Developing a local presence takes a great deal of time, effort, and consistency. But with almost half of all Google searches now being local, you can’t afford not to focus on it.

Local presence is making your website and mobile site ready to find for nearby online searchers. That means that people who are searching for information, products and services in the area near to your home or satellite office or place of business can readily find your website or mobile site.

One out of every five searches is local, according to Google. This is the type of search in which the searcher types the city or town for the product or service in which they are seeking. If you sell what the searcher is seeking, then it is important that your website or mobile site appears in the results of that search.