Local SEO Basics: How to Show Up When People Search Your City

When someone searches “coffee shop near me” or “plumber in Austin,” Google doesn’t show them results from across the country. It shows local businesses.

If you serve customers in a specific area, local SEO determines whether you show up in those searches.

Here’s how to get it right.

Why Local SEO is Different

Regular SEO is about ranking for general searches. Local SEO is about ranking for searches with local intent.

Local searches include:

• “[service] near me”
• “[service] in [city]”
• “[business type] [neighborhood]”
• Map results and the “local pack” (the map with 3 business listings)

Google uses different factors for local rankings than regular rankings. The biggest ones are your Google Business Profile, citations, reviews, and proximity to the searcher.

Google Business Profile: The Foundation

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the single most important local SEO factor. It’s what appears in the map results and the knowledge panel when someone searches your business name.

How to Set It Up

1. Go to business.google.com
2. Sign in with a Google account
3. Search for your business
4. Either claim an existing listing or create a new one
5. Verify ownership (usually by postcard, phone, or email)

Verification can take a few days. Once verified, you can manage your listing.

What to Fill Out

Business name Use your real business name. Don’t stuff it with keywords. “Joe’s Plumbing” is fine. “Joe’s Plumbing | Best Plumber Austin | 24/7 Emergency Plumber” is not and can get your listing suspended.

Category Choose your primary category carefully. It strongly affects what searches you appear for. You can add secondary categories too.

Address Use your exact, consistent address. If you serve customers at their location (like a contractor), you can hide your address and set a service area instead.

Phone number Use a local number when possible. Track calls if you want to measure effectiveness.

Hours Keep these accurate. Update for holidays. Nothing frustrates customers like wrong hours.

Description Write a clear description of what you do. Include your service area and what makes you different. Don’t keyword stuff.

Services and products List what you offer with descriptions and prices where applicable.

Photos Add photos of your business, team, products, and work. Businesses with photos get more engagement.

NAP Consistency: Why It Matters

NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. Google uses NAP information across the internet to verify your business is legitimate.

The key word is consistency.

If your website says “123 Main Street” and your Yelp listing says “123 Main St,” that’s technically inconsistent. While minor variations usually don’t cause major problems, significant differences can confuse Google.

Where to Check NAP

• Your website (every page, especially footer and contact page)
• Google Business Profile
• Yelp
• Facebook
• Yellow Pages
• Industry-specific directories
• Chamber of Commerce listings
• Any place your business is listed online

How to Fix Inconsistencies

Pick one format for your name, address, and phone and use it everywhere. Then audit your listings:

1. Search your business name on Google
2. Check each listing that appears
3. Update any that have wrong or inconsistent information
4. For listings you can’t edit, contact the site to request changes

Some SEO tools (like Moz Local or BrightLocal) can scan for inconsistencies, but you can do this manually for free if you’re patient.

Getting Reviews (The Right Way)

Reviews affect both your ranking and whether people actually choose you. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to get them.

What’s Allowed

• Asking satisfied customers to leave a review
• Making it easy by sending a direct link to your review page
• Responding to all reviews, positive and negative
• Displaying review request signage in your business

What’s Not Allowed

• Paying for reviews (against Google’s terms)
• Reviewing your own business
• Asking only happy customers (review gating)
• Buying fake reviews
• Offering incentives for reviews

How to Ask for Reviews

After a successful transaction, simply ask: “If you’re happy with our service, we’d really appreciate a Google review.”

Make it easy. Send a direct link. On Google Business Profile, you can create a short URL for reviews. Share that.

Responding to Reviews

For positive reviews: Thank them briefly and personally. “Thanks, Sarah! Glad we could help with your kitchen remodel.”

For negative reviews: Respond professionally. Acknowledge the issue, apologize if appropriate, and offer to make it right offline. “We’re sorry about your experience. Please call us at [number] so we can fix this.”

Never argue publicly. Never get defensive. Other potential customers are reading.

Local Citations Explained

Citations are mentions of your business on other websites. They include:

• Directory listings (Yelp, Yellow Pages, industry directories)
• Local business associations
• News mentions
• Blog mentions

Why Citations Matter

Citations help Google verify that your business is real and established. They also provide potential customers another way to find you.

Types of Citations

Structured citations are formal listings with your NAP information clearly displayed, like Yelp or industry directories.

Unstructured citations are mentions in blog posts, news articles, or other content where your business name and maybe address appear in the text.

How to Build Citations

Start with the major directories:

• Yelp
• Yellow Pages
• Bing Places
• Apple Maps
• Facebook Business Page
• Industry-specific directories for your field

Then look for local opportunities:

• Chamber of Commerce
• Local business associations
• Community websites
• Local news sites (if you’ve been featured)

Claim listings where you can. For sites you can’t edit, just verify the information is correct.

Your Website Still Matters

Google Business Profile is crucial, but your website supports your local SEO too.

Location Pages

If you serve multiple areas, consider creating pages for each major area. “Plumbing Services in North Austin” gives you a page that can rank for that specific search.

Don’t create thin pages with just the city name swapped. Each location page should have unique, useful content.

Schema Markup

Schema is code that helps search engines understand your content. Local business schema tells Google exactly what you are, where you are, and how to reach you.

If you’re not technical, many website platforms have plugins or apps that add local business schema for you. On WordPress, plugins like Yoast or RankMath can help.

Contact Page

Make your contact page thorough:

• Full address
• Phone number (click-to-call for mobile)
• Hours
• Embedded Google Map
• Contact form

Realistic Expectations

Local SEO works, but it’s not instant. Expect to wait 3-6 months before seeing significant movement, especially if you’re in a competitive market.

Some factors are outside your control, like proximity to the searcher. If someone searches from across town, a closer competitor may outrank you regardless of your SEO.

Focus on what you can control: a complete Google Business Profile, consistent NAP, good reviews, and a helpful website. These fundamentals put you in the best position to rank.

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Gustavo has worked in web development and digital marketing for 15 years. He writes these guides to help small business owners understand technology without the jargon.