"Near me" searches have grown by over 500% in recent years. "Plumber near me," "best restaurant near me," "web developer near me" — these are the searches that lead to phone calls, visits, and sales for local businesses.

If your business isn't showing up in these searches, you're handing customers directly to your competitors. Here's how to fix that.

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is the practice of optimizing your online presence to attract more business from local searches. It's different from general SEO because it focuses on geographic relevance — Google wants to show people the most relevant businesses NEAR them.

When someone searches for a local service, Google shows two types of results:

  1. The Map Pack — The top 3 businesses shown on a map (this gets the most clicks)
  2. Organic results — The standard list of website links below the map

You want to be in both. Here's how.

Step 1: Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

This is the single most important thing you can do for local SEO. Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is what shows up in the Map Pack and the sidebar when people search for your business.

How to Optimize It

  • Complete every field — Business name, address, phone, website, hours, categories, description
  • Choose the right categories — Pick the most specific primary category, add relevant secondary categories
  • Add photos — Businesses with photos get 42% more direction requests and 35% more website clicks
  • Post regularly — Google Business Profile posts keep your listing active and fresh
  • Add services/products — List everything you offer with descriptions and prices
  • Enable messaging — Let potential customers message you directly from the listing
  • Keep hours updated — Especially holiday hours

Step 2: Get More Google Reviews

Reviews are one of the top ranking factors for local SEO. More reviews (and better ratings) = higher rankings in the Map Pack.

How to Get More Reviews

  • Ask at the right time — Right after a positive interaction or completed project
  • Make it easy — Send them a direct link to your Google review page
  • Follow up — A gentle reminder email a few days later increases response rates
  • Respond to every review — Positive AND negative. This shows potential customers you care
  • Never buy fake reviews — Google catches them and penalizes your listing

Step 3: Optimize Your Website for Local Search

  • Include your city/service area on every page (in titles, headings, and content)
  • Create location-specific pages if you serve multiple areas
  • Add your address and phone number to the footer of every page
  • Embed a Google Map on your contact page
  • Use local schema markup — Code that tells Google your business type, address, phone, hours, and more
  • Create local content — Blog about local events, local projects, community involvement

Step 4: Build Local Citations

A citation is any online mention of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). Consistency across the internet is crucial — if your address is slightly different on Yelp versus Google versus your website, it confuses Google.

Key Citation Sources

  • Google Business Profile
  • Yelp
  • Facebook Business Page
  • Apple Maps
  • Bing Places
  • Yellow Pages
  • Industry-specific directories
  • Local Chamber of Commerce
  • Better Business Bureau

Your Name, Address, and Phone number must be EXACTLY the same everywhere. "123 Main St" vs "123 Main Street" — even that small difference can hurt.

Step 5: Local Link Building

Links from other local websites tell Google you're a trusted part of the community:

  • Partner with local businesses for cross-promotion
  • Sponsor local events or sports teams
  • Join your local Chamber of Commerce
  • Get listed in local business directories
  • Write guest posts for local blogs or news sites

Common Local SEO Mistakes

  • Ignoring your Google Business Profile — It's the most powerful free tool for local business
  • Inconsistent NAP information — Your address/phone must be identical everywhere
  • No reviews strategy — You need to actively pursue reviews, not just hope for them
  • Keyword stuffing — "Best plumber in Dallas Texas, Dallas TX plumber, plumber Dallas" is spam. Write naturally
  • Ignoring negative reviews — Respond professionally. Potential customers watch how you handle criticism

I Build Locally-Optimized Websites

Every website I build includes local SEO optimization as standard — proper schema markup, location-specific content, fast loading, and mobile-first design. I set you up to dominate your local market.

Ready to dominate local search? Let's talk →

Tags: local seo near me google business