What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is how businesses that serve specific geographic areas appear when people nearby search for what they offer. For brick-and-mortar and service-area businesses, it is often the highest-return SEO investment available.
Local SEO optimises a business online presence to appear in location-based searches, including Google Maps and the local 3-pack. The key elements are a complete Google Business Profile, consistent NAP citations, local reviews and location-specific content on your website.
The Local SEO Ranking Signals
Google uses a different algorithm for local results than for standard organic results. The three primary local ranking factors are proximity (how close the business is to the searcher), relevance (how well it matches the search) and prominence (how well-known and reviewed it is).
| Signal | Weight | How to Improve It |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile completeness | Very High | Fill every field, add photos weekly, post updates, answer questions |
| Review quantity and rating | Very High | Actively request reviews from customers after every positive interaction |
| NAP consistency | High | Ensure name, address and phone match exactly across all directories |
| Local citations | High | List on relevant directories: Google, Bing Places, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Yell |
| Website local keywords | High | Include location-specific pages, service area content, local schema markup |
| Backlinks from local sources | Medium | Local press, chambers of commerce, local business associations |
| Behavioural signals | Medium | Click-through rate, direction requests, calls from Google Business Profile |
Local SEO vs Standard SEO
- ✓ Google Business Profile is central
- ✓ Reviews are a direct ranking factor
- ✓ NAP consistency matters greatly
- ✓ Results appear in Maps and local pack
- ✓ Proximity to searcher affects rank
- ✓ Website authority and backlinks dominate
- ✓ Content quality is primary signal
- ✓ Ranks in organic results below local pack
- ✓ No proximity factor
- ✓ Serves national or global audiences
Businesses with more than 100 Google reviews outrank businesses with fewer reviews 76% of the time for competitive local keywords, even when other signals are similar. A systematic review generation strategy is often the fastest way to improve local rankings. The quality of responses to reviews also matters: businesses that respond to reviews signal active engagement to Google.
What a Local SEO Campaign Involves
- Complete and optimise your Google Business Profile with full categories, attributes, photos and weekly posts
- Audit and correct your NAP across all existing directory listings
- Build citations on relevant local and national directories
- Create service area pages on your website targeting each city or neighbourhood you serve
- Add LocalBusiness schema markup to your website
- Implement a review generation strategy with follow-up messaging
- Build links from local press, events and community organisations
46% of all Google searches have local intent. If you are not in the local pack, you are invisible to nearly half the people looking for what you offer. Book a free call and find out how to change that.