Local SEO

Google Business Profile, local citations, location pages — being found by nearby customers.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is optimization for geographic search. When someone searches "plumber near me" or "pizza restaurants in Brooklyn," Google shows nearby businesses in a map pack (3 results shown on a map).

If you have a physical location or serve customers in a specific area, local SEO is critical. Even if you have a website, customers find you through Google Maps as often as through Google Search.

Local SEO works differently than national SEO. Search intent changes based on location. Ranking #1 nationally for "coffee shop" is nearly impossible and pointless. Ranking #1 in your neighborhood is achievable and valuable.

Google Business Profile (the Most Important Thing)

Your Google Business Profile is your Google Maps listing. It's the single most important local SEO asset. Without it, you're invisible in Google Maps.

Set up or claim your profile at business.google.com. You need:

• Business name, address, phone number (NAP — see below)
• Hours of operation
• Website URL
• Business category (choose the primary one accurately)
• Photos (at least 5-10 high-quality images of your business, products, services)
• Description (150 characters describing your business)

Google Business Profile is free and completely controllable by you. Every element matters for local ranking.

NAP Consistency (Name, Address, Phone)

Your business's name, address, and phone number must be consistent across all platforms. Inconsistency tells Google you're different businesses. This kills local ranking.

Audit your NAP across:

• Your website (header, footer, contact page)
• Google Business Profile
• Local directories (Yelp, Apple Maps, Waze)
• Social media profiles
• Industry directories (Better Business Bureau, lawyers.com, doctorfinder.com, etc.)
• Review sites

Example inconsistency: "John's Plumbing" on your website but "Johns Plumbing" on Yelp. "555-0100" vs "555-0100 ext. 1". These differences create ranking confusion.

Local Citations and Directory Listings

A citation is any online mention of your NAP, with or without a link. Citations signal credibility to Google. The more consistent, high-quality citations you have, the stronger your local SEO.

Categories of directories:

• Major (Google Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp, Waze): Essential. Get listed.
• Industry-specific (attorneys, doctors, plumbers): Very important for credibility in your field.
• General directories: Less important, but they all help.

You don't need to be in every directory, but be in Google Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp, and 5-10 industry-relevant directories. Use a citation service (BrightLocal, Local SEO Checklist) to find all directories you should be in.

Reviews and Ratings

Google Business Profile review count and rating directly affect local ranking. More reviews + higher rating = higher ranking.

Encourage customers to leave reviews by:

• Asking in person or via email (mention your Google Business Profile)
• Making it easy: provide a direct link to your reviews page
• Responding to all reviews (positive and negative)
• Addressing complaints professionally

Don't fake reviews. Google detects fake reviews and penalizes you. Focus on asking happy customers to review you.

Local Keyword Targeting

Include location modifiers in your content and keywords. Target "[service] + [city/neighborhood]" not just "[service]".

On your website:

• Homepage title: "Dog Grooming in San Francisco | Paws & Pawsitivity"
• Service pages: target "[service] in [neighborhood]" pages for each location you serve
• Blog content: write location-specific content (guides, tips, local news)
• Schema markup: include LocalBusiness schema with address, phone, hours

If you have multiple locations, create separate location pages or location-specific landing pages.

LocalBusiness Schema Markup

Add LocalBusiness schema to your website's homepage and location pages. This structured data tells Google you have a physical location and makes your data eligible for enhanced search results.

Schema includes: business name, address, phone, hours, images, reviews (from Google), website URL. Most platforms (Squarespace, Webflow, Shopify) support schema. Custom sites need developer implementation.

Multi-Location Businesses

If you have multiple locations, don't create one website with all locations mixed in. Instead:

• Main domain for the company overall
• Subdomain or subdirectory for each location (example.com/denver, example.com/denver-office.example.com)
• Separate Google Business Profile for each location
• Location-specific pages with location-specific NAP and schema

Never duplicate the same page across locations. Each location should have its own page with location-specific information, address, phone, hours, and photos.

Local SEO Checklist

Priority order:

1. Create/claim Google Business Profile
2. Ensure NAP consistency across all platforms
3. Fill out all Google Business Profile fields completely
4. Add high-quality photos to Google Business Profile
5. Get listed in Apple Maps, Yelp, Waze
6. Get listed in 5-10 industry-specific directories
7. Add LocalBusiness schema to your website
8. Create location-specific pages with location keywords
9. Actively encourage and respond to reviews
10. Monitor your profile monthly for changes/spam