Local SEO is the process of optimizing a website so it ranks in searches tied to a specific city or region. Unlike paid placements, local SEO targets the unpaid results and depends on the search engines’ natural algorithms. When users search for products or services near them, businesses with strong local SEO are more likely to appear in those results.

Local SEO focuses on signals tied to a physical area, such as city and street names, the number of nearby businesses, and the geographic terms people type into Google. The closer a business’s online profile matches a local search, the more valuable that listing becomes to searchers.

How does keyword analysis drive local SEO?

A company in Sheffield, for example, can start by reviewing search volume data for its target keywords over the last five years. The goal is to spot trends and identify the terms that consistently show up in local searches. Those keywords then feed into ad campaigns. An ad targeting “Somerset Shopping Center” in Google Maps, for instance, performs better when the creative is focused on locations near that center.

How can businesses use location and citation data?

Local SEO gives companies a clearer picture of how their current marketing is working by mapping where searchers are. A Manchester retailer of local snacks, for example, could run separate ads for London and York, or build on existing citations in York where articles and blogs already mention places similar to those in Manchester.

How should phone number listings be handled?

The same phone number often shows up across many local listings. A business can take advantage of that repetition by optimizing ads for multiple variations of the number, including formats tied to terms like “Phone Number,” “Phone Person,” “Reservation,” “Availability,” “appointments,” and “appointment.” A name such as this can be tuned to target listings in the Manchester and Yorkshire area while ignoring unrelated variations.

What are the limits of local SEO?

Local SEO can lift a business into the regular organic results, but it does not always deliver a top spot. Higher rankings still depend on using the right tools and knowing where to find the right information. One tool small businesses often miss is Google’s map viewer, which shows how a business ranks next to its competitors.

What other local SEO tactics are worth exploring?

Small businesses can use several additional local SEO techniques to grow website traffic and overall visibility, and a local SEO provider can explain which tools fit a given company’s goals. Getting started sooner means reaching those visibility goals sooner.

FAQ

What is local SEO in simple terms?

Local SEO is optimizing a website so it appears in searches tied to a specific city or region. It targets the unpaid, organic results on search engines such as Google.

How do companies start a local SEO effort?

A common first step is to analyze search volume data for target keywords over the last five years, then focus on the terms that consistently appear in those searches.

Why does a business use Google’s map viewer in local SEO?

Google’s map viewer lets a business see how it ranks in relation to its competitors, which helps small businesses gauge the impact of their local SEO work.

Related coverage

• Local SEO Marketing for Bricks-and-Mortar Locations
• Local SEO Explained: How Nearby Customers Find Your Business