Let’s talk about local SEO.
What is local SEO?
Local SEO helps Google understand three simple things about your business:
1. Where you operate
2. What you offer
3. Whether customers trust you
If you get those three signals right, Google starts putting you in front of people searching for the services you provide — in the exact areas you serve.
This applies to any local service business: dentists, plumbers, electricians, gardeners, roofers, cleaners, dog groomers — if your customers live near you, local SEO matters to you.
Why local SEO actually matters
Think about how you search for things.
When something breaks — a leaking tap, a broken fence, a dying boiler — you grab your phone and type something like emergency electrician near me or fence repair in nottingham.
No directories. No forums. No guessing.
And your customers behave the same way.
A few numbers worth knowing:
– 30% of mobile searches involve location
– 78% of “near me” searches lead to an offline visit
– 28% lead directly to a purchase
If you’re not in those top results, someone else gets the booking. It’s that simple.
How local SEO works (without the jargon)
There are two “areas” of local SEO you need to win:
The Map Pack — the three listings that appear with the map at the top of Google.
The organic results — the regular blue links underneath.
Both matter. Both bring calls.
Both work differently.
- The Map Pack depends heavily on your Google Business Profile, reviews, proximity.
- The organic results depend on your website content, internal links, technical setup, and service pages.
Win both, and you dominate your area.
1. Set up and optimise your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the foundation of your local SEO.
If you don’t have one, you won’t appear in the map pack — at all.
When your GBP is complete and active, Google is more likely to send customers your way.
Here’s what “complete” actually looks like:
- Pick the most specific category possible
- Add every service you actually offer
- Set accurate opening hours (update holiday hours too)
- Add real, recent photos of your work, your team, and your location
- Write a simple, human description of what you do
- Set your service area properly
- Ask for reviews (weekly, not once a year)
Your GBP is your front desk on the Internet. Treat it like one.
2. Build a real review engine
Google reads your reviews.
If customers consistently mention things like:
– “arrived quickly”
– “same-day fix”
– “fair pricing”
– “tidy workmanship”
…Google begins associating your business with those qualities. And it ranks you for searches related to those phrases.
A simple, stress-free review system:
- Create a custom review link in GBP
- Add it to invoices and email signatures
- Make asking part of your workflow
- Train staff to ask after positive interactions
- Respond to every review (Google notices consistency)
Reviews build momentum. They compound.
3. Build consistent citations
Citations are mentions of your name, address, and phone number across the internet.
They’re no longer the powerhouse they were ten years ago, but they still help Google confirm you’re a legitimate local business.
Aim for quality, not quantity.
Start with:
– Google Business Profile
– Bing Places
– Apple Maps
– Yelp
– Facebook
– Trusted local directories (e.g. your local Chamber of Commerce)
The golden rule:
Your NAP must match everywhere — exactly.
4. Do proper local keyword research
Most service businesses massively underestimate how many ways customers search for them.
Take an electrician. People don’t just search electrician in derby.
They might also search:
- fuse board replacement derby
- rewiring near me
- emergency electrician 24/7
Those are different services.
They often need different pages.
And each one brings in customers with more urgent intent.
A clean workflow:
Step 1 — List every service
Start simple. Write everything down.
Step 2 — Expand with Google Autosuggest
Type your service + city into Google. Let Google reveal what people search.
Step 3 — Check for local intent
If a map pack appears, it’s a local SEO keyword.
Step 4 — Assign keywords to pages
One service = one page. Don’t cram everything into one generic “Services” page.
5. Build local backlinks (the ones that actually matter)
Local link building isn’t about chasing giant DR70 websites.
It’s about relevance and geography.
Some of the most effective local links come from:
- Local news sites (press releases, community stories)
- Sponsoring local sports teams
- Partnering with complementary trades
- Getting featured in neighbourhood groups
- Suppliers linking back to you as an approved provider
- Local blogs or magazines
They establish you as a real part of your local community.
That’s exactly what Google wants to see.
6. Improve your on-page SEO
Most local service pages look the same — vague, generic, and written for nobody.
You can win quickly by doing the basics well.
Your service pages should include:
A clear headline that names the service
Locations you cover (even better: neighbourhoods, landmarks)
Real photos of your work
Case studies or before/after shots
Testimonials from customers in that area
Internal links from your homepage and other relevant pages
Your NAP clearly displayed
If you want to understand why people search the way they do, read my full search intent guide — it’ll make your pages 10× stronger.
Local SEO tools that actually help
Don’t drown in tools. These are the ones that matter:
– Google Business Manager — manage your GBP
– Google Search Console — monitor organic performance
– Grid My Business — visualise map pack rankings
– Ahrefs — keyword research, backlinks, competitor analysis
– Google Keyword Planner — rough local search volume ranges
– Yext — manage citations at scale
The honest conclusion
Local SEO isn’t complicated — but it does require rhythm.
You want to show Google:
You’re active.
You’re trusted.
You serve real customers in your area.
If you show Google that — through reviews, GBP activity, solid pages, and a handful of local links — you’ll outrank most competitors who haven’t touched their SEO in years.
Local SEO rewards consistency.
Show up more often than the businesses around you, and Google will reward you with the same.
And that’s really local SEO, explained in simple terms.