BOOK A CALL!

  • Free Automated SEO Site Audit

  • Form Example

  • Expect your SEO audit results to take ~60 seconds to complete. Alternatively, use our free backlink checker or check out our fully managed SEO services and let us help you better rank your website!

    • Ultimate Local SEO Checklist

    Ultimate Local SEO Checklist

    If a business has a physical address, then you probably already know that you need local search engine optimization or local SEO.

    For many small business owners, this type of SEO continues to be a mystery, and it shouldn’t be.

    The concept is actually easy to incorporate in any web design or marketing strategy. This guide goes through everything that businesses should know when learning how to use local SEO more effectively for their markets.

    Types of Businesses That Need Local SEO

    In a phrase, any business can use local SEO, but it’s more effective if a business has a definitive physical location. However, if you get most of your business from local clients or customers, local SEO might also be a good idea for you as well. Local restaurants, retail stores, doctor’s offices, dentists, lawyers and so forth all benefit from using some type of locally optimized marketing strategy. If you expect foot traffic from your website, you probably want to be the first to use local SEO.

    Local SEO vs. Traditional SEO

    Traditional or national SEO will target broad scope keywords. These keywords aren’t attaching a regional identity. For example, if you’re the marketing team behind Wal-Mart’s new national campaign for cheap tires, then your keywords will likely direct towards all markets and focus on “cheap tires,” “tire discounts” or “tire deals.” However if you are a local auto tire company, you want to focus your keywords around location such as “cheap tires Orlando” or “tire discounts Orlando FL.” Creating a great local SEO strategy is about more than keywords but understanding this difference allows you to do accurate local keyword research, which is part of the whole marketing concept behind being local.

    Foundations & Strategy – Setting the Stage for Local SEO Success

    Before diving into technical tweaks, content creation, or Google Business Profile optimizations, you need a firm strategic foundation. In the world of local SEO, skipping the foundational steps is like building a house on sand. You might see some early results, but without structure, things will crack when competition intensifies or Google updates roll in.

    Let’s talk about how to set your local SEO strategy up for long-term success.

    Business & Market Audit: Know Thyself (and Your Local Competition)

    Start by asking: What are we actually trying to rank for — and where?

    Local SEO is as much about geography as it is about keywords. Defining your primary service area is step one. Are you trying to rank in a single city, a metro area, a region, or several distinct ZIP codes? Are you a brick-and-mortar store serving walk-ins, or a service-based business that goes to the customer? These distinctions matter.

    Then comes the audit:

    • Your existing online presence — Are your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistent everywhere? Do you have a Google Business Profile? What about Yelp, Bing Places, or Apple Maps?

    • Your website — Do you even have location pages? Are you ranking for anything local? Use tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs to see where you’re visible.

    • Your competitors — Who dominates the map pack? What kind of content do they publish? How many reviews do they have? What backlinks are they earning from local sites?

    This kind of audit reveals where the gaps are — and gives you a tactical edge.

    Set Goals and Define Your KPIs (Because “More Traffic” Is Not a Strategy)

    “Get more traffic” sounds nice in theory, but in practice, it’s too vague to guide your local SEO strategy.

    Instead, define goals like:

    • Increase phone calls from Google Business Profile by 25% in 6 months

    • Rank in the top 3 for “personal injury lawyer in [city]” within 90 days

    • Grow organic traffic to your [city name] location page by 40% YoY

    Tie those goals to clear KPIs:

    • Local pack rankings (map pack visibility)

    • Impressions and clicks on local queries

    • Click-to-call and direction requests

    • Organic visits from users within your target geo radius

    • Review volume and average rating growth

    • Backlink count from local sources

    Once those are in place, create a regular cadence for SEO reporting. Monthly reviews can help you adjust and refocus before campaigns go too far off track.

    Local Keyword & Intent Research: Speak the Language of the Neighborhood

    Local SEO lives and dies by intent. People searching “shoes” want one thing. People searching “best running shoes near me” want something entirely different — and they want it now.

    Your goal is to find:

    • High-intent local queries like “emergency plumber in [city],” “best Thai food in [neighborhood],” or “24 hour urgent care near me”

    • Geo-modified terms combining your services with locations: “roofing contractor Springdale,” “estate lawyer Bentonville”

    • Long-tail searches that show high buying intent but less competition: “affordable kids dentist west little rock”

    Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and even Google’s autocomplete suggestions are helpful here. But go beyond the tools — talk to your customers. Listen to how they describe their needs.

    Finally, create a keyword mapping plan that connects these terms to specific pages:

    • Homepage → Branded & broad geo terms

    • Service pages → “service + city” combos

    • Blog posts → Answer local questions

    • Location pages → Anchor your presence in each area you serve

    This way, every page has a job, and every keyword has a home.

    Why All This Planning Matters

    It’s tempting to jump straight into writing content or chasing backlinks — and those things are important. But without a strategy, they become noise. You need clarity on who you’re serving, where you’re serving them, and what terms matter most. Once you’ve built this foundation, the rest of your local SEO efforts will have something solid to stand on.

    Think of this as your blueprint. The skyscraper comes later.

    NAP, Citations & Business Listings – Building Trust Through Consistency

    If content is king in SEO, then consistency is queen — and she rules the local kingdom.

    One of the most overlooked but foundational elements of local SEO is your NAP: Name, Address, and Phone number. It sounds simple. It should be simple. But for many businesses, this is where chaos begins.

    Let’s get into why consistency in your citations and listings matters — and how to fix it if things are already a mess.

    What Is NAP — and Why Does It Matter?

    Example of Good and Bad NAP

    Your NAP is the digital fingerprint of your business. It tells Google and other directories where you are, what you do, and how customers can contact you. When your NAP information is consistent across the web, search engines trust you. When it’s inconsistent, they get nervous — and nervous algorithms don’t rank you.

    Here’s what can throw off your local SEO without you even realizing it:

    • Your address is listed as “123 Elm St.” in one place and “123 Elm Street” in another.

    • Your business name includes “LLC” on some profiles but not others.

    • You moved locations — but some directories still show the old address.

    • Your phone number is formatted differently (or outdated).

    These mismatches may seem minor to a human. But to an algorithm trying to reconcile fragmented data? They’re red flags.

    Google Business Profile: Your Local SEO Headquarters

    Local Schema Markup
    A Seattle example of local schema

    If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile (GBP) — previously known as Google My Business — stop reading and go do that. It’s the single most important listing for local SEO.

    Once claimed, make sure it’s 100% filled out:

    • Correct business name (no keyword stuffing — Google will punish this)

    • Accurate business hours — especially holidays

    • Click-to-call phone number

    • Website link

    • Photos (inside, outside, staff, services/products)

    • Business description that includes your primary local keyword naturally

    • Categories — choose the most relevant one first, and add a few secondary ones if applicable

    • Service areas if you serve multiple ZIP codes or regions

    Bonus points for:

    • Google Posts (short updates/offers/events)

    • FAQs — you can pre-load these with local keywords

    • Regular photo updates (fresh content signals to Google)

    Your GBP is often the first impression someone has of your business. Treat it like your storefront.

    Local Directories & Data Aggregators: Still Very Much Alive

    You might think directories like Yelp, Foursquare, and YellowPages are outdated. But from a local SEO perspective, they’re still relevant — not for the traffic, but for the citations (aka local mentions of your business NAP).

    Here’s how to get your citation strategy right:

    1. Start with the Big Four Aggregators
      These companies distribute your NAP info to dozens (sometimes hundreds) of other directories:

      • Neustar Localeze

      • Data Axle (formerly Infogroup)

      • Factual (now part of Foursquare)

      • Yext (paid syndication)

    2. Target Niche & Local Directories
      If you’re a law firm, make sure you’re on Avvo and Justia. A doctor? Healthgrades and ZocDoc. Local restaurant? Don’t ignore TripAdvisor or even OpenTable.

    3. Clean Up the Mess
      Use tools like Moz Local, BrightLocal, or Whitespark to audit your current listings. They’ll surface duplicates, inconsistencies, and missing profiles. Once found:

      • Suppress duplicates

      • Fix incorrect info

      • Claim unclaimed profiles

      • Standardize formatting (including abbreviations)

    4. Automate Where It Makes Sense
      If you’re managing dozens of locations or don’t have time for manual cleanup, consider platforms like Yext or Synup that auto-distribute and sync your NAP across dozens of platforms.

    Schema Markup: Help Google Help You

    Schema Markup Generator

    Schema is like a digital cheat sheet for search engines. By adding LocalBusiness schema (preferably in JSON-LD format) to your website, you explicitly tell Google things like:

    • Your business name

    • Address & coordinates

    • Phone number

    • Business type

    • Opening hours

    • Review aggregate

    • SameAs links (e.g. your social media or GBP)

    It’s not just good practice — it’s a signal of legitimacy. And when Google understands your business better, it ranks you better.

    Use tools like:

    • Google’s Rich Results Test

    • Schema.org templates

    • Technical plugins (like Yoast, RankMath, or manual insertion if custom-coded)

    Pro Tip: Your NAP Should Be Baked into Your Website

    Don’t just rely on citations. Make sure your full NAP is:

    • Visible in the website footer

    • Present on your contact page

    • Embedded via schema

    • Clickable (especially phone numbers for mobile users)

    For multi-location businesses, create a separate page for each location with unique URLs, content, and embedded maps.

    On‑Site Local SEO – Turning Your Website Into a Local Ranking Machine

    You’ve nailed down your business listings. Your Google Business Profile is humming. Great! Now it’s time to tackle something many local businesses overlook: your actual website.

    Think of your site as the home base for your entire local SEO strategy. It’s where Google (and your customers) come to confirm who you are, what you offer, and where you operate. If your website doesn’t reinforce your local relevance, you’re basically whispering in a noisy room.

    Let’s change that.

    1. Technical Foundation: The Stuff Google Cares About

    Before you even think about adding “near me” to a title tag, your site needs to be technically sound. Here’s your local SEO tech checklist:

    • Mobile-Friendly Design
      Over 60% of local searches happen on mobile. If your site’s not responsive, you’re losing rankings — and customers.

    • Fast Page Speed
      Speed impacts both rankings and conversions. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test and improve.

    • Secure (HTTPS)
      Google gives a ranking boost to secure websites. Plus, nobody trusts a site flagged as “Not Secure.”

    • Crawlable Site Structure
      Ensure your pages are easily accessible by search engines. Avoid orphan pages, and create a logical internal linking structure.

    • XML Sitemap & robots.txt
      These help search engines find and prioritize your content. Make sure they’re up to date and error-free.

    2. Local On‑Page Optimization: Speak Google’s Language (and Your Customers’)

    Each page on your site is a chance to show local relevance — especially your homepage, service pages, and location pages.

    Here’s how to optimize them:

    • Title Tags & Meta Descriptions
      Include your city and primary keyword:
      “Plumber in Fayetteville, AR | 24/7 Emergency Plumbing Services”
      Meta descriptions should compel the click and reinforce locality:
      “Looking for a reliable plumber in Fayetteville? We offer fast, affordable service—day or night.”

      Some of your content on your site can use local SEO keywords such as “SEO in Orlando” or “Orlando SEO”.The links, title tags, anchor text, in-text keywords and meta descriptions should offer city and state keywords that relate to any of the service areas that are within your physical location’s reach. Link building is important to gaining traffic, so you should be linking to authoritative pages with PageRank 3 or above that relate to your site’s articles and blogs while also linking to a page on your site that is related to the content with a keyword as well.

      For example, if you are selling SEO, you can link a high traffic site with authority on high quality SEO to the keyword “SEO specifications.” Later in the same piece, include a link for the keywords “Cheap SEO” but set the title of the link to “SEO in Orlando.” This can be done with the following HTML code for URLs:

      <a href=”url” title=”SEO in Orlando”>SEO in Orlando</a>

    • Header Tags (H1, H2, etc.)
      Don’t forget to include your geo terms in headers — but keep it natural.

    • Body Content
      Weave in location-based phrases naturally throughout your content. Mention neighborhoods, landmarks, ZIP codes, and service areas without sounding like a robot.

    • NAP in the Footer
      Include your Name, Address, and Phone number (with schema) in the footer of every page.

    • Clickable Phone Numbers
      Use tel: links so mobile users can call you instantly.

    • Location-Specific Landing Pages
      If you serve multiple areas, create individual landing pages for each. Make sure these aren’t cookie-cutter copies. Include:

      • Unique descriptions of services offered in that location

      • Local customer testimonials or case studies

      • Embedded Google Maps for that address

      • Neighborhood or ZIP code references

    • Internal Linking
      Link strategically between service pages and location pages to spread link equity and help search engines understand your hierarchy.

    3. Local Content Strategy: Be the Local Expert

    Content isn’t just for blog traffic — it’s a massive trust and relevance signal. If you want to dominate local search, create content that proves you’re active in and knowledgeable about your community.

    Here are some ideas:

    • Neighborhood Guides
      “Best Schools in Bentonville, AR for Families Moving to the Area”

    • Local Events
      Blog about local happenings your audience cares about: fairs, expos, charity drives, seasonal specials

    • Customer Stories / Case Studies
      Real work done for real people in specific areas (bonus points for photos!)

    • FAQ Pages
      “Do you serve Centerton?” “What areas in NWA do you offer next-day service?”

    • ‘Best Of’ Lists
      Great for building links, partnerships, and relevance:
      “Top 5 Coffee Shops Near Our Downtown Office”

    The more hyper-local content you publish, the more chances you give Google to see you as the authority in your city or neighborhood.

    4. Embedded Maps & Visual Local Cues

    Including a Google Maps embed on your contact page or location pages isn’t just helpful for visitors — it sends clear geographic signals to Google.

    Bonus tactics:

    • Add local images with alt tags that mention your city or service area

    • Include videos that reference your team, location, or community involvement

    • Use virtual tours, especially for restaurants, salons, or retail stores

    These visual elements do more than just look pretty. They anchor your business in a physical place, which is what local SEO is all about.

    5. Schema Markup: Repeat What You Said, But for Robots

    If your page says “We’re located in Rogers, AR,” great. But don’t assume Google knows what that means. Use schema to spell it out.

    Add LocalBusiness or a more specific schema (e.g. Dentist, Attorney, HVACBusiness) with fields like:

    • Name

    • Address

    • Geo-coordinates

    • Phone number

    • URL

    • SameAs (linking to your GBP, social profiles, Yelp, etc.)

    • Opening hours

    Also consider:

    • BreadcrumbList schema for better site navigation

    • Product or Service schema for detailed offerings

    • Review or AggregateRating if you feature testimonials

    The result? Richer search results, better indexing, and stronger ranking signals.

    The Takeaway

    Your website should scream “local business” from every angle — not just to visitors, but to Google’s crawlers. Every page, every tag, and every block of content is an opportunity to reinforce that you’re the local authority.

    If your competitors are only optimizing their Google Business Profile, this is where you outpace them. Because when your site, citations, and content all align around your local relevance — you don’t just compete.

    You dominate.

    Local Profiles on Google

    Creating profiles in Google is the first thing that any business wanting local traffic must do. Why’s that? Most people are using Google to research products and services, and when they type in something like “new tires Orlando,” a list of businesses that have profiles on Google Places will pop up at the top of the results page for the Orlando, Florida location.

    This means that businesses must add their complete location and details to Google Places and Google Plus. The profile must contain as much information as possible including a thoughtful description, pictures, contact details, store hours and hopefully reviews.

    You also want to set up profiles on other social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. These sites will undoubtedly come up whenever anyone searches your store’s name or products to learn more information, and you should be the one to control that information.

    Be Consistent with Every Listing

    When you start to create profiles and even build a website, you should make sure that your address is consistent on any page that has your name, address and phone number. They should also feature the same main photo and additional images that are consistent with the rest of your profiles. It may seem trivial, but you should never abbreviate one address and not another.

    Using On-Site Optimization Techniques

    There are four things to know about local on-site optimization. For one, name, address and phone number must be on every page of your site, such as at the bottom or top. In addition, city and state names should be in the title tags, meta descriptions and content of your site. Schema local markup can also help search engines find your local content better and identify your location for users. Lastly, you can use a KML or keyhole markup language file to further your on-site optimization.

    The Most Important Factors to Boost Local SEO Rank

    Reviews, positive feedback and number of profiles is important. Reviews should be on every page that it is possible to have reviews, but Google Places reviews are seen the most, which means that they contribute the most to a local business ranking in search results. Businesses often ask customers to leave reviews or add hints to review when a customer is obviously having a great experience. It’s important that you don’t pay for reviews, but businesses have had some success by offering a free gift if a customer leaves a review.

    Dominate Your ZIP Code—Before Someone Else Does

    Local SEO isn’t a “nice to have” anymore—it’s a competitive weapon. And if you’re not actively using it, someone else in your area absolutely is.

    And with national, broad-match terms getting obliterated by AI overviews and other LLMs, local search is even MORE valuable.

    From your website and listings to your reviews and content, every local signal you send is a vote of confidence in your authority, credibility, and trustworthiness. The businesses that win the map pack aren’t always the biggest. They’re the most consistent, the most visible, and the most relevant to local searchers.

    If you want to be the name people see when they search “[your service] near me,” this isn’t optional. It’s mission critical.

    So stop treating local SEO like an afterthought. Build the foundation. Nail the technicals. Create content your city cares about. And own your market—block by block, click by click.

    Because in local search, the business that shows up first is the business that wins.

    While having all of the above will definitely boost your ranking, your business may still not be in the lead if you are from the city’s center. That’s because when someone searches for “tires Orlando FL,” Google uses “centroid bias,” which means that the search will look for locations closest to the city center of Orlando.

    Now that you know a few ways to develop local SEO immediately, your site can build a reputation online and easily be found by those who are looking for your products and services near your location.

    Timothy Carter
    Timothy Carter
    Chief Revenue Officer at SEO Company
    Industry veteran Timothy Carter is SEO.co’s Chief Revenue Officer. Tim leads all revenue for the company and oversees all customer-facing teams for SEO (search engine optimization) services - including sales, marketing & customer success. He has spent more than 20 years in the world of SEO & Digital Marketing, assisting in everything from SEO for lawyers to complex technical SEO for Fortune 500 clients like Wiley, Box.com, Qualtrics and HP.

    Tim holds expertise in building and scaling sales operations, helping companies increase revenue efficiency and drive growth from websites and sales teams.

    When he's not working, Tim enjoys playing a few rounds of disc golf, running, and spending time with his wife and family on the beach...preferably in Hawaii.

    Over the years he's written for publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur, Marketing Land, Search Engine Journal, ReadWrite and other highly respected online publications. Connect with Tim on Linkedin & Twitter.
    Timothy Carter
    Latest posts by Timothy Carter (see all)