Search Engine Optimization is no longer at the point where it started and has enormously evolved. The growth of quality results delivered by Google has been consistently on the surge and there are many factors underlying these advances. Beacons, for instance, can turn out to be major influences in search results, especially those made with a local intent.
Beacons are in-store, Bluetooth-enabled devices that notify users about details such as new products, offers and discounts. They can be used by any business including retail shops, airports, event venues, and restaurants in their physical location to send notifications to their customers’ devices if they have their Bluetooth notifications enabled. Beacons are a cost-effective way to drive more sales to your business.
1. Local search can gain more importance
With Google already favoring local searches, the addition of beacons will increase the significance of local searches. Since beacons are location-specific devices, businesses will need to start putting more thought into crafting their local marketing strategies to include beacon results as well.
2. Customers can see more personalized results
Local results are usually based on the location and the search history/preferences of the user. This is true of beacons, as well. Beacons can inherit the user’s previous location-based searches and interests and notify them when there are updates pertaining to those interests. For example, if a customer previously shopped for a pair of jeans at a clothing store, a beacon can push relevant notices to his device when there are special offers around that.
3. Beacons can influence rankings
If beacons have the ability to influence the local results, they can naturally become a ranking signal. As Google is currently providing results based on the location, beacons can aid in providing more accurate results. In addition, beacons can fetch details from the user’s devices such as contact information and social media details and then influence the search engine results based on the user’s interests and preferences.
4. Beacons can be used to collect data
Beacons can also be used as a data collecting device even without pushing notifications to customers’ devices. The data collected by beacons can be stored by marketers, who can then use this data to target the right audience using digital marketing.
Beacons are still an evolving feature, which are constantly undergoing updates and modifications. The current challenges faced by beacons are mainly due to the necessity to download a corresponding app to access them. However, you can expect these devices be a game changer for local businesses in the future, as they have a huge potential with respect to geographically-targeted results.
If you are a retail store business, you should consider installing beacons in your physical stores. We cannot wait to see how the evolution of SEO integrates the use of beacons in the days to come!