searches. Although most people think of Google reviews, don’t overlook Facebook. Google’s results often display customer reviews from other sources, too, especially when users search your business name directly.
You can invite your happy customers to leave a review on your Facebook page. It only takes a minute, but those comments and star ratings build trust with new customers. They also make your Facebook business profile more likely to show up in search.
Positive engagement also helps. Replying to comments, liking responses, and sending thank-you messages make your page more active. When someone sees you talking with followers, it feels welcoming, which also reflects in how people view your business.
Use Images and Video to Get Found Locally
One growing factor in how people search online is visual content. Platforms like Google and Pinterest are improving their visual search features, and yes, this impacts local SEO too.
When you post media like photos or videos on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn, make sure the content includes accurate tags, captions and ALT text.
Describe the content with your location in mind:
- “Fresh pastries made this morning in our Bristol bakery”
- “A quick look at our Exeter showroom setup before launch day”
- “See what our Brighton clients say about our service”
By doing this, your content becomes searchable not just on the social platforms but on search engines that index those platforms.
Local image content helps people find you before they even need to search for your exact name, simply because your image matches something they’re looking for. Plus, it adds personality to your brand.
Link Social Media with Your Website to Boost Local Visibility
One often overlooked tactic is linking back to your website from your social posts and profile bios. When you post blog articles or guides with keywords linked to your service and area, share them on your social platforms with a note like “Read more on our site”.
This not only brings more local traffic to your site, but it also shows Google that your website is connected to active social pages with engagement from real users. It’s another trust factor that affects your search presence.
Make sure your website also links to your social media pages. Adding these links to your site’s footer or contact page can help search engines join the dots and relate your platforms together.
Use Local SEO on Every Platform
Social platforms have more space for local SEO than most people realise. Here are some easy places where you can apply it:
- Your bio or profile description: Add your town or postcode
- Post captions: Use keywords like “Electrician in Derby”
- ALT tags on images: Talk about the location
- Tags and check-ins: Always tag your business location in photos, where possible
- Hashtags: Use area-specific tags, like #CheltenhamCafe
Doing this across multiple platforms sends stronger local signals to both users and search engines. As a result, people searching for something like “hairdresser near Nottingham” are more likely to come across your content even if they’ve never heard of your brand.
Keep Track of What Works
Lastly, keep an eye on what type of posts perform well. Posts that gain a lot of likes, shares or comments are likely to be shown to more people. When these are locally focused, it increases your chances of reaching people nearby.
Use social media insights to check where your audience is from. You can also use Google Analytics or Google Search Console to check how many people are landing on your site from local searches or social platforms.
We help many businesses do this through monthly tracking, and it gives us clear direction on what sort of content to make more of. When something works well, repeat it, just give it a slightly different local twist each time.
FAQs
What is Local SEO, and why does it matter with social media?
Local SEO is the process of improving your search visibility within a certain area. Combining it with social media means you gain attention from people near you who are more likely to become customers.
Do social media posts directly affect Local SEO rankings?
Not directly like backlinks do, but they send strong social signals and help create awareness. This leads to more searches for your business and more interaction, which helps improve local SEO.
Should I post on all social platforms to reach local people?
Focus on ones that your audience uses the most. For many businesses, Facebook and Instagram are great starting points. LinkedIn is also helpful for local B2B services.
Can I use hashtags to help with Local SEO?
Yes. Using area-specific hashtags like #CardiffPlumber or #SheffieldDesign helps your posts show up in local searches on social media and can support your main site’s local presence.
Bringing Local SEO and Social Media Together
Bringing local SEO and social media together simply makes sense. Both help more people find your business, especially when your focus is on your community. By making small changes across your social channels and regularly posting local-friendly content, you can strengthen your online footprint.
We at WebWorks Media believe in making these steps clear and practical. The ideas we’ve shared are easy to use and suitable for any business that wants to grow its local reach. If you’d like help putting these ideas into action or need tips on improving your search visibility, we’re here to support your next move.
Let’s grow your audience where it matters most, right on your doorstep.
