Local SEO is about being found by people searching nearby, or searching for something with an implied location. It behaves differently from ordinary search, because the results depend on where the searcher is standing.
The map pack
Local searches typically show a map with three business listings above the ordinary results. That block gets a large share of the clicks, and appearing in it usually matters more than ranking first in the blue links below.
Those listings come from Google Business Profiles, not from your website directly — which is why a business with an excellent website can be invisible locally while a competitor with a mediocre one is not.
What decides local ranking
Google describes three factors.
Proximity. How close the business is to the searcher. Largely outside your control, and it means there is no single "rank" — you rank differently from different streets.
Relevance. How well the business matches the search. Driven by your categories, services, description and website content.
Prominence. How well known the business is: reviews, mentions across the web, links, and general reputation.
The Google Business Profile
The single highest-return asset in local SEO, and usually the least maintained.
- correct primary category, which matters more than most owners realise
- accurate opening hours, including holidays
- services or products listed explicitly
- real photographs, updated occasionally
- questions answered, including ones customers asked
- reviews responded to
Consistency of details
Your name, address and phone number should be identical everywhere they appear. Old suite numbers, former trading names and disconnected phone lines scattered across directories undermine confidence in which version is right.
Auditing and correcting these is unglamorous and reliably effective.
Reviews
Reviews influence both ranking and the decision to call. Ask consistently at the right moment, make it easy, and respond to what arrives — including criticism, which prospective customers read closely to see how you handle it.
Never buy reviews. It violates platform rules, it is detectable, and the penalty lands on the business.
Common mistakes
- listing an address the business does not occupy
- creating multiple listings for one location
- keyword-stuffing the business name field
- location pages that differ only by place name
- ignoring reviews entirely
Do we need a shopfront?
For a listing with a map pin, you need a genuine address. Service-area businesses can hide the address but must still have a real one.
How long does local SEO take?
Profile corrections can show within weeks. Competitive categories in large cities take longer.
Does the website still matter?
Yes. It supports relevance, and it is where someone lands after deciding you are worth a look.