Local SEO: What It Is and How to Do It Right (Expert Tips)

Local SEO is the strategy of optimizing a business’s online presence to appear more prominently in geographically-based search engine results and maps. The goal is to attract more local traffic in-store and online. Use these expert tips to improve your local SEO strategy.

Nearly half of all Google searches have local intent.

If your business has a geographic-specific audience, improving your local search ranking can help you capture that valuable traffic.

To do this, you need to invest in local search engine optimization (SEO).

Local SEO ensures your business appears in local map packs and search results when it matters most.

In this guide, our digital marketing experts will walk you through SEO best practices to increase your visibility — and revenue.

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence to increase visibility in local search results and maps.

This includes a business’s website, Google Business Profile listings, online listings and directories, social media pages and mentions, and other third-party citations.

Ideally, when someone searches for a relevant product or service in your area, your Google Business Profile will appear higher in the local pack, along with a higher organic ranking for your website in the standard blue links.

How local SEO works

When someone performs a local search (such as “lawn care service Atlanta”) or a query including “near me,” Google relies on local SEO ranking factors and the user’s device location to decide which results to display.

For standard search results, Google ranks pages based on:

• Relevance to the searcher’s intent
• Website quality
• UX components, such as loading speed
• Local keywords and contact information

For Google Maps and the local pack results, Google reviews Google Business Profiles for:

• Relevance to the searcher’s intent
• Distance to the user’s location
• Reviews, up-to-date business information, and updated content

Benefits of local SEO

Local SEO benefits businesses that cater to customers in a particular geographic area by improving visibility in the search results, Google Maps, and local pack — resulting in increased traffic.

“Local SEO has been an invaluable tool for us to scale,” says Bryan Clayton, CEO of GreenPal. “It has helped us grow our business from just one city to serving thousands of customers nationwide.”

Who should use local SEO?

Any business that serves a specific geographic area — whether or not it has a physical storefront — should invest in local SEO. This includes:

• Service providers: While service providers like plumbers and painters often don’t have physical locations, they typically operate within a set service area.
• Brick and mortar businesses: Stores with physical locations should invest in local SEO — with a separate Google Business Profile for each location.
• Businesses with customers in specific regions: If an online store has a large customer base in Australia, their SEO team can create content that targets terms like “Australia” and “Sydney.”
• Service providers: Businesses like plumbers, painters, or landscapers may not have physical locations, but they typically operate within a defined service area.
• Brick-and-mortar businesses: Stores or offices with physical locations should prioritize local SEO, maintaining a separate Google Business Profile for each location.
• Businesses with customers in specific regions: Even online businesses with a strong customer base in a certain area — for example, Australia — can benefit from local SEO by creating content that targets regional keywords (e.g., “Australia” or “Sydney”). In this case, use local spelling conventions (such as colour instead of color) and develop content relevant to local culture and interests.

How to build a local SEO strategy that works

A strong local SEO strategy comes down to three main priorities:

1. Optimizing your Google Business Profile
2. Improving on-page SEO
3. Building consistent local citations

1. Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free tool that allows you to create and manage a business listing on Google Search and Maps.

It gives customers quick access to key details about your business, such as hours, contact information, and services — helping you stand out in local search results.

Create your GBP

When building your profile, fill out every field completely, including your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) along with:

• Hours
• Category
• Description
• Products
• Services
• Specials
• Updates

Google also offers built-in tools that allow customers to:

• Chat with your business online
• Call your business directly from your GMB listing
• Order food for pickup or delivery
• Rate and review your business
• Get directions to your business address

Once your profile is complete, proofread carefully and confirm that all details are accurate and displayed properly on Google.

Develop profiles for each location

If your business has multiple locations, create a Google Business Profile for each one. Include:

• Business hours
• An embedded Google map
• Any specials unique to this location
• Any products/services unique to this location
• At least 500 words of unique content that contains location-based keywords
• Customer reviews (if possible)

Update and optimize regularly

Google continues to evolve, adding elements like the ability to link to social profiles or list specific products — so don’t forget to update your profile regularly to keep content fresh.

Keep all information current, and refresh content periodically to maintain visibility and credibility.

Pro tip: Apple Maps has been gaining traction recently. We recommend creating a profile on Apple as well, using the GBP best practices above.

2. On-page SEO

On-page SEO is the process of optimizing your website content and structure to improve visibility in organic search results.

When done right, on-page optimization helps search engines understand your business and connect your site to relevant local searches.

Key elements of on-page optimization include:

• High-quality, relevant content
• Consistent publishing schedule
• Targeted keywords
• Strategic internal linking
• Clear URL structure
• Optimized metadata (meta description, title tag, and image descriptions)

Conduct local keyword research

Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Semrush to identify local search terms that your audience uses. Focus on long-tail keywords that include your city, neighborhood, or region.

Further reading: How to Do Keyword Research (Tools to Use + Proven Tips)

Create location-specific content

Develop content that directly speaks to the needs and interests of your local audience. This could include blog posts, city-specific landing pages, or guides that highlight local expertise.

“One key strategy we use is creating city-specific landing pages for all the markets we operate in,” says Clayton. “It’s helped us rank highly for local search queries, driving significant traffic to our site.”

Content formats that work well include:

• Blogs
• Case studies
• Webinars
• Infographics
• Videos
• How-to guides

Publish regularly

Maintain a consistent publishing schedule and content calendar. Consider covering topics like upcoming local events, company updates, new features, and product or service promotions. Regular content updates signal to Google that your site is active and relevant.

Optimize metadata

Use clean URLs, meta descriptions, title tags, and image descriptions that target local keywords.

3. Local citations

Local citations are mentions of your business on third-party sites, including directories, social media platforms, and apps.

Consistent NAP information across local citations and your GBP tells Google that your business details are accurate and trustworthy — to get started, create local listings on third-party directory sites.

Popular options include:

• Angie (formerly Angie’s List)
• Thumbtack
• Yelp
• Yellow Pages
• Bing Places
• Apple Business Connect
• TripAdvisor

“Businesses can mistakenly have inconsistent Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) information across different directories and platforms, which ultimately irritates potential customers and confuses search engines,” says Hayden Pochop, senior SEO manager at HawkSEM.

“Ensuring your business NAP information is consistent everywhere is crucial in any local SEO strategy.”

Advanced local SEO strategies

Already doing the above? Then you’re ready for seven of our most advanced insights for localized SEO.

1. Optimize for voice search optimization
2. Connect with data aggregators to build local citations
3. Request and manage reviews
4. Optimize content for rich snippets
5. Leverage local SEO tools
6. Partner with local sources

1. Optimize for voice search optimization

Voice search has become a massive channel for local businesses, with nearly half of all voice queries showing local intent.

Businesses with complete Google My Business profiles are 70% more likely to receive location-based inquiries through voice search — but there are other ways to optimize for voice search, too.

Use natural language in your local content

“With the rise of voice search, businesses should adapt by providing concise and informative answers to common questions,” says Pochop.

“This informs their audience and strategically incorporates conversational and question-based keywords across their websites, including local ‘near me’ keywords.”

Include an FAQ section on your site

FAQ sections are effective for voice search optimization because they directly answer common questions for local customers. Here, you can provide important details like:

• Directions and service areas
• Product or service details
• Pricing and payment options
• Return policies

Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and fast

Most voice searches happen on mobile devices, so a responsive site that loads quickly is essential. What’s more, Google’s algorithm considers website speed and mobile responsiveness as ranking factors.

2. Connect with data aggregators to build local citations

Data aggregators are companies that collect, verify, and distribute business information to various online business directories, search engines, and apps.

It’s free to claim and manage your business listings through these aggregators, and they help distribute your information to third-party websites.

3. Request and manage reviews

Online reviews are critical for local SEO — from a business’s overall rating, to the number of reviews received, to how they respond (or fail to respond).

According to Bright Local, 29% of customers read online reviews when browsing for local businesses.

“Reviews give customers the confidence that a company is trustworthy and worth their time/money,” notes Yara Askar, lead strategist at HawkSEM.

“Businesses with too few reviews or not responding to reviews lose viable leads that would’ve been ready to visit a company or make a purchase.”

Ask recent happy customers to leave a review by providing a direct link. Be sure to respond to all reviews — positive or negative — in a kind and professional tone.

4. Optimize content for rich snippets

Rich snippets are enhanced search results that include additional information such as definitions, lists, ratings, images, and reviews — and can help your local business stand out from the local competition.

To increase your chances of earning rich snippets, structure your content so it’s easy for search engines to understand. Match your formatting to the type of query you’re targeting:

• For “best” or “top” queries, use a list format (bulleted or numbered H2s or H3s).
• For “what is” queries, provide a concise, direct answer in a short paragraph immediately following an H2 titled “What is [X]?”

5. Leverage local SEO tools

Local SEO tools speed up processes and make it easier to identify areas to improve. The right tools help evaluate performance, audience behavior, and discover high-traffic keyword research.

Our favorites include:

• Google Analytics: Tracks key website metrics, such as traffic volume, user behavior, and traffic sources.
• Search Console: Provides valuable insights into your site’s performance in search engine results pages (SERPs), such as where your site ranks, how often your pages are shown, and what search terms people use to find you.
• Keyword Planner: Helps you find and analyze keyword opportunities, including search volume and competition, to drive relevant traffic to your website.

6. Partner with local sources

Building relationships with local websites, blogs, and news outlets can boost your local SEO through backlinks and increased community visibility.

Start by running link-building outreach campaigns:

• Reach out to local sites and offer value in exchange for a link, such as a discount code or free product
• Sponsor local events
• Collaborate with nearby businesses
• Contribute articles to local publications

“One mistake we made while using local SEO was overlooking the significance of local backlinks,” says Normand Chevrett, CEO of CME CORP.

“We focused primarily on acquiring backlinks from national and industry-related websites and neglected the power of local link-building. This oversight limited our visibility in local search results and hindered our ability to connect with the community.”

Engagement goes beyond backlinking.

“Engage with your [community] by regularly publishing content focused on local news and events,” says Pochop.

“Actively engaging with the local audience on social media and using local business schema to help search engines understand business details are also key.”

Mistakes to avoid when scaling a local SEO strategy

To maximize the effectiveness of your local SEO efforts, here are some common mistakes to avoid.

Neglecting technical SEO

Technical SEO issues, such as broken links, slow page load times, broken images, and not having optimized meta tags, can prevent your web pages from being indexed correctly and limit visibility in search results.

Additionally, failing to create separate pages for each location or to add location-specific schema markup can make it harder for search engines to accurately identify a business’s address and other key details.

Targeting short-tail keywords

“Focusing on short-tail keywords like ‘HVAC contractor’ is very competitive and not specific to your location,” advises Askar.

“Including a longer-tail localized keyword strategy like ‘HVAC contractor in downtown Austin’ provides a better chance to rank locally.”

Ignoring mobile search optimization

“Given that most local searches are performed on mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly site is vital,” says Clayton. “We learned this the hard way and had to revisit our mobile strategy.”

Think ahead by developing a responsive website that adapts to any screen size.

Treating multi-location optimization the same as single-location SEO

If you own multiple businesses in a local area, then your SEO strategy will look different.

“For multi-location businesses, the approach to local SEO differs significantly from single-location businesses,” explains Pochop.

“It’s essential to create separate pages for each location with unique content and local keywords.”

He also recommends optimizing and managing the GBPs for each business location individually and building backlinks from local websites relevant to each location.

Examples of local SEO done right

Starbucks, almost everyone’s favorite coffee shop, does well with its local SEO strategy. It appears in the local pack for the term “coffee shops near me.”

When you click on their website link in the GBP listing, it takes you to a location page (not the homepage) with all of its information — address, phone number, store hours, and directions with a map.

As an added bonus, it has a prominent call-to-action button so customers can have their coffee ready to go when they arrive — a nice touch to get more conversions.

And we can’t leave without giving you a case study of our own.

Pochop recalls a local SEO client who saw remarkable results from our collaborative local SEO tactic:

“This SMB client provided pool liner installation and replacement services to local residents and primarily relied on web leads and phone call inquiries for new business.

After three months of working with HawkSEM on their local SEO strategy, organic lead contact form submissions increased by 84% compared to the 3 months prior, and phone call inquiries increased by 95% across all channels.

The takeaway

Local SEO is an essential component of a well-rounded strategy for businesses with a geographically-based audience.

Not only will leveraging these tips and tactics help improve your SEO profile, but it can do wonders when it comes to beating your local competition as well.

Need some help along the way? We’re here to help — reach out today.

This article has been updated and was originally published in February 2021.