Local SEO Guide

Why Local SEO Matters More Than Ever

When someone searches for “plumber near me” or “best coffee shop in Portland,” they have intent. They’re ready to buy, call, or visit. Local SEO is how you make sure they find you instead of your competitor.

We’ve been doing local SEO for over two decades, and the fundamentals have stayed the same even as the tools and platforms have evolved. What matters most is being visible where your customers are looking, being helpful when they find you, and being easy to contact when they’re ready.

This guide covers everything you need to get found locally, whether you’re a restaurant, retail store, professional service, or home service business.

How Local Search Works

Local search is different from regular SEO. Google shows a “local pack” at the top of results for location-based queries: three business listings with a map, plus the regular organic results below.

Understanding how this works is the first step to ranking in it.

The Local Pack

The local pack shows three businesses that Google considers the most relevant and trustworthy for that search. These listings come from your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), and they factor in:

• Relevance: How well your business matches what someone is searching for
• Distance: How close your business is to the searcher
• Prominence: How well-known and trusted your business is online

The Map Itself

Below the pack is an interactive map. Users can drag it, zoom it, and click on pins to see more details. Your goal is to have your business pin appear prominently when someone searches in your service area.

Organic Results

Below the map are traditional organic results. These work like regular SEO but often have local intent modifiers. A page optimized for “dentist in Austin” can rank in both local and organic results.

Setting Up Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the most important local SEO asset you have. It’s free, it controls how you appear in local results, and it’s often the first thing potential customers see.

Claim and Verify Your Listing

If you haven’t already, claim your business at business.google.com. You’ll need to verify via postcard, phone, or email. Verification is non-negotiable; unverified businesses don’t rank in the local pack.

Complete Every Field

Fill out every section of your profile completely:

• Business name: Use your real, legal business name. Don’t stuff keywords here.
• Address: Accurate address, even if you serve clients at their location.
• Phone number: Use a local phone number, not a toll-free or tracking number.
• Website: Link to your website.
• Hours: Accurate hours, including special hours for holidays.
• Categories: Choose a primary category that describes your main business, then add secondary categories.
• Attributes: Select relevant attributes like “women-led,” “veteran-owned,” or “wheelchair accessible.”
• Photos: Add photos of your exterior, interior, products, services, and team. Businesses with photos get more clicks.

Posts and Updates

Google Business Profile lets you post updates, offers, events, and news. Use this feature regularly. It keeps your listing fresh and gives potential customers reasons to engage.

Post about:

• Special offers and promotions
• New products or services
• Events you’re hosting
• Seasonal hours or announcements
• Behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business

NAP Consistency : The Foundation of Local SEO

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. These three pieces of information need to be exactly the same everywhere they appear online.

Why It Matters

Google cross-references your NAP across hundreds of directories, review sites, and data aggregators. Inconsistencies confuse Google and hurt your rankings. If your address is “123 Main St” on your website but “123 Main Street” on Yelp, Google sees that as two different businesses.

Where Your NAP Should Appear

Your NAP should be consistent on:

• Your website (especially the footer on every page)
• Google Business Profile
• Apple Maps
• Yelp
• Facebook
• Industry-specific directories
• Any other directory where you’re listed

Data Aggregators

Services like Localeze, Neustar, and Foursquare distribute your business data to dozens of directories. Make sure your information is correct with these aggregators, and corrections will propagate outward.

Building Local Citations

Citations are mentions of your business online, with or without a link. They help Google verify your business information and build trust.

Major Directories

Get listed on major directories:

• Yelp
• Apple Maps
• Bing Places
• Facebook
• Twitter (now X)
• LinkedIn
• Industry-specific directories

Local Chambers and Associations

Join your local chamber of commerce, business association, and industry groups. These often have member directories that link back to your site.

Structured vs Unstructured Citations

Structured citations appear on directory profiles with fields for your NAP. Unstructured citations appear in blog posts, news articles, or social media mentions. Both help, but structured citations are more valuable.

Quality Over Quantity

A dozen accurate, consistent citations beat a hundred messy ones. Focus on directories relevant to your industry and location.

Reviews The Local SEO Superpower

Reviews are arguably the most important local ranking factor. They signal trust to both Google and potential customers.

Getting More Reviews

Don’t just hope for reviews. Ask for them. The best time to ask is right after a positive interaction, when the customer is happiest.

• Train your staff to mention reviews at the close of positive transactions
• Include review links in email signatures
• Add review请求 links to receipts or invoices
• Create a simple landing page that links to all your review profiles

Responding to Reviews

Respond to every review, positive and negative. Thank people for positive reviews. Address negative reviews professionally and offer to make things right publicly, then take the conversation offline.

This shows potential customers that you care and that you’re engaged.

Review Signals Google Looks At

• Quantity: More reviews is generally better
• Recency: Recent reviews matter more than old ones
• Diversity: Reviews across multiple platforms are more valuable than all on one
• Velocity: A steady stream is better than a flood followed by nothing
• Sentiment: Positive language helps; negative reviews hurt

Local Content Marketing

Creating locally-relevant content helps you rank for location-based searches and connects you with your community.

Location Pages

If you serve multiple areas, create dedicated pages for each location you serve. Don’t duplicate content; write unique, helpful content for each area.

Include:

• Information about your services in that area
• Local landmarks and neighborhoods you serve
• Community involvement or local partnerships
• Location-specific keywords naturally

Blog Content

Write about topics relevant to your local audience:

• Community events you’re participating in
• Seasonal advice for your area
• Local news relevant to your industry
• Behind-the-scenes looks at your business

FAQs

Answer questions your local customers actually ask. This helps with featured snippets and voice search, both increasingly important for local results.

On-Page Optimization for Local SEO

Your website needs to be optimized for local search. This goes beyond just having your address in the footer.

Title Tags and Headers

Include your city and state in title tags and headers for important pages. “Best Pizza in Austin | Joe’s Pizzeria” is better than just “Joe’s Pizzeria.”

Local Schema Markup

Schema markup is code that helps search engines understand your content. Add local business schema to your site with:

• Business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Hours
• Service area
• Geographic coordinates
• Reviews

Location Pages

If you have multiple locations, each should have its own page with unique content. Don’t use the same content for every location page.

Internal Linking

Link between related pages on your site. If you have a page about “plumbing services” and a page about “emergency plumbing in Austin,” link them together.

Mobile Optimization

Most local searches happen on mobile. Your site needs to work beautifully on phones.

Mobile-First Design

Use a responsive design that adapts to any screen size. Test your site on actual phones, not just browser resizing tools.

Click-to-Call

Make your phone number clickable on mobile. When someone taps it, it should dial automatically.

Directions

Include a map and directions link on your contact page. Make it easy for people to get from where they are to your door.

Page Speed

Mobile users are impatient. Optimize images, use caching, and minimize code to make your site load fast on mobile connections.

Tracking Your Local SEO Success

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Here are the metrics that matter for local SEO.

Google Business Profile Insights

Check your GBP insights regularly. You’ll see:

• How many people found you in searches
• What queries they used to find you
• How many clicked to call, visited your website, or requested directions
• Photo views compared to competitors

Google Search Console

Track your rankings for location-based keywords. Look for queries that include your city or “near me.”

Local Ranking Tools

Tools like BrightLocal, Whitespark, or local SEO plugins can track your rankings across multiple locations and directories.

Conversions

Ultimately, local SEO is about getting customers. Track phone calls, form submissions, and visits from local searches.

Common Local SEO Mistakes to Avoid

We’ve seen businesses make these mistakes over and over. Don’t be one of them.

Keyword Stuffing in Business Name

Google prohibits putting keywords in your business name. Don’t call yourself “Austin Best Plumber” if that’s not your legal name. This can get you penalized.

Ignoring Negative Reviews

Not responding to negative reviews signals that you don’t care. Address them professionally.

Inconsistent NAP

We mentioned this already, but it’s important enough to repeat. Your NAP must be identical everywhere.

Buying Reviews

Never buy reviews. Google can detect fake reviews, and getting caught hurts more than helps.

Neglecting Photos

Businesses with photos get more engagement. Update your photos regularly.

Getting Started

Local SEO isn’t a one-time project. It’s an ongoing effort to maintain and improve your local presence.

Start with these steps:

1. Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile
2. Audit your NAP consistency
3. Get listed on major directories
4. Start asking for reviews
5. Create locally-relevant content
6. Optimize your website for mobile

If any of this feels overwhelming, we’re happy to help. Local SEO is one of our core specialties, and we’ve helped hundreds of businesses get found by nearby customers.

Get in touch to talk about your local SEO strategy. For broader SEO fundamentals, see our SEO Guide. For content marketing, check our Content Marketing Playbook.