What is local SEO?
TL;DR
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence to appear in 'near me' searches and Google Maps results. The top 3 ranking factors are: Google Business Profile completeness, review quantity and quality, and citations across the web.
Detailed answer
- 1.Google Business Profile is the #1 lever — fill out every field.
- 2.Reviews: aim for 100+ with a 4.5+ average within your first year.
- 3.Citations: be listed on Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing Places, and 20+ local directories.
- 4.On-page: include city and neighborhood names naturally.
- 5.Track rankings for '[service] in [city]' and '[service] near me' monthly.
Common mistakes
- 1. Leaving your Google Business Profile half-filled.
- 2. Inconsistent name, address, phone across listings.
- 3. Ignoring reviews (the strongest local ranking signal).
What to do instead
Audit your top 10 local competitors. Replicate every category, photo type, and post they use on their Google Business Profile.
Build a steady review pipeline — 5-10 new reviews per month consistently beats 50 reviews in one month and silence after.
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