The State of Local SEO Industry Report 2020

What department in your organization is responsible for local SEO work?

Across all segments, the majority of respondents listed the marketing department as being responsible for local SEO work. That’s not the whole story, though — answers varied widely depending on size and company type.

Seventy-five percent of large companies with many locations relied on the marketing department for local SEO. Smaller local businesses saw a split, with business owners handling the work 36% of the time and marketing departments 39%. Agencies saw even more variability: Responsibilities for local SEO lay with either the marketing department (40%), account management (15%), or a dedicated SEO department (18%).

Number of full-time employees dedicated to SEO, as reported by business with 100+ locations

The vast majority of large, multi-location businesses (100+ locations) have at least one full- time employee dedicated to SEO and 36% of these enterprises have six or more full-time SEOs.

While the majority of these enterprise businesses understand the value of SEO and are resourcing it accordingly, almost 10% remain behind the curve. If your competitors are staffing SEO experts and you’ve yet to make a hire, it might be time to consider the gaps you’re leaving open for competitors to fill.

Number of full-time employees dedicated to SEO, as reported by businesses with 1-25 physical locations:

A third of brands with 25 or fewer locations have no full-time SEO staff.

Combined with the fact that 40% of SMBs outsource some or all of their local SEO work, this is a ripe market for agency and consultant outreach. Tailoring your offerings to specific SMB needs could pad your client list and boost your bottom line.

And for those small- to medium-sized businesses that have no SEO on staff at all, the time is right to make a change. An expert devoted to maintaining and improving your online presence is now table stakes — without one, you’re behind the curve.

Do you outsource any part of your local SEO work? (as reported by companies with 500 or more employees)

Alongside the over 90% of multi-location enterprises that staff a full-time SEO, 47% also outsource at least part of their local SEO work. There’s plenty of opportunity for agencies and consultants to work with in-house marketers — especially those offering custom packages, niche expertise, and specializations in different verticals.

In-house SEOs shouldn’t resign themselves to “doing it all” — seek relief in working with outside marketers with particular expertise. Agencies and consultants ought to seek out opportunity within industry verticals and tailor their pitches accordingly.

Do you outsource any part of your local SEO work? (as reported by companies with fewer than 500 employees)

Outside help with local SEO is in demand across the board, with 40% of small- to medium-sized businesses seeking out assistance with some part of their work.

But when we compare that number to the previous stat, we see that it’s more common for SMBs to tackle all local SEO in-house than it is for enterprises. Smaller budgets and fewer resources could contribute to this fact. Maximizing the resources you have at your disposal — whether that’s education, SEO automation software, or good old-fashioned elbow grease — is key for SMBs that want to do it all.

Do you outsource any part of your local SEO work? (as reported by companies who outsource some local SEO work)

Opportunities abound for agencies and consultants providing local SEO services. Businesses outsourcing this work have holistic views of their needs — and that means there are plenty of gaps to fill across an array of tasks. From analytics to competitive audits to managing GMB listings, citations, and reviews, a balanced skillset is a must.

But that isn’t to say there’s no need for specialty consultants or niche areas of focus. Your team could win outsourcing contracts if your service is well-known for your expertise surrounding a specific need.

Based on my read of the local SEO industry, the one thing I’ll be devoting more of my own time to studying in the next 12 months is:

Big-brand marketers also get to see trends with better clarity. Their vantage point may indicate the direction the industry is taking in general.

Top focus on scaling SEO programs, improving organic SEO, and cultivating coding skills (schema.org, JavaScript, app development, etc.) indicates an industry that’s determined to thoughtfully guide customers through every stage of their journey. Whether supporting ease of discovery via good SEO or ensuring frictionless transactions via good interfaces, the goal is a visible, effortless, retentive ride for the customer.

There are enough quality local SEO training resources that I can use to educate my team/clients.

2020 respondents seem more satisfied with local SEO training than in 2019, with only 43% stating that there aren’t enough quality resources to train teams and clients.

Even with 57% favorability, however, it’s clear that there’s still work to be done here. With a significant number of both enterprises and SMBs maintaining in-house SEO staff, access to core training and continuing education is vital in a constantly evolving industry like local search.

I would estimate the number of local SEO tools/software products I use to complete a local search marketing campaign would be:

The vast majority of respondents rely on more than one SEO tool for their work, with the bulk falling in the two-to-five-tool range. It’s not surprising, given that all-in-one software can be complemented by a niche solution and vice-versa. The data indicates that SEOs are willing to choose the best tool for the job, even if that means they’re using multiple solutions.

I am using the following solutions for tracking, analysis, reporting, and determining ROI:

Google’s taken over more than just the SERPs. A startling majority of local marketers rely on Google tools to track, analyze, and report on their work, as well as to determine ROI. It’s concerning for a single company to have so much control over the local ecosystem, but it’s a conundrum — to win the Google game, you have to play by their rules.

Work on improving your organic visibility and combine that with a robust review strategy that encompasses both Google and non-Google properties. Aim to be everywhere your customers look, including alternative platforms like Apple Maps and local resources like your chamber of commerce. Think outside the SERPs and don’t fear creative solutions.

Software providers/SEO tools are keeping up with the changes in local search:

An even half of respondents believe that yes, local SEO tools are keeping pace with industry changes, while another 32% aren’t quite sure and almost 20% disagree. Local seems to change with greater rapidity than does traditional search, which may represent a challenge for traditional toolsets to keep up. And with Google tools eclipsing third parties when it comes to top solutions, it makes one wonder just where the disconnect lies.