Local SEO
Optimising to appear in local pack and localised organic results.
What local SEO means for local firms
Local SEO is the work of appearing when people search for businesses near them, either in Google's map results or in normal results for searches with a place name. It combines your Google Business Profile, your website's local relevance, reviews and consistent business details across the web. Google says local results depend mainly on relevance, distance and prominence.
A local example
An optician opens a second branch in a market town. It creates a separate, verified Business Profile with the branch's own hours and photos, adds a branch page to the website with parking and accessibility details, and asks patients for reviews. Within months the branch starts appearing in map results for eye tests nearby.
How to check yours
Search your main services with your town name, and with "near me", on your phone while you're within your area. Note whether you appear in the map. Then check your profile is complete, your categories are accurate and your website's contact page matches the profile exactly. Google Business Profile's performance data shows calls and direction requests.
Local mistakes to avoid
- Using a virtual office or home address you don't serve customers from as a storefront.
- Creating dozens of town pages that only swap the place name.
- Ignoring reviews.
- Stuffing keywords into your business name on the profile, which breaks Google's guidelines.
Why it brings local enquiries
For trades, shops, clinics, restaurants and professional firms, local search is often the main source of new customers. You can't control how far someone is from you, but you can control how complete and relevant your profile and pages are, and you can earn prominence through reviews and local mentions.
Other local search terms
- Google Business Profile: Google's free business listing used in Maps and local pack results.
- Local pack: The map-based local results block on many Google SERPs.
- NAP: Name, address and phone number. Keeping them consistent supports local trust.
- Citation: A mention of your business NAP on another site or directory.
Start with a free SEO audit
Your whole site, audited free. No card and no obligation.