Search engines are the gateway to the Internet. Studies have shown that a whopping 93% of all experiences online begin with a search engine, and about 83% of Internet users use search engines.

But is your local business benefiting as much as it could be from search engines? It’s been proven that 75% of Internet users never scroll past the first page of search results — so if your business’ website isn’t on the first page, you might be losing out on customers who are looking for what your business offers.

Knowing how search engines work as a marketing tool is one of the most important parts of successfully creating awareness for your local business. To take advantage of the benefits of search engines, it’s imperative to hire local SEO companies.

Here are the top four local SEO strategies and SEO services for small businesses that local SEO companies can help your business develop:

1. Good web design: The web’s top search engines take note of the quality of design in every website they rank. When your business’ website layout is eye-catching and user-friendly, search engines will respond by boosting your rank in their results. Local SEO companies know exactly how to optimize your web design and give it the facelift it needs to attract customers.

2. Compelling content: In an effort to get rid of sites that use techniques like spammy link building and manipulation of its algorithms, Google rewards websites that create high-quality content that is both useful and readable. Local SEO companies are pros at creating content relevant to your local business.

3. Online reviews: When users search for a local business, they want to know what others think of the quality of your business. Also, according to a study, Google also looks at customer reviews as a major factor for ranking local businesses. Local SEO companies can’t create fake reviews for you, but it can show you how to encourage customers to go online and write a review.

4. Mobile optimization: Making sure your website is mobile-friendly is more important than ever, and is one of the best services local SEO companies have to offer. About 46% of shoppers — almost one in two — said they use their smartphones to research local products and services. Having a mobile-friendly site could mean the difference between making a new customer or not. See this reference for more.