Why local SEO is its own discipline
Local SEO operates by different rules than traditional SEO. Proximity is a ranking factor. Reviews are a ranking factor. NAP consistency across the web is a ranking factor. None of these matter for traditional organic results. If you serve a geographic market, treat local SEO as a separate workstream with its own playbook.
Google Business Profile: the foundation
Your GBP listing is the single most important asset in local SEO. Claim it, verify it, complete every field. Categories matter — pick the most specific primary category, then add secondary categories that match your services. Photos matter — businesses with 100+ photos get 520% more calls than businesses with fewer. Posts matter — weekly posts keep the listing fresh and signal to Google that the business is active.
NAP consistency
Name, Address, Phone — exactly the same, everywhere on the web. Your website, your GBP, your Yelp, your Facebook, your industry directories. Even minor variations (Suite vs Ste, 123 Main St vs 123 Main Street) confuse Google's entity resolution and dilute your local authority. Audit NAP quarterly with a tool like BrightLocal or Yext.
Reviews: quantity, quality, recency
Google weighs review count, review average and review velocity. A business with 200 reviews averaging 4.7 stars and 5 new reviews a week outranks a business with 500 reviews averaging 4.9 stars and no new reviews this year. Build a systematic review request process — usually a post-service SMS with a direct link to the review form. Respond to every review, positive and negative, within 24 hours.
Local citations
Citations are mentions of your business name, address and phone on other websites — directory listings, local newspapers, industry sites. They're a trust signal that confirms your business is real and consistent. Aim for 40-60 high-quality citations in your first year. Quality beats quantity — 10 local newspaper mentions outweigh 100 generic directory listings.
Localised landing pages
If you serve multiple cities, build a dedicated landing page for each one. Don't just template-swap the city name — write genuine local content (neighbourhoods served, local landmarks, customer stories from that area). Google detects template content and ranks it poorly. Local pages with unique content rank 10x better than templated ones.
Mobile optimisation
Local search is mobile-first by definition — people search 'near me' on their phone, not their desktop. Your local landing pages must load in under 2 seconds on mobile, with clear click-to-call buttons, embedded maps and visible business hours. The conversion rate on a fast local page is 3-5x higher than a slow one.
Measurement
Track local rankings by city, not nationally. Track call volume from GBP. Track direction requests. Track review velocity. The national-rank dashboards used for traditional SEO miss the entire point of local — what matters is whether you show up in the local pack for searches near your physical location.