What is local SEO?

Local SEO helps businesses promote their products and services to local customers at the exact moment they're searching. When someone searches for "dentist near me" or "best pizza in San Diego," local SEO determines which businesses appear.

For businesses with physical locations or serving specific geographic areas, local SEO is essential. Nearly half of all Google searches have local intent, and 76% of people who search for something nearby on their phone visit a business within a day. Local search isn't just about visibility—it directly drives foot traffic and phone calls.

Local SEO differs from traditional SEO in several ways. It emphasizes Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews, and geographic relevance. While traditional SEO focuses on ranking nationally or globally, local SEO targets customers in specific cities, neighborhoods, or regions.

Local SEO success depends on several interconnected factors:

Google Business Profile (GBP) Your GBP listing is the foundation of local SEO. It appears in Google Maps and the local pack. Optimize with accurate business information, categories, photos, and posts.

Local Citations Mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific sites. Consistency across citations is crucial.

Reviews Google reviews impact local rankings and customer decisions. Quantity, quality, recency, and your responses all matter.

On-Page Optimization Location-specific pages, local keywords in title tags and content, embedded maps, and schema markup for local businesses.

Link Building Backlinks from local businesses, organizations, news sites, and community resources signal local relevance.

Mobile Optimization Most local searches happen on mobile devices. Fast, mobile-friendly websites are essential.

GBP is the most important local ranking factor:

Claim and Verify Claim your listing at business.google.com and complete the verification process (usually via postcard, phone, or email).

Complete Every Section Fill out every available field—business name, address, phone, website, hours, categories, attributes, description, and more.

Choose Categories Wisely Select your primary category carefully and add relevant secondary categories. Categories directly impact which searches you appear for.

Add Photos and Videos Businesses with photos receive 42% more direction requests. Add exterior, interior, product, team, and action photos.

Post Regularly Use Google Posts to share updates, offers, events, and content. Active profiles signal relevance.

Respond to Reviews Reply to all reviews—positive and negative. This shows engagement and can influence customer decisions.

Use Messaging and Booking Enable direct messaging and booking features if applicable to your business.

The local pack (map with 3 listings) appears for location-based searches:

Relevance How well your business matches the search query. Category selection, keywords in your description, and services listed all factor in.

Distance How close your business is to the searcher's location. You can't change your location, but you can optimize for service areas.

Prominence How well-known your business is. Reviews, links, citations, and overall web presence indicate prominence.

Strategies for Local Pack Success - Optimize GBP completely - Build quality citations - Earn positive reviews - Create location-specific website content - Get backlinks from local sources - Ensure NAP consistency everywhere

Service Area Businesses If you travel to customers (plumbers, electricians), set service areas in GBP rather than a physical address. Optimize content for each service area.

Create content that signals geographic relevance:

Location Pages Create dedicated pages for each location or service area. Include unique content about that specific area, not just templated text.

Local Keywords Target keywords that include location modifiers: "SEO agency San Diego," "plumber in La Jolla," "best coffee downtown."

Local Link Building - Sponsor local events or charities - Join local business associations - Get featured in local news - Partner with complementary local businesses - Create local resource guides

Community Involvement Content about local events, community involvement, and local partnerships signals genuine local presence.

Customer Stories Feature case studies and testimonials from local customers, mentioning their neighborhood or area.

Local Schema Markup Implement LocalBusiness schema markup to help search engines understand your location and service details.