SEO Glossary · Analytics & Strategy

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is the practice of optimising a business to appear in location-based search results, such as the Google map pack and "near me" searches. It is essential for businesses that serve a specific geographic area.

Local SEO ranking factors

The biggest levers are a complete, accurate Google Business Profile, consistent name-address-phone (NAP) details across directories, genuine customer reviews, and locally relevant content and keywords. Local citations and links from local sites help too. For multi-location businesses, dedicated location pages capture each area's searches.

Pro tip
A complete, active Google Business Profile with steady fresh reviews usually beats on-page tweaks for local rankings - prioritise it before anything else.
Key takeaways
Local SEO targets location-based and "near me" searches.
The Google Business Profile and reviews are the biggest levers.
Consistent NAP details and local citations matter.
Essential for any business serving a geographic area.

Put it into practice with Soro

Understanding local seo is one thing - applying it across every page is another. Soro automates SEO content end to end, researching keywords and publishing optimised articles so your site ranks on Google and gets cited by AI. See how Soro works.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Google map pack?

The map pack (local pack) is the box of three local business listings with a map that appears for location-based queries. Ranking there drives calls and visits.

How is local SEO different from regular SEO?

Local SEO adds location signals - Google Business Profile, reviews, NAP consistency, and local citations - on top of standard SEO to win geographically targeted searches.

Keep learning

HreflangHreflang is an HTML attribute that tells search engines which language and regional version of a page to serve to which users.E-E-A-TE-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness - a framework from Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines used to assess content quality.SEO AuditAn SEO audit is a comprehensive analysis of how well a website is optimised for search engines.
Browse the full SEO glossary