Local SEO is how a business in a particular town gets found by people searching in that town. When someone types "plumber near me" or "dentist in Sheridan", Google shows a map with three businesses on it, then the normal results. Local SEO is the work of getting into that map and those results.

For most local businesses it is the most valuable SEO there is, because the people searching are close by and ready to buy.

1. Understand what Google looks at

Google ranks local businesses on three things: how relevant the business is to the search, how close it is to the searcher, and how prominent it is, which mostly means reviews, mentions and links. You cannot change where the searcher stands, so the work is on relevance and prominence.

2. Get your Google Business Profile right

Your profile is the centre of local SEO. Claim it, fill in every field, choose the right categories, add your services and hours, and upload real photos. Post an update every couple of weeks. Everything else in this article builds on a complete profile.

Quick tip: the primary category matters more than any other field. Choose the one that matches what customers would call you.

3. Collect reviews and answer them

Reviews drive both rankings and calls. Set up a simple routine: after every job, send the customer a direct link to your review form. Reply to each review within a day or two, using the customer's name and mentioning the work you did. Over a year this builds a profile that is hard for a competitor to catch.

4. Keep your details consistent everywhere

Google checks your name, address and phone number against directories, social profiles and your own website. Make them match exactly, down to the abbreviations. Then get listed in the directories that matter for your trade and your area, and fix any old listings with a previous address or number.

5. Build location pages on your website

If you serve several towns, give each one its own page that says what you do there, with real detail: the areas covered, jobs you have done nearby, and how to reach you. A single page that lists thirty towns does not rank for any of them. Mention your location naturally in your homepage title and your about page too.

A mention from the local paper, a sponsorship of a club, a listing with the chamber of commerce or a supplier who links to you all tell Google that your business is a real part of the area. These are slow to collect and that is exactly why they count.

7. Track calls, not just rankings

Rankings on the map change with where the searcher is standing, so they are a rough guide at best. Track what matters instead: calls and direction requests from your profile, and enquiries from your website. If those are rising month on month, the local SEO is working.

If you want to know where your business stands in local search right now, book a call and we will look at the map results with you.