Local SEO is how your business shows up when nearby customers search for your services. Unlike traditional SEO (which targets national rankings), local SEO focuses on the Map Pack, Google Maps, city-based searches, and AI-powered summaries that surface business details instantly.
This guide breaks local SEO into a simple system you can run every week: optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP), strengthen your website's local relevance, fix citations, implement schema, and build a steady flow of reviews.
Quick Wins (What to Fix First)
If you want fast improvement, start here:
- Google Business Profile: correct category, services, hours, and photos
- Contact + NAP: consistent Name/Address/Phone site-wide + a real contact page
- Service pages: one page per core service (not a catch-all "Services" page)
- Citations: clean duplicates and make NAP match letter-for-letter
- Reviews: request consistently and respond to every review
Local SEO rewards accuracy + consistency more than hacks.
Why Local SEO Matters Today
Local search results now power:
- Google Maps
- The Local Pack
- Google AI Overviews
- Voice and AI assistants
If your local signals are incomplete or inconsistent, search engines (and AI systems) may misrepresent your business—or ignore it entirely.
Strong local SEO makes your business:
- Discoverable (you show up in more searches)
- Accurate (customers see the right info)
- Trusted (reviews + consistency build confidence)
Google Business Profile (GBP)
Your Google Business Profile is the #1 local ranking lever. Google Maps, the Local Pack, and AI summaries all rely heavily on GBP data.
Categories
Choose your primary category carefully--it should match your core service (e.g., Plumber, SEO Agency). Categories influence which searches you appear for.
Best practices:
- Use 1 primary category
- Add 2-5 relevant secondary categories
- Avoid category stuffing (more is not better)
Services & Products
Fully populate your Services and Products sections—this improves relevance for both Maps and AI summaries.
For services:
- Include broad offerings (e.g., Emergency Plumbing)
- Include specific offerings (e.g., Water Heater Repair)
For products:
- Add photos
- Use clear descriptions
- Keep pricing updated where applicable
Photos & Hours
Visual and operational accuracy affects both rankings and conversions.
Action items:
- Upload photos regularly (staff, storefront, interior, before/after work)
- Set holiday/special hours
- Replace outdated images
Stale profiles reduce trust—for users and AI.
Website Essentials for Local SEO
Your website is the "source of truth" that supports your GBP and citations.
Service Pages
Create one dedicated page per core service.
Example:
- ✅ Drain Cleaning in Austin, TX
- ❌ Our Services (single catch-all page)
This helps:
- Google understand relevance
- AI summarize your services accurately
- Customers land on the exact solution they need
Minimum checklist for each service page:
- What the service is + who it’s for
- What’s included (bullets are great)
- Service area (cities/neighborhoods)
- Proof (reviews, photos, or FAQs)
- A clear call-to-action
Location & Service Area Pages
If you serve multiple cities or neighborhoods:
- Create unique location pages
- Avoid copy/paste templates
- Add local proof: photos, testimonials, case studies, or team presence
Each page should answer:
"Do you serve customers in this area--and why should I trust you here?"
NAP & Contact Information
Consistency is critical. NAP mismatches weaken trust and can hurt map visibility.
Checklist:
- Name/Address/Phone consistent site-wide
- NAP visible in the footer (and often header)
- Dedicated Contact page
- Embedded Google Map (where applicable)
Schema Markup
Schema helps search engines and AI tools interpret your site correctly.
At minimum, implement:
- LocalBusiness schema (NAP, hours, geo-coordinates)
- FAQ schema on service pages
- Review schema for testimonials (when valid)
Validate with Google's Rich Results Test. Schema doesn't guarantee rankings--but it reduces ambiguity, which helps AI summaries stay accurate.
Citations & Business Listings
Citations are listings on third-party directories. They’re still a major trust signal because Google cross-references them.
Core Directories to Claim
- Google Business Profile
- Bing Places
- Yelp
- Apple Maps
- Better Business Bureau
- Angi
- MapQuest
- Industry-specific directories
Consistency Rules
- Match NAP letter-for-letter
- Remove duplicates
- Update outdated listings
- Keep your business description consistent where possible
If your citations disagree, search engines don't know which version to trust.
Reviews & Reputation Management
Reviews impact rankings, conversions, and how AI tools summarize your brand.
Best practices:
- Ask immediately after a positive experience
- Never incentivize reviews in ways that violate policies
- Respond to every review
- Handle negative feedback calmly and take details offline
Targets:
- Average rating: 4.5+
- Consistent review velocity (steady beats “bursts”)
AI often summarizes sentiment—not just star ratings.
Common Local SEO Mistakes
- Ignoring GBP updates
- Thin or generic service pages
- Inconsistent NAP
- Keyword stuffing (unnatural copy)
- Not responding to reviews
- Forgetting holiday hours
Local SEO rewards accuracy more than tricks.
Conclusion: Build Local Signals That Compound
Local SEO isn’t a one-time setup—it’s a system. When your GBP, website, schema, citations, and reviews all align, you build trust signals that compound over time.
Do the basics well and you'll strengthen visibility in Maps, the Local Pack, and AI-powered search results--even as search continues to evolve.
FAQ: Local SEO
How long does local SEO take to work?
Most businesses see early movement in 2-6 weeks, with larger gains compounding over 2-3 months--especially after GBP improvements, citation cleanup, and consistent reviews.
What matters most for Map Pack rankings?
The biggest levers are Google Business Profile quality, reviews, relevance (services + content), and citation consistency.
Do I need location pages if I only have one office?
If you serve nearby areas, a single strong service-area page can help. If you have multiple physical locations, you should have dedicated location pages.
Does schema help local SEO?
Schema won’t magically rank you, but it helps search engines and AI systems interpret your information correctly—reducing errors and improving trust.