NIGERIA, OGUN STATE - AUGUST 6, 2025 - Despite the steady growth of mobile internet use in Nigeria, a significant number of local businesses remain virtually invisible online. According to digital strategist Oladejo Elisha, this persistent visibility gap is one of the biggest missed opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the country.
From hair salons in Port Harcourt to law firms in Lagos, thousands of Nigerian businesses still fail to appear in basic Google searches, especially location-based queries like “plumber near me” or “barbing salon in Ikeja.” Elisha believes this isn’t just a technical issue. It’s a long-standing awareness problem that’s costing entrepreneurs real money.
“People aren’t just Googling random things anymore. They’re searching for services around them. And if your business isn’t showing up, you’re leaving money on the table,” he said.
The Cost of Being Invisible in Local Search
With mobile-first users now dominating internet traffic in Nigeria, local search has become the front door for customer discovery. But many business owners still believe that posting on social media or building a basic website is enough. According to Elisha, that mindset is outdated.
He points out that Local SEO, the practice of optimizing online presence to show up in local Google results, is still widely misunderstood or ignored in Nigeria. This leads to poor visibility on Google Maps, low customer trust, and missed opportunities in competitive markets.
“You can be the best service provider in town, but if you don’t show up when someone searches for your service, they’ll go with someone who does,” Elisha explained.
His insights are based on years of working with Nigerian SMEs and observing the same patterns: incomplete Google Business Profiles, inconsistent business information across platforms, and a lack of strategy when it comes to online reviews.
A Call for Awareness, Not Just Tools
While tools and tutorials for SEO are widely available online, Elisha emphasizes the importance of localized strategies.
He argues that many global resources overlook the realities Nigerian businesses face, including spotty infrastructure, limited marketing budgets, and lack of digital education.
To address this, he offers a step-by-step guide on Local SEO in Nigeria through his website, https://oladejoelisha.com/. The piece simplifies technical concepts and provides realistic actions business owners can take without needing to hire expensive consultants.
Topics covered in the guide include:
- Claiming and optimizing a Google Business Profile
- Getting more local customer reviews
- Using Nigerian-specific keywords
- Fixing NAP (Name, Address, Phone) inconsistencies
- And avoiding common Local SEO mistakes
Though the guide has been available for some time, Elisha says many still haven’t taken advantage of it, and he believes that needs to change.
About Oladejo Elisha Blog
The Oladejo Elisha Blog is a trusted resource for Nigerian entrepreneurs, freelancers, and digital marketers. Led by Oladejo Elisha, the platform focuses on practical, easy-to-understand strategies for growing visibility and trust online, especially for small businesses with limited resources.
Oladejo Elisha, also the founder of Qarah Digital Agency, continues to use his platform to raise awareness about digital blind spots and provide solutions grounded in the Nigerian business environment.
Media Contact
Company Name: Oladejo Elisha Blog
Contact Person: Oladejo Elisha
Email: Send Email
Address:21, Dominion Street, Benja, The Bells Bus-stop
City: Ota
State: Ogun
Country: Nigeria
Website: https://oladejoelisha.com/local-seo-in-nigeria
