How Next are driving in-store sales with SEO

How can "near me" searches lead to in-store visits? We find out which fashion brand is leading the way on local SEO.

Rob Allen, Clothing & Fashion Specialist

As we press on with our 2022 Industry Briefing Series, we’ve taken a look into how high street fashion companies are performing when it comes to local SEO (or “near me” searches).

Why are "near me" searches important?

A strong presence on local SEO is key for any business with a front door. Though the last few years have favoured digital-first businesses, getting customers through the door remains an essential way to engage customers with your brand, and even drive online footfall too. When 50% of all “near me” searches lead to a same-day visit, being on top of your local SEO game translates into physical-world sales.

From our research into 12 leading brands, we can see Next are topping the local search rankings, with 29,517 monthly appearances in ‘near me’ results. This translates into almost 15,000 in-store visits, with some of these likely to be groups of multiple shoppers.

Making up the rest of the top six is H&M, Zara, New Look, Matalan, and Monsoon, but what can they do to catch up with Next?

How can brands improve their "near me" visibility?

Our partners at Uberall have several quick, simple ways large brands can optimise for these crucial searches;

1. Ensure business information is up to date across key directories, such as Google My Business, Bing, Yelp, and Apple Maps.
2. Ensure the store’s name, address, and phone number are included – essential for ranking on these searches.
3. Create location pages for each store location, with location-rich information about the branch.
   

GET THE FULL 70-PAGE Q2 2022 REPORT

To get a copy of the full report, please complete the enquiry form. If you want to talk to us about accelerating your digital performance, please call us on call 01543 410014 or schedule a call with Rob Allen.