Local SEO is important for businesses that want to get customers nearby. It is different from regular SEO. While regular SEO tries to make a website more visible to people all over the world, local SEO focuses on helping businesses show up in search results for specific areas.
Improving local SEO means taking some important steps. These include creating your Google Business Profile, making your website better for local search terms, keeping your business details consistent, and getting good reviews from customers.
Making content for your specific area, listing your business in local directories, and interacting with people in your community on social media can improve your local SEO. We will look in detail about how to do local SEO in this post.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a way to help your business show up in search results for people in your area. It helps local customers find you when they search for goods or services nearby.
It’s an important plan for businesses that want to attract local customers. It helps your business show up clearly on Search and Maps when people search for the services you provide.
Local SEO is mainly about finding the right words that people in your area are using to search for businesses, improving your Google Business Profile, and making sure your name, address, and phone number are the same everywhere online.
Hiring an experienced local SEO service provider ensures your business optimizes its online presence, improving visibility and attracting more local customers effectively.
NAP in Local SEO
In Local SEO, NAP means Name, Address, and Phone number. These are the main pieces of information that help people find a business online. NAP consistency means that your business details should be the same no matter where they are found online.
It should be the same on your website, Google Business Profile, social media, and local listings. Google and many other search engines use NAP data to check a business’s address and contact information.
Having the same details everywhere online helps search engines trust your business.
This can make it easier for people to find you in local search results. These steps help Google know where your business is and what it provides, which makes it more likely to show up in local searches.
Also Read: EAT Signals to Grow Your Website (Infographic)
Why is Local SEO So Important in 2025?
Local SEO has become more important in 2025 because people are now searching more for nearby businesses and quick answers on their mobile devices. Here are the key reasons why Local SEO is important this year:
Rise in Mobile and “Near Me” Searches
In recent years, many people have started searching for things like “near me,” mainly using their mobile phones to find services and products close to them.
Actually, 76% of people who look for something nearby on their phone go to a business within a day. The move to search on mobile devices based on location means that businesses focused on Local SEO can easily attract customers who are ready to make a purchase.
Google’s Local Pack and Maps Visibility
Google’s Local Pack is the group of three local business listings that shows up at the top of search results. It’s now very important for online visibility.
Being shown in the Local Pack can boost your business’s visibility because it is placed at the top of search results. It also shows important details like your address, opening hours, and customer reviews.
When Google Maps is included in the Local Pack, businesses that have good Local SEO are more likely to show up on Google Maps, making it easier for people to find them nearby.
Better Conversion Rates
Local searches usually lead to more people taking action than general searches. When someone looks for an emergency electrician or a restaurant in [city], they usually want to get help right away.
Google’s data shows that 28% of local searches result in a purchase. By using Local SEO, businesses can draw in very interested customers who are likely to make a purchase, visit the store, book a reservation, or call for a service.
Increased Competition
As more businesses understand how important Local SEO is, there is more competition to appear in local search results. To be noticed, just having a Google Business Profile isn’t enough anymore.
Businesses need to get good reviews, make sure their details are the same everywhere, and frequently share relevant content about their location. A good Local SEO plan can help businesses rank better in their area and get ahead of competitors who haven’t optimized their online presence as well.
Increasing Significance of Reviews
Customer reviews are now very important for Local SEO. Google’s system is using reviews more and more to tell how trustworthy and popular a business is. Businesses that get a lot of good reviews are more likely to do well, especially in tough markets.
Also, reviews help customers feel more confident. In fact, 88% of users say they trust online reviews just like they trust recommendations from friends. By asking for and handling reviews as part of Local SEO, companies can get better rankings and image.
Use of AI in Local SEO
Artificial Intelligence is becoming very helpful for Local SEO. It assists businesses in making smarter choices based on data and automating important tasks. Using AI in Local SEO helps businesses keep up with competitors, react quickly to trends, and serve local customers better. In 2025, AI helps Local SEO by:
Getting local data information: AI tools look at a lot of data to find local search trends and see what competitors are doing.
Making content personalization: AI helps customize content to fit local tastes, making it more useful in local searches.
Simplifying review management: AI tools sort and study customer feedback, helping to identify common issues more easily.
Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to SEO for Doctors: Dominate the Search Results!
How Does Local SEO Work?
Local SEO helps Google know two important things about your business: where it is and what you sell. This is achieved by using improved local listings, important keywords, accurate business details, and good customer reviews. When these factors match up, Google is more likely to show your business at the top in local searches.
Local Search Results Types
Local SEO has two main parts because Google shows two kinds of results for local searches: Local Pack results and organic search results. Your business can show up in both places, which helps more local people find you.
Local Pack Results
The Local Pack is a section that appears at the top of Google search results when you look for local businesses. It shows the top three local businesses that match what you searched for.
This section has the name of each business, where it’s located on a map, its hours, contact details, and customer ratings. These are important because they show up at the top of the search results. This helps users find key business information quickly without needing to click more.
Organic Search Results
Under the Local Pack, Google shows regular search results, commonly known as the “ten blue links”. These links take you straight to websites instead of Google listings, and they are ranked based on Google’s usual rules.
For local businesses, showing up in these search results can add to their visibility in the Local Pack, giving them another opportunity to attract people looking for services nearby.
Ranking Factors for Local SEO
Local Pack Results
To rank businesses on Google Maps and in the Local Pack, Google looks at three main things:
Relevance: How well your business fits what the person is searching for. This is based on information in your Google Business Profile, the words you use, and the categories your business fits into.
Distance: How near your business is to the person’s location or the place they mentioned in their search. The nearer your business is, the more likely it is to appear in local searches.
Prominence: How well-known and reliable your business looks on the internet. Being well-known comes from good reviews, links from local websites, and being talked about on different platforms.
Organic Search Results
For regular organic search results, Google looks at more than just how relevant and where the place is. It also considers other things, such as:
Relevance: Google looks at how well your webpage content fits what people are searching for. Using certain keywords related to your area helps Google know that your page is important for people searching locally.
Content Quality: It’s important to have good and useful content that helps people searching locally.
Usability: Things like how easy a website is to use on mobile devices, how fast it loads, and how easy it is to find information can affect its position in search results. Websites that are easy to use are more likely to show up at the top of local search results.
By focusing on these things, Local SEO makes it easier for people to see your business in both local search results and regular searches, helping more customers discover and pick your business.
How To Do Local SEO – 10 Steps to Follow
Getting started with Local SEO is not too hard, but it needs a clear plan to make sure your business shows up well in Google’s local search results. Here’s a simple guide on how to do Local SEO.
Getting started with Local SEO is not too hard, but it needs a clear plan to make sure your business shows up well in Google’s local search results. Here’s a simple guide on how to do Local SEO.
Step 1: Create and Optimize Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is the best place to list your business. When you make a profile here, all the information you provide goes straight into Google. This helps your business possibly appear in the important Local Pack section on search results.
Actually, 36% of SEO experts think that GBP is the most important thing for getting a high spot in the map results, and 6% believe it helps with regular search results, based on a survey by BrightLocal.
And for a good reason: having a Google Business Profile is important if you want to appear high in local search results. To make your profile, go to the GBP create page and follow the steps provided.
The setup instructions are easy to follow, but there’s an important tip for SEO: carefully include keywords in your business name. This can really affect your local rankings, just like how using keywords in titles and H1 tags helps with content SEO.
For example, if you own a dental clinic and your business name doesn’t include “dental” or “dentist,” it can help to add one of these words to your Google Business Profile. Instead of “Dr. Rutherford Clinic,” you could choose “Dr. Rutherford Dental Clinic”.
It’s important to follow Google’s rules for naming your business to prevent problems later.
Don’t use too many keywords in your business name. Using too many keywords can cause problems with Google, like getting punished or having trouble getting verified.
You might have to get rid of extra keywords later. It’s best to avoid this if you want a good strategy for your Google Business Profile.
To make the most of your profile, Google recommends some important tips. Improving your profile with these tips can help people trust you and find you more easily, making your business more successful in local searches.
- Choose a clear business type to explain exactly what you provide.
- Set your business hours, including holiday hours, so customers know when you’re open.
- Enter your address if you have a store, or your service area if your business delivers or visits customers.
- Write down the things you sell or the services you provide.
- Upload clear and good pictures that show your business nicely.
- Ask your customers to share their feedback.
Step 2: Find Local Keywords
Local keyword research means finding out how potential customers look for the services you provide in a particular area. By improving your website for these words, you are more likely to show up in local searches and bring in the right visitors.
Find Keywords Related to Services
Start by writing down the services you offer, because people might look for the same service in different ways. For example, if you run a flower shop, some customers might just look for “florist” or “flower shop”.
Some others might search for specific things like “wedding flowers” or “same-day flower delivery”. By listing each service as a keyword, you can address different search needs and make it easier for people to find you. Here’s a possible list for a flower shop:
- Flowers for a wedding
- Flower delivery
- Flower decorations for events
- Flowers for condolence
After you have your main list, you can grow it by using each service word as a starting point in a keyword research tool. You can use Rank Tracker because it has over 20 tools for finding keywords. First, look at keyword ideas from the Keyword Planner tool.
Next, optimize this list of keywords using Autocomplete Tools. Include your area of service in your main keyword so that the tool finds keywords that are only related to your area. If you want to include all important keywords, check out a competitor’s website for ideas.
You can do this using the Domain Analysis tool in Rank Tracker. Just type in the web address of one of your competitors and scroll down in the report to find the section called Top Organic Keywords.
Click “See all” to see all the keywords related to services that your competitor uses, which could be helpful for your own website.
Check Search Volumes and Prioritize Keywords
Lots of keyword research tools show search numbers for the whole country, but if you want more detailed information for your area, use Google Keyword Planner and adjust it to your location. To understand which keywords are most important, you can use national search information.
For example, if many people search for wedding flowers more than for flowers for events all over the country, it’s probably the same in your area. This can help you highlight certain services on your website according to what people want.
Consider Local Intent
Not every keyword works well for Local SEO, so it’s important to see if each word has a local purpose. You have two choices to do this. The first one is done manually and takes a lot of time.
You need to look up the keyword on Google and see what shows up. If you see a Local Pack or other local results, it means Google knows you are searching for something local.
This makes it a good choice for your Local SEO plan.
The second option is to use Rank Tracker to quickly look at all the keywords for local search results. You can focus the analysis and check if certain keywords bring up local results in your area. You can zoom in on a specific street address on the map.
Add Keywords on the Right Pages
Your homepage can’t show up for every keyword, so it’s important to match keywords with the pages that fit best. Group keywords by the type of service to clearly show the focus of each page.
For example, if you’re focusing on wedding flowers and flowers for sympathy, make separate pages for each type of flower. This will help your pages be more relevant and prevent confusion with keywords.
If the keywords are similar services, like bouquet delivery and same-day flower delivery, you can put them together on one page. This method helps search engines find the right match for each page based on certain search words, making your site more relevant and organized.
You can use Rank Tracker to organize keywords into different topics. Using its easy-to-use keyword organizer, you can complete this task very quickly. Once you group the keywords, you can easily match them to the right landing pages using the Keyword Map tool.
Step 3: Make Your Website Content Local
Your GBP is important for getting local customers, but your website can also help you get noticed in local searches. By making your website content more relatable to local people, you help more local customers find you while searching for services or products online.
An easy way to connect your content to your area is by using the name of your city, county, or region throughout your website. For instance, if you own a flower shop in Detroit, you could use terms like “Detroit wedding flowers” or “Downtown Detroit bouquet delivery” in your service descriptions.
Using location-based words in your titles, headings, and content makes you more relevant for local searches and helps you show up in better results. Another good idea is to join local events and show these activities on your website.
If your business supports a local festival, helps out at a community fair, or joins charity events, make a post about it. For example, a bakery might post an article about joining a farmers market or a fall festival in Detroit, along with pictures and a short summary of what they did there.
When you write about these events, you can include local keywords, like Boulder farmers market snacks or Detroit festival food, to help more local people find your content. A good localization strategy brings people from your area to your website and helps turn those visitors into potential customers.
Step 4: Acquire More Reviews
Once your business is on GBP and other important websites, you will probably start getting reviews from customers. The number and quality of these reviews affect how high you rank in the Local Pack, your visibility on Google Maps, and a bit your overall search rankings.
A study by BrightLocal in 2021 found that 17% of people who work in SEO believe that reviews are the most important factor for ranking in local search results. Some research shows that reviews are the second most important thing for ranking in local search results.
To get more reviews, ask happy customers to share their thoughts. You can make it easy by putting a “Review Us” banner on your website or adding a reminder in your follow-up emails.
You can add a review card to your deliveries or ask customers for feedback when they pay. To encourage customers to leave reviews, some businesses give small rewards or bonuses.
Be careful, giving or taking money for reviews is not allowed by Google. To have a good rating, handling bad reviews is just as important as getting good ones. If someone complains, here are some good ways to make things better:
Recognize the issue: Even if you’re not sure if the complaint is true, showing that you understand the customer’s feelings can help reduce their frustration and build a good connection.
Make a promise to fix it: Describe the actions you will take to solve the problem and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Be sincere: Start by telling your name and job title, so others know you take responsibility and care about fixing the problem.
Give compensation: Think about giving a discount or bonus to persuade the customer to come back to your business. This shows that you care about getting better.
Make it a practice to reply to all reviews, whether they are good or bad. This shows that you want to keep your customers happy and helps build trust with Google and possible clients. Over time, lots of honest and helpful reviews will improve your online reputation and help more people find you in local searches.
Step 5: Create NAP Citations
Your business’s name, address, and phone number are important for Local SEO. The more often your business details are the same on different websites, the more Google trusts that your business is real.
SEO experts say that citations are becoming less important for rankings, while user behavior signals are gaining more attention. The two main places to find NAP information are the structured data on your website and your Google Business Profile.
The most important thing for good NAP citations is to keep them the same everywhere. Make sure your business name, address, and phone number look the same on all websites and places.
This means using the same symbols, short forms, and phone number styles. Having the same NAP details everywhere builds Google’s trust in your business, which can help people find you more easily in local searches.
Step 6: Get Added to Directories
Adding your business in local directories is a good strategy for Local SEO. It helps Google confirm your business details and makes it easier for customers to find you.
A study by BrightLocal found that 7% of SEO experts think citations are important for getting good rankings in local searches and regular search results.
Even though people think citations are less important now, they are still useful because many directories show up high in local search results. Being on these lists makes it easier for people to find you when they look for related services.
When you search on Google, you can still see a row of listings from TripAdvisor or Yelp at the top of the Local Pack results. Here are some simple tips for listing your directory:
Start with big data aggregators: In the U.S, big companies like Data Axle, Localeze, and Foursquare share business information on many online directories. This helps your business get noticed by more people.
List your business on important sites: Besides GBP, add your business to popular places like Apple Maps, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Bing Places, and Facebook. These trusted directories can boost your chances of showing up in search results.
Add to local and industry directories: Being listed in well-known local or industry directories helps you connect with your area, as these sites are often reliable sources for local services.
Ensure consistency: Keeping your business information the same on different platforms helps Google trust your details more. It’s important to keep your contact information consistent.
Creating good directory listings by following these steps strengthens your Local SEO strategy, allowing your business to connect with more people through trusted sources.
Step 7: Improve Your On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is important for making your website easier to find in search results and on Google Maps. A well-organized page helps you rank better in local searches and improves your overall SEO efforts.
BrightLocal says that 34% of SEO experts think that on-page signals are the most important for getting good organic search rankings, and 16% believe they are crucial for Local Pack results. To improve your on-page SEO, use these simple tips:
- Optimize each page to fit what people are looking for.
- Add your NAP details to your website in a consistent manner.
- Create attention-grabbing titles and descriptions that show what you offer and where you are.
- Use clear and helpful URLs to make it easy for people to find their way around.
- Make sure your images have helpful file names and descriptions.
- Link to other similar pages on your site to make it easier to navigate.
- Add important information that local people want to know.
You can use SEO tools to check your website’s on-page features. With them, you can see how your pages stack up against the best competitors. They also give personalized AI tips for keywords, meta tags, and ways to improve your pages.
Step 8: Create Local Backlinks
Backlinks are very important for getting a good rank on Google. According to a study by BrightLocal, 31% of SEO experts say they are key for natural search results, and 13% say they help with local search results.
Actually, Google has said that links from other websites are one of the three most important things for ranking in search results. For local SEO, it’s not just about having a lot of links; it’s important to get links from local websites.
Google views websites that link to each other as being part of a group or community. If you get links from local websites, Google sees your business as part of the local community. This helps your business show up better in local search results.
On the other hand, links from websites that are not related to your area can still be useful for overall SEO, but they don’t directly affect your local rankings. To discover local backlink chances, a good method is to look at the backlinks of your competitors.
In SEO SpyGlass, you can use the Link Intersection feature to find websites that link to several of your local competitors but haven’t linked to you yet. Creating good local backlinks helps improve your ranking and makes it easier for local users to find you.
These shared links are good chances for you to connect with others because they are likely related to your area and open to local opportunities. Simple tips for creating local backlinks:
- Focus on getting links from well-respected websites in your field.
- Look at the websites that link to your competitors, especially the ones that link to more than one competitor.
- Get your business added to local listings and directories because they can give you helpful links.
- Get back old links by redirecting old web addresses to the new ones.
Step 9: Implement Schema Markup
It is a way to help Google understand what your webpage is about more easily. For local SEO, using Local Business schema markup is very helpful. It labels your business details, showing that you are important to a specific area.
You can use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to add this code easily. Just enter your website address, point out important details like your business name and address, and then download the created code to put on your website.
If you’re using a content management system, some structured data might already be included or can be added with plugins. Just remember that adding more plugins can slow down your site.
Step 10: Leverage ChatGPT for Local SEO
ChatGPT is a helpful tool for local SEO. It can make your work easier, help you write better content, and let you manage your online presence more effectively. It is a useful tool that can help you with a lot of things.
It can assist with writing content and engaging with customers, making it easier for you to connect with people in your area.Here are some easy ways to use ChatGPT for Local SEO:
Create content ideas based on specific locations. ChatGPT can help come up with blog ideas, service details, and common questions that local customers will like. For example, it can suggest topics like “Best Skincare Clinic in [City]” or “Affordable Electricians in [Neighborhood]”.
Create better titles and descriptions. Use ChatGPT to make catchy titles and descriptions filled with important words for local searches. This will help your website show up better in results pages and get more people to click on it.
Make special service pages for each location. For businesses that operate in different places, ChatGPT can help create special service pages for each area, making sure they are different from each other.
Reply to customer reviews. ChatGPT can help you write replies to customer reviews quickly and professionally for your Google Business Profile or other review sites.
Use more local words and phrases. Create keywords that are specific to your area, like “24/7 emergency clinic [City],” and also try different versions for certain neighborhoods or services that are only needed during certain times of the year.
Help with structured data labels. ChatGPT can help you add Local Business information to your site. This includes tagging your address, phone number, and other important details for local searches.
How to Track Local SEO Results?
After working hard to improve for a specific area, it’s important to see if those efforts have worked with the local people. Normal ranking statistics, like those from Google Search Console, usually show information for the whole country or even the entire world.
This doesn’t help you understand how well you are doing in your specific local area. To see how well your pages do in a certain area, use a tool that can show search results from that location.
This feature in Rank Tracker lets you see rankings as if you searched from a specific city or neighborhood. In Rank Tracker, go to Preferences > Preferred Search Engines, then click Add custom next to your search engine.
In the pop-up, choose your preferred location and type in any place that Google Maps recognizes. You can set this exactly like a certain building if you want. Choose a short name for this place to use in your Rank Tracker workspaces, then click confirm.
Now, you can follow and see rankings from this exact spot. This setup is very helpful if you cover different areas. It lets you see how well things are doing in each place and make improvements to your pages as needed.
Wrapping Up
Using local SEO techniques is important for businesses that want to reach and win over customers in their area. To improve how easily people can find you online in your area, make sure to set up and check your GBP, and use local keywords on your website.
Getting good reviews from customers and connecting with the community on social media and local content can really help improve your local SEO. Making sure your business is listed in local directories and that your website works well on mobile devices are important for getting better local search results.
Using these methods regularly will make your business easier to find in local searches, bring in more customers, and help it grow steadily. Investing in local SEO helps you show up better online and earn trust in your community, resulting in lasting success.
FAQs
How can I create and confirm my Google Business Profile?
To create and confirm your Google Business Profile, go to the Google Business website and make an account. Provide your business information, like your name, address, phone number, and operating hours. Check your business by following Google’s steps, which might include getting a postcard, a phone call, or an email. A verified Google Business Profile can help more people find you online and make your business look trustworthy.
How do customer reviews help with local SEO?
They are very important for local SEO because they affect how people see your business and how much they trust it. Good reviews can help your website show up higher in results pages and bring in more customers. Ask happy customers to write reviews on your GBP and other review websites. Replying to reviews, whether good or bad, shows that you care about what customers think and want to make your service better.
How can local citations help my local SEO?
Local citations are when other websites mention your business, like on online directories, social media, and review sites. Regular and correct citations help show that your business is trustworthy and knowledgeable. Search engines check citations to confirm your business details and help your local search ranking. Creating and keeping local listings can help you get seen online and bring in more people from your area.
Why is it important to make local content?
Making local content helps your website show up in local searches and connects with people in your area. It can include blog posts, articles, and guides about local events, news, and things that people in the area care about. This content helps your local search ranking and shows that your business cares about the community. Using local content can attract more visitors to your website and make customers more loyal.
What are the tools that can be used for local SEO?
There are many tools that can help with local SEO, such as Google My Business, Moz Local, Semrush, and BrightLocal. These tools help you improve your online visibility, keep an eye on local search rankings, and check mentions and reviews. Using these tools can make your local SEO strategy easier and give you helpful information to improve your work. Keep checking and updating your local SEO strategies to keep doing well over time.