46% of all Google searches have local intent. When someone searches "accountant near me" or "best coffee shop downtown," they're looking for local businesses.
If you serve customers in a specific geographic area, local SEO isn't optional — it's how you get found.
The good news: local SEO is more accessible for small businesses than general SEO. You're competing with 20-50 local businesses, not millions of websites worldwide. The tactics are concrete and actionable.
Here's everything you need to know.
The local search landscape
When someone searches with local intent, Google shows three types of results:
1. Local pack (map results)
The map with 3 business listings that appears at the top of many local searches. This is prime real estate — 44% of clicks on local searches go to the local pack.
Ranking factors: Google Business Profile optimization, reviews, proximity to searcher, relevance.
2. Local organic results
Standard organic results filtered for local relevance. These appear below the local pack.
Ranking factors: Traditional SEO (content, backlinks, technical) plus local signals.
3. Paid local results
Google Ads with location targeting. Appears above or alongside organic results.
Your priority: Local pack first (highest visibility for local searches), local organic second (supports local pack performance).
Google Business Profile: The foundation
Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the single most important element of local SEO. If you do nothing else, do this properly.
Setting up properly
If you haven't claimed your profile:
- Go to business.google.com
- Search for your business
- Click "Claim this business" if it exists, or "Add your business"
- Complete verification (usually postcard, sometimes phone)
If you have a profile but haven't touched it:
- Log in and update everything below
- Check for duplicate listings (confuses Google, hurts rankings)
- Make sure you're verified
The complete optimization checklist
Business information (get every field right):
- + Business name (exact legal name, no keyword stuffing)
- + Primary category (most important choice — pick the most specific one that fits)
- + Secondary categories (add all relevant ones)
- + Address (exact, consistent with all other listings)
- + Service area (if you go to customers rather than them coming to you)
- + Phone number (local number, not toll-free if you can help it)
- + Website URL
- + Hours of operation (keep updated, especially holidays)
- + Business description (include keywords naturally, describe what you do)
Visual content (businesses with photos get 42% more direction requests):
- + Cover photo (high-quality, represents your business)
- + Logo
- + Interior photos (3-5 minimum)
- + Exterior photo (helps customers find you)
- + Team photos (builds trust)
- + Product/service photos
- + Photos of completed work (for service businesses)
Ongoing activity (signals to Google that you're active):
- + Posts (weekly updates, offers, news)
- + Respond to all reviews (positive and negative)
- + Answer questions in the Q&A section
- + Update photos monthly
- + Keep hours accurate (especially holidays, emergencies)
Related reading:
- Affordable SEO for Small Business — More tactics for limited budgets
- How to Do SEO Yourself — Complete DIY guide
Reviews: The ranking factor you control
Reviews are the #1 factor in local pack rankings after GBP optimization. They're also the factor most small businesses underinvest in.
The numbers:
- Businesses with 50+ reviews typically outrank those with 10
- Star rating affects click-through rate dramatically
- Review recency matters — recent reviews signal active business
- Review velocity (rate of new reviews) is a ranking signal
How to get more reviews
Ask at the right moment:
The best time to request a review is immediately after a positive interaction:
- After successful project completion
- After a customer compliments your service
- After resolving an issue to their satisfaction
- After delivering results
Make it effortless:
Create a direct link to your Google review form:
- Search your business name
- Click "Write a review"
- Copy the URL
- Share that link (not your general GBP link)
Better: Use a URL shortener to make it memorable (yourcompany.com/review).
Ask consistently:
- Add review request to your email signature
- Train staff to ask after positive interactions
- Follow up with customers via email with direct review link
- Add QR code linking to review form on receipts, business cards
What NOT to do:
- Don't offer incentives for reviews (violates Google's terms)
- Don't buy fake reviews (Google detects these, penalties are severe)
- Don't review your own business from personal accounts
- Don't ask only happy customers (suspicious pattern)
Responding to reviews
Always respond to every review:
- Positive reviews: Thank them specifically, mention something about their experience
- Negative reviews: Apologize, take responsibility, offer to fix it, take the conversation offline
Why it matters:
- Shows engagement to potential customers reading reviews
- Review responses are indexed (include keywords naturally)
- Negative reviews handled well can actually help your reputation
Local content strategy
Beyond GBP, your website needs local relevance signals.
Location pages
If you serve multiple areas, create a dedicated page for each:
- /plumber-boston
- /plumber-cambridge
- /plumber-somerville
Each location page needs:
- Location in title tag ("Plumber in Boston | Company Name")
- Location in H1
- Location-specific content (not just swapping city names)
- Embedded Google Map
- Local testimonials from that area
- Location-specific images when possible
- NAP information for that service area
Critical: Don't just duplicate content with city names swapped. Google detects thin duplicate content. Each page needs genuine unique value.
Local blog content
Content targeting local searches:
- "[Service] in [Location]" pages
- "Best [service providers] in [area]" (include yourself)
- Local event coverage related to your industry
- Local case studies and success stories
- "[Industry] tips for [area] businesses/homeowners"
Local landing pages
For specific services in specific areas:
- /emergency-plumber-back-bay
- /corporate-tax-accountant-boston
- /wedding-photographer-north-shore
Target the exact searches people make when they have urgent, specific local needs.
NAP consistency
NAP = Name, Address, Phone number.
This information must be identical everywhere it appears online. Inconsistencies confuse Google and hurt local rankings.
Common issues:
- "123 Main St" vs "123 Main Street" vs "123 Main St."
- Old phone numbers on forgotten listings
- Suite numbers included sometimes, not others
- Business name variations (Inc., LLC, The)
Where to check:
- Your website
- Google Business Profile
- Yelp
- Yellow Pages
- Industry directories
- Chamber of Commerce
- Better Business Bureau
- Apple Maps
- Bing Places
Tools that help:
BrightLocal and Yext can audit and manage listings, but they're pricey. Manual auditing works for most small businesses.
Local link building
Links from local sources are particularly valuable for local SEO.
Local link opportunities:
- Chamber of Commerce membership
- Local business directories
- Local news coverage
- Sponsoring local events/teams
- Partnerships with complementary local businesses
- Local business associations
- Community organizations you support
- Local blogs and news sites
The partnership strategy:
Find non-competing businesses serving the same customers:
- Wedding venue ↔ photographer ↔ caterer ↔ florist
- Accountant ↔ lawyer ↔ financial advisor
- Gym ↔ nutritionist ↔ physical therapist
Create "recommended partners" pages linking to each other. Genuine relationships, legitimate links.
Measuring local SEO success
GBP metrics (in Google Business Profile dashboard)
- Profile views (how many people saw your listing)
- Search queries (what terms showed your listing)
- Direction requests (intent to visit)
- Phone calls (direct leads)
- Website clicks
Local ranking tracking
Traditional rank trackers don't capture local rankings well because results vary by searcher location. Use:
- BrightLocal — tracks local pack and organic rankings by location
- Whitespark — local rank tracking and citation management
Business metrics
Ultimately, track:
- Leads mentioning Google/organic
- Phone calls from GBP
- Direction requests to conversions
- Revenue attributed to local visibility
Common local SEO mistakes
Having no Google Business Profile — Shocking how many businesses haven't claimed their profile. Do this today if you haven't.
Inconsistent NAP — Variations in your business information across the web confuse Google.
Ignoring reviews — Both not getting enough reviews and not responding to existing ones.
No location pages — Serving 5 areas but only having one service page means missing 4 local search opportunities.
Duplicate location pages — Creating 10 pages with identical content except city names gets you penalized.
Wrong primary category — Choosing "Marketing Agency" when you're specifically a "SEO Agency" leaves opportunities on the table.
GBP keyword stuffing — Adding keywords to your business name ("John's Plumbing - Best Emergency Plumber Boston") violates terms and risks suspension.
The local SEO action plan
This week:
- Claim and fully optimize Google Business Profile (2 hours)
- Audit NAP consistency across top 10 listings (1 hour)
- Send review request to 5 recent happy customers (30 minutes)
This month:
- Create location pages for all service areas
- Set up review request process (template, timing, who asks)
- Submit to 10 relevant local directories
- Respond to all existing reviews
Ongoing:
- Weekly GBP post
- Consistent review requests after positive interactions
- Monthly photo updates
- Quarterly NAP audit
- Local content creation
The bottom line
Local SEO is more accessible than general SEO because you're competing locally, not globally. The fundamentals are straightforward:
- Google Business Profile — Complete, accurate, actively maintained
- Reviews — Consistent stream of genuine reviews, all responded to
- NAP consistency — Same information everywhere
- Local content — Pages and posts with local relevance
- Local links — Relationships with other local businesses and organizations
If you're a local business not doing local SEO, you're invisible to 46% of your potential customers. The competitors ranking on the map are capturing those customers right now.
The good news: unlike competitive national SEO, local SEO wins are achievable in months, not years. Start today.
Related reading:
- Affordable SEO for Small Business — Budget-conscious strategies
- Why Your SEO Isn't Working — Diagnosing ranking problems
- How Long Does SEO Take? — Setting realistic expectations