Local SEO Guide: Dominate Local Search Results for Your Business

46% of all Google searches have local intent. When someone searches "plumber near me" or "best restaurant in Leeds," they're ready to buy. If your business doesn't appear in those results, you're losing customers to competitors who do.

Local SEO is different from traditional SEO. It requires specific strategies to appear in the local pack (the map results) and local organic listings.

Google Business Profile Optimization

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the foundation of local SEO. A fully optimized profile can single-handedly drive significant local traffic.

Complete every section:

- Business name (exactly as it appears in the real world)

- Primary and secondary categories (be specific)

- Address and service area

- Phone number and website

- Business hours (including special hours for holidays)

- Business description (use keywords naturally)

- Attributes (wheelchair accessible, free WiFi, etc.)

Add photos regularly. Businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs. Include:

- Exterior photos (helps customers find you)

- Interior photos (shows atmosphere)

- Product/service photos

- Team photos (builds trust)

Post updates weekly. Google Business Profile posts appear in your listing and signal activity to Google. Share offers, events, updates, and helpful content.

Managing Reviews

Reviews are crucial for local SEO and conversion. Businesses with 4+ stars get significantly more clicks than those with lower ratings.

Encourage reviews by:

- Asking satisfied customers directly

- Sending follow-up emails with review links

- Adding review requests to receipts

- Training staff to ask at point of sale

Respond to every review—positive and negative. Thank positive reviewers specifically for what they mentioned. Address negative reviews professionally, apologize for issues, and offer to make things right offline.

Never buy fake reviews or incentivize reviews with discounts. Google detects and penalizes this.

Local Citation Building

Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites. Consistent citations across the web strengthen your local SEO.

Priority citation sources:

- Major data aggregators (Data Axle, Localeze, Foursquare)

- Industry-specific directories

- Local business directories

- Chamber of commerce websites

- Professional association directories

Ensure NAP consistency. Your business name, address, and phone number must be identical everywhere. Even small variations (Street vs St., Suite vs Ste.) can confuse Google.

On-Page Local SEO

Optimize your website for local search:

Create location-specific pages if you serve multiple areas. Each page should have unique content about that location, not just the city name swapped out.

Include local keywords naturally: "plumber in Manchester," "Manchester plumbing services," "emergency plumber Manchester."

Add schema markup for local business. This structured data helps Google understand your business type, location, hours, and more.

Embed a Google Map on your contact page. This reinforces your location to Google.

Include your NAP in your website footer, consistent with your Google Business Profile.

Building Local Links

Local backlinks signal geographic relevance:

- Sponsor local events or charities

- Join local business associations

- Partner with complementary local businesses

- Get featured in local news outlets

- Participate in community events

Local SEO is an ongoing process. Monitor your rankings, respond to reviews promptly, and continuously optimize your Google Business Profile. The businesses that commit to local SEO consistently outperform those that set it and forget it.