Local SEO
Local SEO is the practice of improving visibility for searches that carry geographic intent, whether or not a city name is actually typed into the box. It combines Google Business Profile management, citation consistency, local content and reviews with conventional on-site optimisation.
Why it matters for your rankings
Local SEO operates on a different ranking model from the rest of search. Proximity matters, reviews matter, and a free Google listing frequently outperforms the website you paid to build.
It is also where the gap between effort and result is widest in the right direction. National SEO for competitive terms takes years. A local business with an optimised profile, consistent citations and a genuine review habit can reach the local pack in months, and those searchers convert at rates informational traffic never approaches. The usual failure is treating it as a checklist completed once. Listings drift, competitors gather reviews, and Google changes categories, so it needs a maintenance rhythm.
How to check it on your site
Audit the Google Business Profile
Category, hours, services, photos and review recency. This is the highest-leverage asset in local search.
Standardise NAP everywhere
One exact format for name, address and phone, applied across your site and every directory listing.
Create real location pages
Substantive pages with local detail, staff, case studies and directions, not templated city swaps.
Build a review process
Systematic requests after service, plus a response to every review, sustain the prominence signal over time.