What is local SEO?
By Ash, Founder, HosteazePublished 2 min read
The short answer
Local SEO is the work that helps your business appear when people nearby search for what you offer, such as "plumber near me" or "café in Leeds". It covers your Google Business Profile, reviews, consistent business details across the web and a website that clearly says what you do and where you do it.
When someone types "electrician near me" or "florist Didsbury" into Google, they usually see a map with a short list of businesses before the ordinary results. Local SEO (search engine optimisation for a place) is the work that gets you into that map and the results around it. For most small businesses that serve a town or region, it brings in more enquiries than any other kind of SEO.
How does Google decide which local businesses to show?
Google says local results are mainly based on three things.
| Factor | What it means | What you can do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | How well your listing matches the search | Pick the right category and describe your services fully |
| Distance | How far you are from the searcher, or the place they named | Very little, apart from keeping your address or service area accurate |
| Prominence | How well known you are | Earn reviews, links from local sites and mentions in directories |
Distance is why a café two streets away can beat a better-known one across town. You can't move your premises, so you work on the other two.
What does local SEO actually involve?
- Claim and verify your free Google Business Profile, then fill in every section: category, hours, services, photos.
- Ask happy customers for reviews and reply to them.
- Keep your business name, address and phone number identical everywhere they appear. This is called NAP consistency.
- List your business on trusted directories, which creates citations.
- Make your website say clearly what you do and which areas you cover, with a page for each main service.
A common mistake is stuffing the town name into your business name, such as "Smith Plumbing Manchester Emergency Plumber". Google's guidelines don't allow it, and it can get your profile suspended.
Where should I start?
Start with your Google Business Profile, because it's free and it's what appears in the map. Our local SEO checklist for small businesses puts the rest in order, and how to set up a Google Business Profile walks through the first step.
Frequently asked questions
Is local SEO different from normal SEO?
It uses the same foundations, a good website that Google can crawl, but adds things that only matter for location, such as your Google Business Profile, reviews and your address details on other sites. A national online shop needs SEO. A dog groomer in Bristol needs local SEO.
Do I need a shop or office to do local SEO?
No. Service-area businesses that travel to customers, like plumbers or mobile hairdressers, can have a Google Business Profile. You hide your address and set the areas you cover instead.
Can I pay Google for a better local ranking?
No. Google says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Ads can appear around the results, but they are labelled as sponsored and are separate from the free listings.