Local SEO
Definition
Optimizing a website to appear in local search results, often using Google My Business.
Example Use Case
A plumbing company optimizes its Google My Business profile to attract local customers.
Local SEO targets searches with a geographic intent — people looking for something near them, right now. The results look different from ordinary search: a map with a set of nearby businesses appears above the conventional links, and most of the clicks go there.
The business profile is the centre of gravity. Accurate name, address, and phone details, a complete set of categories, opening hours, and photos all feed the ranking of that map result. Consistency across the rest of the web matters too, because conflicting addresses and phone numbers weaken confidence in the information.
Reviews carry unusual weight because they are both a ranking input and the thing customers read before choosing. Beyond the profile, local pages on the site — service pages named for the areas served, with genuinely location-specific content — help capture searches the map result alone will not.
