Our guide to Google local search is jargon-free, up to date, explains everything in plain English, and is packed with easy-to-action tips.

We’ll touch on the essential local SEO tools you’ll need to make your life easier and provide you with a complete overview of which areas you need to focus on to make your business more visible to local customers. So, let’s get started!

The Basics: Why local search?

If you’re new to Google local search or have come over from traditional SEO, you may wonder where it’s come from and why it’s so important to local businesses everywhere. The answer to this question lies with a piece of tech that you likely have in your pocket, in your hands, or on your desk right now—your smartphone.

The widespread availability of mobile technology has seriously changed how we behave as consumers. We can now hop online at any time, from any location, and search for something we need or want. That means that anything from the nearest pizza place to the pet grooming parlor (plus any product or service you can think of in between) is just a few taps on your smartphone screen away.

Constant connectivity equals convenience, so more and more, everyday shoppers are heading to Google on their phones when they need to find something. According to BrightLocal’s own Local Consumer Review Survey, 21% of consumers go online to find a local business every day, 77% search for a local business at least once per week, and 91% look online for local businesses at least once a month.

It’s easy to see how appearing prominently on Google when local people search for your kind of service can be lucrative!

What is a ‘local search’? How does it differ from a normal search?

A local search is perhaps best described with an example:

You’re driving in town and have a flat tire. You pull out your smartphone, head to your web browser, and type ‘mechanic’ into Google.

Whether or not you add ‘near me’, you’re still performing a local search as you’re looking for a specific service in your local area.

Thanks to modern technology, and provided you’ve allowed for this in your privacy settings, Google can accurately pinpoint your location. It can use your Wi-Fi connection or GPS, for example, to get an idea of where you are and then return results for products, services, and merchants that are in close proximity to your location.

Without getting too technical, proximity between searcher and business is one of the three key pillars of local search (along with relevance and prominence) for businesses looking to get their web presence seen by the right people at the right time.

Google will calculate the distance from the search user to a local business when deciding how to rank search results. It knows that, more often than not, search users need a solution that is close to them—especially when searching on a mobile device.

Breaking Down Your Search

You may think there’s nothing much to decode when you type a few words into Google to hunt down a vital product or service. That’s actually not the case, though.

The words and phrases you type in before hitting ‘search’ are a good indicator to Google whether you need something local or a solution from further afield. Let’s look at some of the ways that Google works out if you’re looking for something local.

“Near Me” Searches

Let’s go back to that city drive and your flat tire.

Now, chances are, you don’t just type in mechanic, although that is possible. In your eagerness to return to the road with a fully inflated tire as soon as possible, you might tell Google you’re looking for a “mechanic near me”.

Right away, ‘near me’ triggers a local search, as you need assistance close to your physical location.

The same is true of your customers’ searches. Whether they’re looking for a pool cleaner or a cable guy, ‘near me’ flags up to Google that only a business close to the searcher’s current location will suffice.

This means that Google knows to present that user with service providers from their immediate area. If you’re a mechanic in that city, you’ll want to ensure that you have your local search visibility taken care of to be visible to that customer and stand a chance of winning that job.

Geo-targeted Searches

In some cases, rather than typing in “near me”, you may simply add your location to the end of the search to be assured that you’ll be served relevant results. For example, “mechanic brighton”.

It’s pretty clear to Google that this is a local search, and so to be useful, it needs to show you listings for mechanics in Brighton.

You’d also use geo-targeted searches if you were looking for a place in a specific location that isn’t near you, for example when planning a trip. It’s important to remember this because otherwise, it’s easy to think that ‘local search’ equals ‘near me search’.

Location-enabled Searches

If you have your location enabled on your phone, you can perform a local search without even realizing it. In most cases, if you simply type in ‘mechanic’, you’ll get local results simply because you have location services enabled on your phone (Google is clever enough to know that you’re probably not looking for a definition of a mechanic unless you specifically ask for one).

This can vary depending on the type of business searched for, though. Searches for popular business types like hotels, restaurants, and car dealerships are always likely to trigger a location-enabled search.

What is a local search result in Google?

As we’ve seen, there are several types of ways to make a local search on Google, and fittingly, there are multiple types of local search results, too.

Depending on the device used for the search and the type of search performed, a different type of local search result may be shown.

Here, we just want to share a few terms that pop up most often to describe local search results so you feel comfortable with each one when you carry out local searches, speak to a local SEO agency, or look for local SEO services.

Local Pack

The most common result you’ll see when making a local search for a business is the Local Pack, though Google is doing its best to make AI Overviews the de facto search result—more on this shortly.

The Local Pack is a section of Google’s search results that shows the top local businesses related to your query. Whenever your query has local intent, Google will show a set of local businesses that might answer your query.

You’ll see the Local Pack appear if you go to Google and type in your search query in the search bar. It will often have an image of a map above or beside it and then usually three suggested local businesses below or to the side, sometimes with snippets of reviews, opening times, justifications, and photos.

For local businesses, this is the ultimate goal in local SEO, as these three spots are generally consistent across mobile and desktop and are by far the most popular way of discovering local businesses on Google.

Google Maps

If you use Google Maps to perform a search, you’ll get local map results. This will show the location of businesses matching your search query on a map with options for filtering according to criteria such as ‘top rated’ or ‘open now’, or even business types like ‘restaurants’.

Local Finder

If you click a listing in the Local Pack or scroll through the list of businesses on Google Maps, you’ll get what are called ‘Local Finder’ results. The Local Finder is the source of truth for all local listings on Google.

Wherever you see listings for a particular search term in a particular location, the Local Finder results are what’s being pulled. BrightLocal tracks these positions in our Local Rank Tracker and Local Search Grid.

Google AI Overviews

Getting back to general browser results, today you might find an AI Overview result in response to your local search query. These responses are generated by Google’s Gemini LLM (“AI” is entirely a misnomer—and a deliberate one: there is no “intelligence” going on here, merely pattern recognition and prediction, and the same is true of other LLMs like ChatGPT).

In this local search result type, Gemini does its best to discern what sort of result the user is searching for and pulls from authoritative guides and online sources to compile a response that’s conversational in tone.

The sources themselves are hidden behind ‘link’ icons and in the right-hand box (which I’ve already opened in the screenshot above).

These results are experimental and vary wildly from day to day and from search to search. It’s safe to say that until Google has stabilized Gemini and implemented it fully and consistently, you can’t rely on AI Overviews appearing for any given search, be that local or otherwise.

“Find Results On”

This may vary depending on where in the world you are searching from, but thanks to Google’s ongoing legal issues in the EU (the governing bodies of which want to see Google stop ‘self-preferencing’ in its products) the search giant has had to compromise and place links to other directories prominently in search results.

This is why you might see ‘Find Results On’ above even the Local Pack in your search results. The prominence of these directories in local search results (and in organic results) further highlights the importance of getting your business featured in all the right directories.

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Localized Organic Results

Localized organic results are a slightly different version of local search results. These results are shown in the main search area. They aren’t strictly business-related (so they likely won’t include specific local businesses unless they’re performing very well in local SEO for the search term you’ve used), but they do have a strong local connection via their content.

If the searcher is clearly looking for something local, the results will often consist of directory listings or ‘listicle’ style articles (such as “Top 10 Best X in Y”) and articles from local bloggers and newspapers.

Non-Google Local Search

As mentioned above, we’re now in an era where not everyone relies solely on Google to search the web. 

In fact, they might not even need to go to the traditional ‘web’ (as found via a browser). Search behavior has changed so much in recent years that it’s now perfectly normal for someone to, say, use ChatGPT to get restaurant recommendations and details, use Instagram to check out what the food looks like, and then find an impartial video review on YouTube or TikTok to make the final decision.

Our own Local Business Discovery and Trust Report found these to be the top apps for business discovery on social media:

1. Facebook (59% of consumers use Facebook to learn about businesses)
2. YouTube (49%)
3. Instagram (40%)
4. TikTok (32%)
5. Twitter/X (28%

Let’s take a brief tour of some of these to understand what a local search might look like.

Local Search on Facebook

Facebook is the #1 social media app for business discovery, so we have a dedicated guide to local search and Facebook. For now, let’s move on to some of the others on this list.

Local Search on Instagram

Instagram isn’t quite clever (or perhaps nosy) enough to use your location to prop up a generic search like ‘restaurant’ or ‘restaurant near me’ but if you include a place name, like ‘restaurant new york’, you’ll see posts related to that search, generally from super-popular Instagram accounts.

Another way to search for local businesses on Instagram is a clunky one, but it’s great for a more visual way to browse if you love Instagram.

1. Type a business name you know is in the area and industry you’re researching into the search bar and scroll over to ‘Places’:
   
   
2. Tap on the business name to see posts related to that ‘Place’.
   
3. Zoom out of the map and click ‘Search This Area’ to see a bunch of posts and reels related to your search. That’s where you’ll find similar business types.
   

This is a niche trick for Instagram business search, but it works and highlights the importance of having an updated and engaging Instagram presence that’s properly detailed, with opening times and the correct address.

Local Search on TikTok

TikTok works in much the same way for business discovery as Instagram, but with one key difference: TikTok actually gives businesses the equivalent of a directory listing.

Perform a business search or stumble across a business another way, and you’ll eventually land on the business’s own listing, which contains:

• reviews on TikTok
• reviews from other platforms like Google Maps
• a link to call the business
• a link to find the business on Apple Maps
• the full address, price range, and even…
• an estimate of how close to you the business is (no other platform does this!)

Where does TikTok get this information from? It doesn’t just aggregate it from other platforms, it actually requests business owners to submit and verify their business details via a dedicated form.

With a social media platform taking business discovery so seriously, you can see why Google’s not in the same position it used to be for local search.

Local Search on YouTube

Unlike some of the other platforms mentioned here, YouTube doesn’t need to keep track of your location and doesn’t tailor its search results based on it. Instead, to perform a local search on YouTube, you’ll need to add your location to the search term (e.g. restaurants brighton).

A local search on YouTube provides you with the same kind of results you’d get for a standard YouTube. It’ll likely be comprised of listicles from popular bloggers or review sites, peppered with sponsored posts from content creators or the businesses themselves.

Where YouTube really comes into its own is in individual product or business reviews. Depending on the sector, you could find a host of reviews to help you make a local business decision, or better yet, local experts who take the time to provide their unbiased reviews.

ChatGPT (and other non-Google LLMs)

Finally, we come to LLMs like ChatGPT, and LLM-powered search engines like Perplexity and Arc Search. What all these have in common is that they’re less ‘search engines’ and more ‘answer engines’. By this, I mean that they’re designed to provide clear answers to questions, rather than a host of results for the user to browse around and use to come to their own conclusions.

They’re designed for conversational activity, so you can start a local search with a simple question like ‘where is a good coffee shop in brixton’, and then refine the results conversationally, without having to repeat the question, like so: “which of these is close to t a train station”. This sort of conversation is what LLM providers mean when they say things like “it can help you plan an entire trip”.

As you can see in the screenshot above, ChatGPT answers local business questions with a map and a carousel of businesses it’s highlighted as suitable for the search term. Want to know which sources it used to decide on this list? Just click ‘Sources’ at the bottom, and ChatGPT will provide you with the list of top sources (usually business websites, authoritative blogs, directories, or local news sources) that it used.

Where do LLMs get the bulk of their information from? The training data used (and how up-to-date it is) is different depending on the LLM you choose, but by far the most popular, ChatGPT, primarily uses Microsoft Bing as its search engine, leveraging its data to provide up-to-date information when searching the web through the “ChatGPT Search” feature. This is because OpenAI, the developers of ChatGPT, have a partnership with Microsoft, which owns Bing.

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What about other search engines?

While they’re not nearly as popular as Google, there are a multitude of niche or localized search engines available, from industry stalwarts like Yahoo! and Bing to others like Baidu and Yandex. Take a look at our guide to alternative search engines to learn how local search works on those platforms.

Conclusion

Now that you know the differences and commonalities between local search types and local search results, you can dive further into learning what affects these things.

Whatever you do, always be testing and learning. There’s no such thing as set-it-and-forget-it in SEO, and local search is no different. Even citations have to be updated sometimes!

Essentially, it’s the work done by or for local businesses to ensure they appear in front of potential customers when those customers search for related terms.

If someone searches for ‘best pizza place in Manhattan’, what they’re hoping to find is just that. While many may believe that the results they’re being shown are literally the best, the reality is that the Local Pack uses a special local algorithm to determine which businesses’ Google Business Profiles (GBP) it will show.

Performing local SEO is a concerted effort to tell the local algorithm that your business is one of the ones it should showcase in local search results. It’s not just about leaving it to chance and hoping your quality will bring you out on top.

So it’s as simple as getting a Google Business Profile, adding some geographic keywords to your website, and moving on, right?

If only! There’s a bit (a lot!) more to it than that. Let’s look a little deeper.

How does local SEO work?

So, how do you actually get local SEO to work for you? That’s the big question you’ll have, whether you’re trying to get your single-location coffee shop to rank, or a client’s multi-location laundrette brand. I’m going to help answer the key questions: ‘How do I do local SEO?’ and ‘How does Google’s local algorithm work, and how can I optimize for it?’ 

Let’s start with that algorithm I keep on mentioning.

What does Google’s local algorithm look at?

Google’s local algorithm (or ‘system’ as Google calls its algorithms) looks at factors that it uses to decide what to show for traditional searches alongside factors that are more specific to local searches.

Google’s local algorithm focuses on three key pillars:

• Relevance: Google assesses how relevant your business is to the search a user has made. It does this by looking at a number of factors, like the category you’ve chosen on your Google Business Profile, other local listings you’ve built, and the description for your business. It also looks at the content your website, among other things.
• Proximity: This is the one that really makes this a truly local algorithm. Google looks at the location of the searcher when they perform the search to try and give them the most useful information, assuming they’re looking for a business nearby.
• Prominence: How well does your business or brand stand out, and how well known is it for the things being searched? A bunch of other businesses will likely be just as relevant and well-located, so in order to present the best results, the algorithm looks at what sets the leading businesses apart. Think reviews, links to your website from reputable sources, mentions in the press, and so on.

With the above in mind, local SEO works by having someone perform a series of tasks that help Google understand that your business is the best one to rank for that search. Some of these tasks are quick, like claiming your GBP and picking your categories, and some need to be consistently performed over a long period of time, like review management or link building.

Why is local SEO important?

Without local SEO, your business probably won’t be found when someone performs a local search.

For example, if someone in Chicago searches ‘nail salon in lincoln park’ and you’re up against tons of businesses that have hundreds of reviews, a well-maintained GBP and a bunch of well-optimized local landing pages, you’re unlikely to show up. And, if you don’t show up, the chances of someone coming across your business online drastically decrease.

Google themselves put out a key statistic in 2018 that’s still used widely across the industry to help highlight why local SEO is so important: 46% of all search queries have local intent. If that isn’t enough to convince you that it’s worth focusing on your visibility in local search, I don’t know what is. But if you want to see some more local SEO statistics, we’ve got you covered.

Local SEO vs Traditional SEO: What’s the Difference?

The core difference between SEO for local businesses and SEO for other kinds of businesses (such as e-commerce) is in the tasks you’ll need to undertake to improve the local business’s visibility.

Tasks for traditional SEO are aimed at helping a website rank in non-localized searches. Tasks for local SEO are aimed at helping a real-world business rank for a local search.

You’ll notice that I’ve said “business” there rather than a website. That’s because a business can technically rank for local searches on Google without a website, as long as they’ve claimed their Google Business Profile.

Let’s have a look at what a search term with local intent returns in Google compared to a search term without local intent.

Here is a search for ‘car tires’, one that Google sees as a more generic e-commerce search. As you can see, there are a number of Google Shopping options, some paid ads, and then links to websites.

Now take a look at the results of a search for ‘car tires lincoln park chicago’.

As you can see, there’s a stark difference. The local search shows the ‘Local Pack’, which I mentioned previously, and the organic results underneath that are localized, too.

The Local Pack is a box that contains a selection of Google Business Profiles and a map. It’s this section:

That’s very different from a traditional SERP, so it’s logical that the work you need to do isn’t exactly the same.

Traditional SEO tasks include things like:

• Link building and PR
• Technical SEO (although this encompasses a lot of different tasks)
• Content optimization and creation

All of these tasks do form part of any local SEO work, it must be said. So if you’re performing local SEO, then using these as a foundation is a good idea. Content and link building, for instance, just need to be done with a localized slant. Traditional SEO tactics are still important, but they simply become part of a wider tapestry.

So with that in mind, what do you need to consider for local optimization?

What are the key tasks involved in local SEO?

There are a whole host of ways to improve your local rankings. If you’re new to this, though, there are a few simple places you can get started.

1. Claim, then optimize, your Google Business Profile
2. Do your keyword research
3. Look at your competitors
4. Build local listings
5. Get more reviews
6. Create localized content

Use our local SEO checklist for a more exhaustive plan.

Claim, then optimize your Google Business Profile

Do it. Now. Maybe even yesterday if you’ve got access to a time machine. Before you start on anything else, this is a simple first step to take.

Do it here. I’ll be waiting to carry on once you have.

Done that? Great. Need help doing it? We’ve got a guide on claiming your Google Business Profile.

A GBP is how Google understands your business, from the business category you select through to the reviews you get. In addition to that, Google populates the Local Pack with GBPs. Starting to see why it’s so important now?

There’s a lot you need to consider with GBP, so we’ve gone into much more detail in our Google Business Profile Handbook.

Work out the keywords you want to rank for

This is the start of any SEO work, whether it’s local or otherwise.

It’s such a big deal that some businesses even include their keywords in their business name. While I wouldn’t necessarily always recommend that, it does highlight that you need to think about how your customers are going to find you as early in the process as possible.

Every SEO expert you talk to will have a different way of recommending performing more detailed keyword research. But a good start is simply searching for your business in the same way that you think your potential customers would, and seeing what comes up in the search results.

Gather a small selection to begin with, and think of the ones with a more transactional intent.

For instance, if you’re a nail salon in Lincoln Park, Chicago:

Nail salon near me

Nail salon in lincoln park

Lincoln park manicure

Best pedicure lincoln park

Other, more “longtail” or informational terms, can come later. For now, you’re just at the beginning of your journey.

There’s a lot more to local keyword research than that, though, so we’ve gone through it in detail as part of another guide in this Handbook.

As you’ll see when you’re optimizing your GBP, having those keywords handy will be useful. A search below shows how Google pulls the information from each GBP to match the searcher’s query.

Look at your competitors

With these keywords in hand, you can quickly discover who your local competitors are going to be.

Of course, you may just be able to look out of a window, or already have market research in hand. Even so, it’s worth remembering that you may have different competitors in online search.

Once you’ve seen who is ranking for your keywords, you can see how they’re doing it. This gives you an idea of how quickly you can be competitive and where your quicker wins will be.

Are they struggling with reviews on their Google Business Profile? Try to get more than them, and prioritize this activity. Is their GBP a mess? Make yours make more sense. Have they engaged with the local community to get a bunch of links? See if you can do that, too. You get the idea.

One way to check this is simply by Googling. Another is  byusing a local SEO tool like BrightLocal’s Local Search Grid.

Build local listings

While they may not be the one-shot to the top three rankings they used to be, local citations (or business listings) are still an important brick in your local SEO foundation.

Not only does Google use them to assess whether the information they have on you is correct, but they’re also an important way of building trust.

Citations are just as the name suggests: mentions of your business’s important information (Name, Address, Phone Number) on trusted sources. It’s worth investing in a number of key citations to get your foundations in order.

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Once you’ve built your citations, it’s important that you keep them maintained and accurate.

Why? Well, it’s important that search engines can rely on the business details they scour the web for, but it’s important for consumer trust, too. In fact, The Local Business Discovery & Trust Report 2023 found that 62% of consumers would avoid using a business if they found incorrect information online. 

For more of a deep dive into local citations, check out our Local Citations Handbook. If you want to start building your own, we’ve got a lengthy list of business listing sites to help, too.

Get more reviews, then actively manage the ones you receive

Review management is a task that falls somewhere between SEO and customer service. While it can benefit both, your online reputation is particularly important for your rankings.

Google has a review functionality in Google Business Profile for a reason: it sees user and customer feedback as a key signal for ranking businesses in local searches.

It’s worthwhile taking time to look into review guidelines for Google and other major platforms. Our Review Management Handbook also has tips on those guidelines and on how to get more reviews.

Optimize your website for local search

As mentioned above, you technically don’t need a website to rank in local search. But I strongly recommend you have one. Once you get it, you need to make sure it’s designed to help you rank locally.

There are a host of generic on-page SEO tasks you can do to help your local SEO. These includes things like:

• Optimizing meta-data and page titles,
• Implementing local business schema 
• Creating an efficient structure for your site
• Making it mobile-friendly (you can use Chrome Lighthouse to check how you’re doing)
• Building relevant internal links
• Providing a positive user experience

Once you’ve got those basics down, you’ll need to look at your website content.

Mentioning geo-targeted keywords

Think ‘replacement car tires in lincoln park’ or ‘manicure in lincoln park’. If you’re a single location, then this is super easy, as your homepage can do a lot of the heavy lifting. If you’ve got a few locations, or you’re a service area business, then your homepage will be more general, but should still include some important keywords— they may just be city or state-based, rather than borough or small-town based.

Creating location pages

If you have specific business locations all talked about on the same website, then you need to have a way for people to find them. Optimize these location pages for ‘[keyword] in [location]’ as a bare minimum. Then, look at how you can make them truly useful to your potential customers.

We have a more in-depth guide to creating powerful location pages.

Creating local content

If you’re in a highly competitive market, you can then take this even further. Creating localized content can help increase your overall authority and help Google understand that you’re truly the expert in that area.

The type of local content will vary depending on your niche. But a couple of examples for different niches are below:

Law: If you’re performing local SEO for a law firm, you can consider whether there are any laws in your state or city that are unique. Write a guide to help people understand that. Think ‘Divorce law in Texas’, or something like that, and then how you can write a compelling and informative guide on the subject. If someone is searching for those differences, you want to be the site they find that information on.

Real estate: Similarly, if you’re doing a real estate company’s local SEO you could consider creating area guides that really sell why a specific area is good to move to. Roundups of coffee shops or features on schools in those areas could be a great idea.

This is all just scratching the surface. There’s a lot you can do with your content.

Anything else?

That’s just scratching the surface. As I alluded to earlier, building links is something you’ll likely need to consider. The key here, though, will be getting them from relevant local sources.

Other tasks that you may need to consider include:

• Monitoring changes to Google’s algorithm or SERPs
• Fighting spam by reporting businesses that go against Google’s guidelines.
• Engaging with your local community
• Creating social media profiles and actually using them

Tracking Your Work and Reporting Results

Part of any form of optimization process, whether that’s local SEO or your fitness routine at the gym, is taking time to assess how that work is going.

The following are free tools to help you start tracking your results. We have created guides for each to help you set them up and interpret the results.

• Google Business Profile Performance
• Google’s Search Console
• Google Analytics 4

If you’re taking things seriously, investing in a local rank-tracking tool is also worth it. Geo-grid rank trackers are a great way to visualize how your business is ranking as they show how you’re performing for your keywords based on the search location on a map. There are a few different geo-grid rank trackers available, but we’d recommend our own Local Search Grid.

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What next?

I’ve gone over the basics to help you understand what local SEO is. Hopefully, you’re feeling ready to get started with some of these tasks (or at least know what local SEO services to look for providers of—consider BrightLocal’s if you are!) If you’re still unsure about anything, you’re in the right place—the rest of our local marketing handbooks can help.

SEO is often thought of as a monolith; a highly technical one-and-done process that ensures that your name is in the race. However, SEO is much more complex than that, and can even be broken into multiple subtypes applied across industries. In this article, we’ll be focusing on the two key types of SEO: organic (also known as traditional) SEO and local SEO, and how the two can be used together to create a strong online presence. 

What is organic SEO, and what tasks does it entail?

Organic SEO is all of the stuff that people usually name when they think of SEO—think technical, on-page, and off-page. It’s about optimizing a business’s website and the resources pointing towards that website, and includes tasks like:

• Researching keywords
• Analyzing competitors
• Applying on-page SEO fundamentals such as URL shortening, keyword targeting, and internal linking
• Creating SEO-optimized content (and improving your E-E-A-T while you’re at it)
• Investing in technical SEO tasks like fixing broken links, using schema markup, and optimizing website speed and navigability
• Building links to your website

With organic SEO, you’re trying to get your website to rank for a variety of queries featuring specific keywords. Organic SEO is a long and ongoing process that requires frequent tweaking and updates, but yields great reward when it comes to visibility.

Today, most successful companies have some sort of traditional SEO strategy to ensure that they are ranking for relevant searches—especially those who operate heavily in the digital world (spoiler alert: nowadays, that is most companies). 

What about local SEO?

Local SEO is all about ensuring that you rank for local searches, or queries that take the searcher’s proximity into account. With local, it’s not all about the website—it’s just as much, if not more, about a company’s Google Business Profile and how it ranks in the map pack. Where organic is broad, local is specific. Where organic applies itself across industries, local focuses on the neighborhood. 

In addition to expanding on organic SEO tasks like keyword research, competitor analysis, link building, content creation, and technical SEO with a local lens, local search engine optimization includes additional tasks like:

• Google Business Profile optimization
• Review management
• Local listings building and management (citation management)

Local SEO focuses on the here and now of searches, using explicit search phrases (such as the city name) or implicit searches (such as ‘near me‘) and geotagging to determine what results to show a user. The goal of local SEO is to make sure that it is your business being shown when that user searches in your area. 

Like organic SEO, it can be a long and involved process… but, just the same, local SEO is a vital player in ensuring that your business is seen. 

If you’re one of three coffee shops on the same street of a hotel, when a tourist searches ‘coffee shops near me’, from their room, you want to be the first one to come up. Local SEO is how you ensure that you do. 

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What is the main difference between traditional SEO and local SEO?

The main difference between traditional SEO and local SEO is who you’re trying to reach. Larger, location non-specific (think national or global) audiences, such as those targeted by ecommerce brands, will be the target of traditional SEO.

Brands vying for the top spot in search queries like ‘grey cookware set’ or ‘top program for computer science’ or even ‘best social media marketing tools’ will have a distinct focus on organic SEO in their marketing mix.

Local SEO, on the other hand, targets hyper-local, place-based audiences—whether that be within a specific city or even a specific block. These businesses are hoping to increase their rank in the map pack, and are usually targeting queries with a geographical intent, such as ‘chinese food tampa’ or ’24 hour electricians near me’.

These searches are bound by a specific radius. Google also recognizes some terms as inherently local, without the need for modifiers. Think ‘coffee shop’ or ‘pest control’. 

Have a look at some example key terms below and how they differ based on general or local search intent.

Do organic SEO and local SEO complement each other?

Both organic SEO and local SEO are vital parts of the marketing mix for any business serving within a specific geographic region. By creating a unified strategy for the two, local businesses can increase their odds of being found by the right customer.

After all, there is no local SEO without traditional SEO. Think of it this way: local SEO is a vital extension of traditional SEO; any of the foundations you build with traditional SEO are reinforced with local SEO. For local businesses specifically, utilizing both will help to form a robust overall SEO strategy that is sure to help drive customers through your doors (whether those be literal or metaphorical doors—looking at you, SABs). 

Local SEO vs Organic SEO: Which do you need to do?

Ultimately, in this day and age, all businesses can benefit from a robust traditional SEO strategy. Local SEO, however, has a time and place. When considering whether local SEO is ‘right’ for you, you need to ask yourself a few questions: 

• Where is my audience finding me? 
• Do I often do business with my customers in-person?

If you answered ‘online’ and ‘yes’ to those questions, you most likely need local SEO in addition to your organic SEO. And while it is possible to implement a local SEO strategy without a formal organic SEO strategy, it is important to consider the ways in which good organic SEO bolsters local. And, as mentioned before, technically there is no local SEO without traditional—when you properly implement a local SEO strategy, you’re sure to be ticking off some organic SEO tasks as you go. 

The short answer? All businesses should at least consider having a traditional SEO strategy in place, and any working within a localized region need to also have a local SEO strategy in place. 

If you play your cards right and form a strong strategy that incorporates both traditional SEO tactics alongside local SEO knowledge and tasks, you’re sure to see a bump in your online presence. 

Whether you have a physical brick-and-mortar location or serve a particular geographical area, local SEO allows you to better connect with people in your neighborhood, town, or city. That’s important given that 80% of US consumers search online for local businesses on a weekly basis.

Benefits of local SEO 

1. Better online visibility: Local SEO activity, such as citation and link building, increases your online visibility, making your business more easily discoverable by new customers.
2. More in-store foot traffic: Greater local visibility brings more foot traffic to your bricks-and-mortar location.
3. Tap into local shopping boom: More than half of consumers prefer to shop locally and support local businesses or smaller brands. Local SEO puts you in contention for those new business opportunities.
4. Targeted web traffic: Optimizing your site for local search delivers more targeted traffic to your website which can lead to more leads, subscriptions, sign-ups, and sales.
5. More calls: Google Business Profile optimization can lead to enhanced Google Maps visibility. This can lead to more calls and more in-person visits.
6. Thought leadership: Content marketing can help you establish a thought leadership position and be seen as an expert in your field.
7. Enhanced trust levels: Reputation management builds trust in your business.
8. More sales: Consumers are known to use online reviews to help with decision-making when choosing a local business.
9. Improved conversion rate: Website optimization can bolster your conversion rate, increasing contact form submissions, phone calls, email subscriptions, or sales.
10. More competitive: Local SEO also makes you more competitive as it encourages you to study what your rivals are doing well and what tactics are working for them to then integrate into your own approach.

This is Why Local SEO is Important

Imagine you’re a bridal boutique in Charlotte, North Carolina. Your ideal customer is a bride-to-be actively looking for ‘bridal boutique, Charlotte, North Carolina’. However, the organic search results are populated by big-name brands such as directory sites, top 10 lists, and blogs. This makes it hard to compete and difficult to imagine a route for the bride to find her way to your store.

However, if you perform local SEO, you’ll appear at the top of the search results and in the Local Pack with useful information such as opening times, your phone number and location, an image, and your five-star review rating. The bride-to-be can see you’re close by, offer a great service, and can easily plan a visit or call your store. You’re now in the running to make a sale.

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The 10 Benefits of Local SEO

1. Better Online Visibility 

Many of the activities associated with local SEO will help you improve your visibility in local search results and build better overall online visibility. 

Citation building, for example, is a staple of local SEO activity. This involves building mentions of your company’s name, its physical address (ideally including zip code), and phone number via directory listings, social media profiles, and online review platforms. 

Because you’ll do this in as many different places as possible, it’s easier for your business to be found by the right people (those interested in your specific product or service in their local area) at the right time (when they’re actively searching for a business like yours). If you’re running a B&B in Upstate New York, for example, a Tripadvisor NAP could help interested guests find you and make a reservation.

It’s important to keep the data across these listings, too, as 62% of consumers would avoid using a business if they found incorrect information online.

2. More In-store Foot Traffic

Greater local visibility can help to bring more foot traffic to your bricks-and-mortar location, whether you’re a cafe, dry cleaner, or hardware store. If you’ve invested heavily in specialist equipment, designed an innovative space, or have a brick-and-mortar location because your products are best experienced in person, growing the number of people stopping by can help you create a buzz about your space and make more sales. 

3. Tap Into the Local Shopping Boom

Recent years have seen widespread changes in consumer buying habits. One of the most notable is that today’s consumers increasingly prioritize local businesses when it comes to making purchasing decisions. 

One of the core benefits of local SEO is it puts you in front of local consumers exactly when they need your products or services. As a result, this can empower you to fully leverage this shift in buyer behavior to grow your business. 

4. Targeted Web Traffic

As a small business, every minute you spend dealing with unqualified leads or people who aren’t likely to make a purchase or book a service is money lost. 

Local SEO can help weed out irrelevant traffic and remove time-wasters that prevent your business from running efficiently, helping ensure your business is only visible to search users in your local area. 

With 72% of consumers using Google to search for local business information, this can be a significant advantage as it allows you to focus your resources on those customers most likely to convert. 

5. More Calls and Visits from Maps Users

Optimizing your Google Business Profile can enhance your visibility on Google Maps. This, in turn, can lead to more calls and in-person visits since Google Maps was specifically designed to help users find local services and plan their journeys. 

Google Maps is populated using information that Google gleans from Business Profiles, so any Google Business Profile optimization you carry out will directly aid your Maps visibility, increasing your number of calls and in-person visits.

6. Establish a Position of Thought Leadership 

Performing content marketing and link building is necessary to establish prominence and relevance, two of the core pillars of local SEO rankings. This same activity can also help you to cultivate a reputation as a thought leader and expert in your field. 

Local content marketing should naturally involve talking about your local area or hometown and involving your local community. Not only does this help grow your position as an expert voice, but it can also bring your customers closer to your business, building stronger links, brand loyalty, and increasing engagement.

When you take the time to create locally-focused evergreen resources you’re also more likely to receive links back to your site from other local businesses. These links, whether from a local source like your town newspaper or an industry-specific site (like your local chamber of commerce) can all add to your authority and credibility, helping position you as an expert in your field. 

7. Enhanced Trust Levels 

It’s no secret that reviews are a cornerstone of local SEO success and a key local search ranking factor. The more reviews you get as part of your reputation management strategy, the more visibility you’ll earn in local search. 

Reviews are also an essential ingredient for building consumer trust—a vital attribute that precedes any business transaction. 

Research confirms that more consumers than ever before are reading online reviews more regularly, and nearly half say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. 

Greater visibility, combined with top-rated, fresh reviews, is a magic formula for both local pack prominence and higher levels of consumer trust.

8. More Sales

Consumers use online reviews to help with the decision-making process when choosing a local business. Around one in eight people go online to find information about a local business more than once a week. 

Being able to present them with authentic recommendations from their peers for your business as a result of your reputation management activity is a powerful benefit and underlines just why local SEO is important. 

9. Improved Conversion Rates

When asking, ‘What are the benefits of local SEO?’ it’s easy to focus attention on what’s happening on Google and other platforms, but it can also play a direct role in improving the structure and performance of your own website. 

Website optimization tasks carried out for local SEO, such as adding new locally-focused optimization, reviewing landing page text, and working on page load speed, all help with conversion rate optimization (CRO). From there, you should see an increase in the number of conversions your site generates, including increases in contact form submissions, more phone calls, email subscriptions, or sales. 

10. Your Business Becomes More Competitive

An important part of developing and refining your local SEO strategy is benchmarking competitors and identifying what they’re doing better than you. Research suggests that the most successful brands invest in local SEO strategy: 94% of high-performing brands have a dedicated local marketing strategy, compared to 60% of average-performing brands.

Identifying these opportunities to improve (and being able to put the things they have learned into practice without the trial-and-error they may have gone through to arrive at a successful strategy) puts your business on a much more competitive footing. Studying their reviews, for example, could tell you what customers appreciate about their service so you can incorporate a similar approach within your own business.

One of the best ways for a business to get noticed, and to gain an advantage over its competitors, is to rank in the Google Local Pack.

What is the Google Local Pack?

The Local Pack appears at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) when a user makes a search query with local intent. It’s sometimes known as the Local 3 Pack, the Google 3 pack, the Google Map Pack, or—and this is my personal favorite—the Snack Pack.

Why is it called a ‘3 pack’?

The three most relevant results—determined by Google’s search algorithm—are featured in this ‘local SERPs pack’, and are distinctly separate from the remaining organic search results. If you own a brick-and-mortar store, then you’ll want to appear here! Below are two different examples, so you can see what the Local Pack looks like in different locations and industries.

A Local Pack for ‘Vegan Restaurants in New York City’

A Map Pack for ‘Car Maintenance Palm Springs’

These top three results are accompanied by a map that shows exactly where they’re located, as well as the address, opening hours, and average star rating from customer reviews, plus a click-to-call option for mobile users. ​​​​​​​

How does Google identify a local search?

The following are different ways for Google to identify that a user is making a search with local intent:

• A user will include the name of the desired geographic area, such as the town or city, within their search term. For example, ‘hair salon in Syracuse, NY’.
• A user will include ‘near me’ within their search query. For example, ‘hair salon near me’. Google will use GPS tracking to accurately understand where the user is searching from.
• A user will type their search query, such as ‘hair salon’, without any additional information. Google will understand that this user is likely searching for a hair salon to visit and will factor in their location while determining the most relevant results.

How is the Google Local Pack different from organic SERPs?

The algorithm for the Google Local Pack is different from organic SERP listings, so you’ll need to consider Local Pack SEO separately—start by checking out these local SEO tips for better visibility.

When it comes to appearance, the main difference is that the Google Local Pack contains clear calls to action, such as to visit the website or to make a phone call. Another important difference is that the Local Pack features concise information about a business that the user will naturally benefit from, such as location and hours of operation.  

These features make these positions more valuable—both to the searcher and to the top-ranking local businesses.

A Brief History of the Google Local Pack

The Google Local 3 Pack has been a feature in local SERPs since 2015. Before this time, Google displayed seven results in a list without a map.  

The reduction from seven results to three is great for readability on mobile devices, and the addition of a map helps the user to immediately understand the location of the results. 

Why should I care?

Of the approximately 40,000 Google searches made around the globe every second, data reveals that 46% of these queries have local intent. This equates to a huge number of people seeking information in their local area every single day. 

The stats also show that at least 93% of Google searches with local intent will include a Local Pack within the results.

What’s more, approximately 50% of users making a local search on a phone will visit a nearby business concerning this query within 24 hours. Plus, 78% of these searches will result in an offline sale in the near future. 

These figures highlight the importance of being visible to consumers who are ready to spend when they make a local search.

How do I climb the Google Map Pack rankings?

To start climbing the rankings into the Google Map Pack, you will first need to claim your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business).

Once you’ve claimed your Google Business Profile (GBP), you’ll then need to optimize it with the appropriate information. This involves completing all of the relevant sections, as well as including photos of your business. 

When deciding which GBP results to return for a query, Google primarily considers:

• Proximity—how close your business is to the user
• Prominence—how popular your business is
• Relevance—how closely matched your business is to the search query

The algorithm will also prioritize listings that are maintained with accurate and up-to-date details, as well as those that contain beneficial information about the business. 

The majority of consumers won’t check beyond the first page of results, so it’s essential that your business is ranking well for a range of different search terms. Once your listing is claimed and optimized, Local Pack SEO should then be the next step to boosting your online visibility. 

What about Google Maps?

Within the Local Pack Google listings, users can click to see more results, and doing so will take them to Google Local Finder (see image below). This is a more comprehensive list of relevant local businesses for the search query.

However, it’s important to be aware that the Local Finder is not the same as Google Maps.

Check out our dedicated post on the difference between Google Local Finder and Google Maps. 

Securing Local Search Success

The importance of ranking in the Google Map Pack shouldn’t be overlooked as a brick-and-mortar business owner. You may wish to hire an agency to help you, but there are many actions you can take yourself. If you want to start learning more about local SEO, then check out our comprehensive article on local ranking factors.

As you push ahead with your local search strategy, it’s important to be aware that Google results will vary when you check your rankings from different locations. Google will always know where you are and will return the results that are most relevant to your current location. 

Variance in the search results can be a stumbling block to understanding how your business is truly performing locally. You can easily solve this problem by using our free tool to accurately observe your local rankings from any location. 

With the best knowledge and the right tools, you’ll be well on your way to local search success!

Both give out local business information, which begs the question—how do they differ and when does a search favor one tool over the other?

Why two tools?

The reason for having two systems is actually pretty straightforward. It all comes back to user intent:

1. Google Local Finder returns results within a small geographic area, making it easy to find nearby businesses. It’s tied to Google Business Profiles and is typically triggered by a user clicking on a local pack result or the ‘more businesses’ button at the bottom of the local pack.
2. Google Maps takes a broader approach to results and isn’t as focused on a small geographic area. This is because it was originally conceived as a mapping engine; a tool that can help you plan your journey and find services such as gas stations, hotels, and restaurants en-route.

In short, Maps are for broader searches and Local Finder is for searches where there’s specific intent to find a certain type of local business.

Google Business Profile Gold Product Expert Krystal Taing expands on this:

So which is which?

What is Google Local Finder?

Google Local Finder is part of Google local search, e.g. when someone types in “handyman in palo alto”, or “handyman near me”. It draws data from a range of sources including Google and third-party reviews, Google Business Profiles, and business websites.

It’s seen when a user performs a standard Google search and then clicks on one of the local pack results.

If you click on a Google Business Profile in the local pack, it shows that profile in the finder, like this:

When Google Local Finder is open, it gives the user a map with multiple local business listings. These results cover pre-determined businesses, along with relevant information to be evaluated by the user. The local finder looks like the below if you have clicked the ‘More businesses’ button at the bottom of the local pack, or if you click off the profile you initially viewed it with.

Google Local Finder then allows you to search in this new tab if you wish to do so, rather than going back to the original SERPs. It gives the illusion that you are searching on Google Maps, but what you are actually doing is searching Google as normal, but an overlay on top of Google Maps to visually display the results.

What about Google Maps?

You likely know what Google Maps is, but for the uninitiated, Google Maps is (unsurprisingly) a map, first and foremost, rather than a search engine. It’s used by millions of people to plan routes, give directions and, in many instances, find businesses. The map-first nature does mean searching for a business works slightly differently from how it would on Google’s own search page or on the Local Finder.

As with the Local Finder, Google Maps draws its ranking data from Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) content. When it comes to rankings in Maps results, Google will place additional weight on the relevance, proximity, and prominence to the searcher.

The overall appearance of Maps is similar to Local Finder, with the primary difference being the area of coverage. Maps defaults to a much wider geographical area, as you can see below for the same ‘handyman in palo alto california’ search.

Maps is more often used during mobile search (including voice searches), as Google Maps is the default mapping app on all Android phones and tablets. It can also be accessed via the ‘Maps’ tab in search on a desktop device.

Search users opening Maps are more likely to be ‘discovering’ – browsing for an area, route, or landmark, without a set of specific business listings in mind. This means that unlike the search above, they may not need to add a location qualifier or a ‘near me’ to their search.

The below search, for instance, was made by simply hovering over that location in the Google Maps app and searching for ‘handyman’.

Ranking In Google Local Finder and Google Maps

The crucial first step: Google Business Profile

Before you can think about improving your rankings in Google Maps and Local Finder, you’ll need to claim your free Google local business listing.

You simply cannot rank on either platform without a Google Business Profile. This is the single most important step here, so make sure you do it.

Follow our complete guide to setting up your Google Business Profile to find out how.

Rankings

With your GBP listing claimed you can now start to think about improving your Google local rankings across the two tools.

It’s important to remember here that although Local Finder and Maps appear to be similar Google treats them differently due to the difference in user intent we mentioned earlier.

This means that two visitors, each searching for the same type of business, in the same location, might be shown two very different sets of results.

In fact, research has shown that results across Local Finder and Google Maps can differ from as little as 8% for local attractions to as much as 39% for women’s clothing stores.

Tips to Rank in Google Local Finder

Due to Local Finder’s close connection with Google’s ‘regular’ local ranking factors, standard local SEO optimization tactics will help you to improve your Local Finder visibility.

1. Nurture Your Google Business Profile

The information that you share with Google plays a key role in where your local business will appear in search.

Make sure that your Google Business Profile is optimized with the correct category selection, a comprehensive ‘about’ section, and accurate NAPs and Questions and Answers.

2. Focus on Local SEO

As mentioned, standard local SEO signals will help determine your rankings in Local Finder:

• Google Business Profile signals: Additional category selections, use of keywords in reviews, and frequency of reviews all matter. GBP signals are a key local SEO ranking factor so it pays to spend as much time as you can optimizing your listing.
• Review signals: Encourage customers or visitors to leave a review and, where needed, immediately address any negative feedback. Customer rating matters, so the more four and five star reviews you can collect, the better.
• Citation signals: Local citations also aid in Google local discoverability. Aim for high-quality, trustworthy, and authoritative citations. Information should be consistent across your citation profile as any discrepancies can dilute trust.
• On-page signals: Local on-page SEO optimization can help boost Local Finder rankings, so conduct a local SEO audit and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Link signals: Link signals including anchor text, linking domain authority, link quantity, and link position, are a key part in positively impacting your Local Finder placement.

3. Your Digital First Impression

Spend time thinking about what you want your ‘digital first impression’ to be and create a plan to achieve this.

As well as getting you seen, this will get people clicking through to your listing and (hopefully) end up with them becoming a customer. Here are some things you can do:

• Enable GBP Messaging
• Use keywords in GBP Products
• Use keywords in Google Posts
• Enable an Appointment URL
• Use Google Posts frequently

Tips to Improve Your Google Maps SEO

Unlike Google Local Finder, Google Maps is a standalone entity and not directly connected to search.

Ranking well on Google Maps depends greatly on the standard pillars of Google’s ‘women-led’ or ‘Black-owned’). While these can appear on both Local Finder and Google Maps, their visual nature makes them even more obvious on Google Maps.

Making sure you’ve chosen the right GBP attributes and justifications can help Google understand your relevance to a search. They also help users understand if your business is a better fit than the others Google has ranked for their query.

You’ll also need to weed out duplicate listings which could contain inaccurate or contradictory information.

2. Make your Proximity Obvious

Maps users want to know that your business is close to their search area.

Include a local phone number with area code and embed Google Maps on your website. Both of these factors work to verify your location and provide users with peace of mind that your business is where you say it is.

3. Make your Prominence Known

Prominence simply means high profile – Maps users want to know that a business is active and legitimate.

You need to maintain an active presence online and posting regularly is the first step. Keep your business hours updated, post photographs of new products, and consider launching a virtual tour.

Similarly, spend time asking customers for reviews. They’re a relatively quick way to help highlight your expertise, especially if you’re getting reviews on your GBP.

Away from Google, securing placements in local media, building links from local sources, being active on social media, and authoring thought-leadership pieces or by-lined articles are also worth exploring.

Conclusion

While there’s no official confirmation that Google treats Google Local Finder and Google Maps differently when it comes to rankings, a causal search will show you that they do.

Ranking highly on Local Finder doesn’t guarantee similar visibility in Maps and vice versa.

To cover all bases of user intent, local businesses should plan to rank for both.

As SEO specialists and digital marketers, staying informed about updates is essential to adapting our strategies effectively. Failing to do so can quickly diminish our local search presence. This advanced guide will help you understand the local search algorithm by breaking down the three major ranking pillars and explore specific ranking factors within these pillars that can significantly impact a business’s local search position. By the end, you’ll be equipped to stay ahead of the competition and know exactly what to focus on. 

Google’s Local Search Algorithm

Google’s local search algorithm uses three key components to determine which businesses appear in local search results: proximity, relevance, and prominence.

Proximity

Proximity refers to the physical distance between the user’s search query and the business. The closer a business is to the user’s location (or the location they are searching for), the more likely it is to appear in the search results. This is one of the most crucial factors, especially for users performing searches with local intent.

There isn’t much a business can do to target this pillar. However, making sure that your Google Business Profile and other listings have an accurate Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) is a good start.

Relevance

Relevance measures how well a business listing matches the search query. Factors like business categories, keywords on the business website, and user-generated content (e.g., reviews) can help improve relevance. A business that aligns well with a search term is more likely to be ranked higher.

Local ranking factors that Google includes in this pillar include:

• Local listings and citations
• On-page signals, including content
• Google Business Prorfile
• Backlinks
• Personalization signals

Prominence

Prominence looks at how well-known and trusted a business is within its community or industry. This factor is influenced by external signals such as backlinks, social media mentions, online reviews, and how frequently a business is mentioned across the web. Prominent businesses that are often referenced and have a higher reputation tend to rank higher in local searches.

Local search ranking factors that Google includes in this pillar include:

• Reviews
• Google Business Profile and other listings
• Backlinks
• Behavioral signals

Together, these three factors form the backbone of Google’s local ranking system. However, within these categories, a number of specific ranking factors can significantly influence a business’s local search position. Let’s break down the individual ranking factors that come into play. 

Local Search Ranking Factors for Local SEO

There are certain factors that determine how well a business performs within the realms of proximity, relevance, and prominence.

This table shows what experts in the 2023 survey identified as the top local search ranking factors, divided into Local Pack and localized organic categories.

To improve both Local Pack and localized organic rankings, you might find it useful to know the average importance of the local SEO ranking factors across both:

1. On-page optimization (28%)
2. GBP (21%)
3. Links (19%)
4. Reviews (11%)
5. Behavioral signals (9%)
6. Citations (7%)
7. Personalization (7%)

Let’s run through each one and see how they influence proximity, relevance, and prominence.

1. On-Page Signals

Optimizing your web pages for given keywords will increase relevance and enhance your chances of being favored by the Google local algorithm. According to Moz’s Local Ranking Factors report, website content relevance accounts for 15% of local search ranking factors, making it an essential component of any local SEO strategy. 

Below is a list of on-page attributes that should be considered when trying to increase relevance for a given keyword or topic. 

Here are some of the on-page signals Google looks at:

Keywords

The key to ranking is ensuring your content is highly relevant to a user’s search query. Google’s 2018 core algorithm update emphasized content relevance over content length or quality. Since then they’ve doubled down on Expertize, Experience, Authority, and Trust (EEAT) signals and in 2022 launched the Helpful Content Update.

Simply put, if your content aligns with what users are searching for and it’s written with true authority, it’s more likely to rank higher.

The key to starting this, is keywords.

• LSI Keywords: By including keywords in your content that are semantically related to each other you increase relevance to your target keyword or query. Search engines are very smart; they are capable of drawing connections between keywords and rewarding pages that do so properly. Tip: Use Google’s search predictor or a tool like this to help.
• Long-tail Keywords: These keywords differ from LSI keywords but also add relevance. Although these keywords are longer, they do tend to convert higher. This is because they are usually more specific and descriptive. Long-tail keywords help add context to your content which helps search engines determine if your page matches the context of a user’s search query.

It all starts with good local keyword research.

Title Tag

First impressions count! Your title tag is one of the first things users see in search results. Make sure it incorporates your target keyword and clearly signals what the page is about. A well-crafted title tag not only helps with SEO but also encourages users to click.

Meta Description

Your meta description is an opportunity to expand on the title tag and provide more context. Including your target keyword here further boosts relevance and provides users with additional details about what to expect from the page.

Body Tags (H1, H2, etc.)

Headings help structure your content and improve relevance. Use descriptive body tags like H1, H2, etc., to break up your content. These tags are not only helpful for readers but also give search engines a better understanding of your content. Be sure to include relevant keywords, especially in your H1 tag, which is the most prominent heading on the page.

Internal and Outbound Linking

Effective linking strategies—both internal and outbound—are essential for boosting relevance and improving the user experience on your website.

• Internal Links: These help users navigate to relevant pages on your website. They help establish hierarchy and spread link equity throughout a website. You can use internal linking to increase relevance for a page by creating a navigation path to similar pages or pages that help strengthen your topic or keyword.
• Outbound Links: Outbound links direct users to external websites for additional information on related topics. These links not only enhance the user experience but also help the Google local algorithm understand your niche. Focus on providing high-quality, relevant outbound links to strengthen your site’s credibility and relevance in the eyes of search engines.

Inbound linking is a whole other kettle of fish, and we’ll get to that later.

Alt Text

Every user consumes information differently, and some people are very visual. As such it’s best to try to include images with your content wherever possible. These assets will help increase user engagement, which helps with ranking.

Whenever you add images to a page you have the option to add alt text, which is a way for search engines to easily crawl and understand what the media is. This is another great place to incorporate keywords. If you have an image that showcases a service your business offers, you want that alt text to include the service keyword. It’s also a really important aspect for accessible reasons, to ensure your content can reach as many people as possible.

Schema

Schema helps you organize and provide search engines like Google with the information they need to understand your content. It helps ensure the best search results possible and improves the way your page is displayed in search results. By adding schema to a page, you can increase the relevance for a given topic or keyword. Search engines can easily find schema and make sense of the content that it represents, helping to ensure that you show up when you should.

URL Structure

Setting up your website’s hierarchy and site architecture is very important. It allows you to tell search engine algorithms how to prioritize and crawl your website. The URL slug that you use should reflect the topic of the page — this is another quick way to increase relevance.

Treat these on-page signals as a checklist. You should be able to go through your target page and check off every one of the above attributes. Once you get through this checklist, you should be able to confidently say that your page is relevant to your target keyword or topic, and so your site is more likely to be favored by the Google local algorithm.

2. Google Business Profile Signals

Whether you’re optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP) (formerly Google My Business), Bing Places, or Yahoo Local, ensuring your listing is fully optimized is crucial—studies show that businesses with complete GBP profiles are 70% more likely to attract customer engagement. To achieve this, focus on maintaining accurate NAP (name, address, phone number) information, having a single claimed listing, and properly completing these two essential features.

Categories

Selecting the appropriate primary category for your business is crucial for local search rankings. According to Whitespark’s 2023 Local Search Ranking Factors survey, the primary category is the top factor influencing rankings in Google’s Local Pack. In addition to the primary category, selecting relevant additional categories can further enhance your visibility. However, it’s essential to ensure that all chosen categories precisely define your business to maintain relevance and effectiveness.

For a comprehensive list of categories, you can refer to this list of Google’s Business Profile categories. Similarly, Bing Places offers a detailed list of categories.

A 2023 GBP Category Study from BrightLocal found that businesses using four additional categories within their GBPs have the highest average map ranking of 5.9.

Description

By adding a description of your business, you allow users to know exactly what you do (as well as search engines). This shouldn’t be salesy, or an attempt to market your business. Instead, it should give users (and search engines) the info they require to determine if your business matches their needs or intent.

3. Link Signals

Backlinks are critical indicators of trust and credibility for search engines. High-quality backlinks from reputable and relevant websites boost your website’s authority, signaling to search engines that your content is reliable and valuable. This directly impacts both prominence and relevance.

A “good” backlink comes from a credible site with a strong Page or Domain Authority that aligns with your page’s topic. For instance, a service page about “car insurance” benefits from links on insurance-related or, better yet, car insurance-specific pages. These links not only increase the prominence of your site by associating it with authoritative sources, but they also improve relevance by reinforcing the specific topic of your content. Conversely, a link from a “home insurance” page would hold less value due to its lack of topical relevance, diminishing its effectiveness in boosting both prominence and relevance.

In local, relevance can trump things like domain authority. A number of links from other trusted sources in your local area, for instance, could do a lot to help your situation.

4. Review Signals

Online reviews for a business not only have the power to increase ranking signals but the power to push a consumer to a decision. You can never have enough reviews!

Ask yourself, would you trust a business with 100 reviews or 10? Chances are it’s the former. That’s because (like the Google local algorithm) users need to gain trust from a brand before purchasing or clicking. So, similar to users, search engines have the ability to analyze the type of review, how many reviews a business has, and how they interact with reviews (respond to them or not). All these factors can increase a brand’s online prominence.

Additionally, the language used in reviews can impact your relevance by reinforcing important keywords or phrases associated with your business. For example, if customers frequently mention your services, products, or location, it helps search engines better understand what your business offers and where it operates.

Here are some tips to strengthen the impact of your online reviews.

Develop a Review Strategy

In order for a business to gain more reviews, you need to develop a strategy. This is very important. If you want to have a great online brand prominence, you need to first find a way to get more reviews. There are lots of tools available to help you generate more reviews.

Respond to Reviews

Once you have a strategy in place, you need to find a way to monitor and manage your reviews. This is just as important as getting reviews. Search engines are able to tell if you engage with customers and reply to their comments. It shows that you’re active and willing to interact.

Display relevant Reviews

Ensure that reviews on specific product or location pages are related to the page’s content. Reviews mentioning specific locations should be displayed on the relevant pages of your site.

A great tool to use is Brightlocal’s Reputation Manager tool. You can monitor all your reviews and highlight the ones you need to respond to. This is especially important for negative reviews. Yes, negative reviews aren’t great but you can respond to them in a positive, proactive way that can turn that negative review around.

Remember that you want to stand out from competitors, and you want your brand prominence to look good in the eyes of users and Google’s local algorithm.

5. Behavioural Signals

Behavioral signals—such as click-through rate, mobile clicks to call, and dwell time—are user-driven actions that impact both prominence and relevance. While their importance has fluctuated, with Local Pack/Finder ranking influence at 8% in 2023, they remain a reliable indicator of user engagement.

Behavioral signals are a reliable source of information for Google because they’re much harder to manipulate than other factors. These actions are taken by the searcher and, therefore, can only be influenced to a certain degree.

Instead of thinking up innovative new ways to influence user behavior, why not spend this time optimizing your GBP to give the user the best possible experience? This involves creating optimized copy for titles, meta descriptions, Posts, and more. Make your listing as valuable and coherent as possible, and you’ll move closer to winning at rankings and conversions.

Try to remember that the end goal of SEO isn’t just to improve rankings, the focus must also be to attract the right customers to a business for those all-important sales. When you start getting seen by the right customers—those who want to learn more about your business—these users will naturally help to enhance the behavioral signals towards your site.

6. Local Citation and Listing Signals

Local citations—mentions of your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) across the web—are important for establishing local prominence. While they don’t require a backlink, the more citations your business has in reputable local directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and local chambers of commerce, the more authoritative it appears to Google.

Take a look at the example below of a recent Google search for ‘Cafe in Sacramento’. You can see that there are several results from business directories, including the top three spots!

When it comes to local SEO, consistency is key—especially when it comes to your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP). Discrepancies in NAP data across directories and local listings can confuse Google, ultimately impacting your rankings. In fact, businesses with consistent NAP data across major citation sources are 40% more likely to appear in the local pack. That’s a significant boost to your visibility and credibility!

Building these citations can be incredibly time-consuming, so a service like BrightLocal’s Citation Builder can be a huge time and cost saver.

Therefore, it’s important to track your citations to ensure they are accurate and consistent. To get started, use tools like Brightlocal’s Citation Tracker to identify existing, incorrect, and potential citations. This will help you focus on the most valuable citations and ensure they’re correct and up-to-date.

7. Personalization Signals

Personalization signals shape search results based on a user’s preferences, behavior, and search history, influencing proximity, prominence, and relevance. For proximity, search engines consider the user’s current location or habitual searches to deliver results nearby. Prominence is affected by interactions with businesses—like clicks or calls—which boost visibility for listings users trust or engage with frequently. Relevance is enhanced as search engines tailor results to align with user preferences, such as prioritizing vegan restaurants for someone who often searches for vegan options. By focusing on these factors, personalization ensures users find businesses most aligned with their needs and habits.

Although personalization can have an impact on general search results, it is much less likely to impact local search results. This means there’s not much you can do from an SEO perspective to optimize a website for personalization considerations.

Businesses that serve customers in countries with different native languages can translate—and therefore personalize—their content to reach the relevant audiences. Multilingual SEO is a largely underutilized resource that local businesses can tap into where appropriate.

It’s worth noting that in the US, 60 million people—almost a quarter of the population—aren’t native English speakers. So, if you operate a business in a multicultural city, then it’s likely worth targeting your website at the languages besides English that are commonly spoken.

The Evolution of Local Search Ranking Factors Over Time

Local search ranking factors have evolved significantly over the years. Previously, businesses could rely more heavily on keyword usage, backlinks, and directory listings to rank. However, Google has increasingly relied on machine learning and AI to understand user intent and deliver the most relevant local results.

• Mobile Search Growth: The rapid growth of mobile search has shifted priorities over time, with Google focusing heavily on ensuring businesses are optimized for mobile devices.
• User-Generated Content: The importance of user reviews, questions, and Q&A sections has grown exponentially. In recent years, businesses with a higher volume of positive, consistent reviews have seen a marked improvement in rankings.
• The Role of AI: With Google incorporating more AI and natural language processing into its algorithm, search results are becoming even more context-aware. Businesses that align with searcher intent through relevant, high-quality content now stand a better chance at ranking higher.

30% of mobile searches are related to a location. – Google, 2016

Local Pack / Local Finder Ranking Factors Over Time

Local Organic Ranking Factors Over Time

Conclusion: Actionable Insights for Improving Local Rankings

In conclusion, ranking in local search is becoming increasingly challenging as competition intensifies and Google’s algorithm continues to evolve. Staying informed about algorithm updates and understanding how they impact search rankings is crucial to success in local SEO. As we’ve discussed, incorporating relevant keywords, generating positive reviews, obtaining authoritative backlinks, and maintaining consistency in business information are all essential steps. By continuously refining your approach, you can enhance your local search presence, stay ahead of competitors, and ensure that your business stands out in an increasingly crowded online landscape.

A good search marketer who specializes in local SEO won’t simply put all their eggs in one basket. It’s called ‘Search Engine’ Optimization rather than Google Search Optimization for a reason.

What Do We Mean by an Alternative Search Engine?

Quite simply, an alternative search engine is one that isn’t Google. There are around 160 search engines in existence today. Of course, you probably won’t be developing a local SEO strategy for every search engine in the world, but several alternative engines are well worth a second look.

The most obvious example of an alternative search engine to Google, is Bing. Out of all of the other search engines, it should be the next in line for your attention. And it’s become even more important with recent developments.

Since the launch of ChatGPT, Bing has surged in popularity and now welcomes more than 100 million daily active users. Although that may be small compared to Google’s market share, consider what an enormous difference even a tiny percentage of that traffic would make to your local business.

Other mainstream examples include Yahoo! (yup, it’s coming back), Baidu, Yandex, and DuckDuckGo. Alternatives you may not be familiar with include You, Naver, Yep, Startpage, and Brave.

Why These Google Alternatives Matter

There are several reasons why it’s advisable to incorporate alternative search engines into your marketing strategy. 

They Have Unique User Types

Different search engines have different types of users. Understanding those user types and aligning your local SEO activity to their needs is essential. Understanding where your users are searching, and how, offers you the chance to grow your presence in the right places. 

As an example, Bing is becoming more popular with users who want a cutting-edge search experience thanks to its AI innovations. As a result, if you provide tech-led products or services, you’ll naturally want to boost your Bing search visibility so you appear more prominently to those users.

Similarly, SwissCows is a G-rated search engine. It omits results that may cause offense or be unsuitable for some audiences, including adult content. If you’re a family-friendly local business, targeting enhanced search visibility on SwissCows could result in more high-quality traffic to your website.

Trust and Privacy Considerations

A growing number of Internet users are jumping ship from Google to other engines because of trust issues and privacy considerations. For those who don’t want their search history to be tracked or stored, several engines are built specifically to offer users anonymity.

Geographical and Demographic Preferences 

Google isn’t the number one search engine for all countries and demographics. In China, for example, Baidu is the most popular engine. So if your local business is targeting a Chinese demographic in your local area or wishes to sell to Chinese consumers in China, you’ll need to have a strong search presence on Baidu to be in the running. 

Likewise, Yandex is the most visited search engine in Russia, with Google second and Ya.Ru third. If reaching Russian consumers is a priority, you must ensure a solid organic presence on those two engines.

Too Many Eggs in One Basket 

Relying too heavily on only one search engine for website traffic makes little sense when other engines also handle billions of monthly search queries. If you only focus on Google, you could be placing all your eggs in one risky basket.

Should your site suddenly fall foul of a new Google algorithm, your rankings would plummet. This could mean a total loss of search traffic if you focused only on Google rather than building organic visibility on other engines such as Bing.

The same can be said of almost any marketing tactic. Over-reliance on one tactic makes for weak foundations.

Do I Need to Invest Lots of Time in These Search Engines?

If you’re concerned that optimizing your search presence for alternatives to Google could be too time-consuming, don’t be. You don’t need to invest lots of time to achieve results, as there will be a lot of overlap in the tactics and algorithms between options such as Bing, Yahoo!, and others. 

That said, be mindful that specific engines will have their particular quirks. Especially for local.

For example, you’ll need to claim your Bing Places for Business listing, even if you already have your Google Business Profile optimized. Likewise, understanding how to claim your Apple Maps listing will ensure you can compete for Apple search traffic. On Baidu, you’ll need to obtain verification. 

The good news is that many of the best practice tactics you’re already using to rank well on Google will aid your rankings elsewhere. Things like unique page titles, good quality content, reviews, and a non-spammy link profile are pretty much universal, regardless of which search alternative you’re focusing on.

Alternative Search Engines to Google You Should Consider, and Tips for Local Businesses

Bing

Local search on Bing looks and operates similarly to the Google local pack but there are a few notable differences in ranking factors. Results are displayed on a map, with features such as images, star ratings, and opening times.

Local Search Tips for Bing 

• Learning how to claim your Bing Places listing is one of the most impactful things you can do to maximize your Bing local visibility. Be sure to choose the category that best describes your business and add as much information as possible, including multiple images. 

• As on Google, reviews are a crucial component of better local visibility on Bing. Tripadvisor and Yelp reviews feature prominently on search results pages, so it’s a good bet they heavily influence rankings, too. You can apply your existing Google review management practices to Bing, such as responding promptly to all new reviews via your Bing Places listing. 

• Backlinks from other local websites help to reinforce your local standing. Target your local link-building efforts in your neighborhood and the immediate local area. 

• Be sure to check in regularly with Bing Webmaster Tools. This will tell you if there are any issues with Bing accessing your site. It also provides useful keyword data and suggested keywords.

• Create locally focused content to upload to your site. Bing advises, “Develop rich content based on keyword research that shows what search users the information they are looking for.” 

• A key way that local optimization differs for Bing is its use of social media as a ranking signal. While Google denies social is factored into its algorithms, Bing explicitly says an active social presence can boost search visibility. It says, “Social media plays a role in today’s effort to rank well in search results. The most obvious part it plays is via influence. If you are influential socially, this leads to your followers sharing your information widely, which in turn results in Bing seeing these positive signals. These positive signals can have an impact on how you rank organically in the long run.” 

With Bing starting to implement ChatGPT for AI-powered search, you need to be aware of how that works too. We’re still in the early days of AI search, however, with changes coming almost weekly. This means that, right now, trying to make a deliberate play for something in Bing’s AI search is difficult. As it stands you currently have to use Microsoft Edge to access their AI features.

Yahoo!

Yahoo! exited the search landscape a few years ago and has been powered by Bing since 2018. That all looks set to change as it has been teasing a big return in recent months. A reactivated Yahoo Twitter account hints that the engine is working on a new search product behind the scenes. It’s also been actively recruiting so stay tuned for a new Yahoo engine in the future.  

Local Search Tips for Yahoo!

Yahoo! search is currently powered by Bing so just follow the tips above for now. If and when Yahoo! brings back its own search engine, we’ll let you know.

Yandex

Russian search engine Yandex has the fourth largest market share globally, behind Google, Bing, and Yahoo. However, a large chunk of those users is based in Russia. While it’s also very popular in Eastern Europe, it’s not an engine to necessarily dedicate huge amounts of time to if you’re a local business in somewhere like the United States.

Its local search function is also map-based. One of the major differences with local optimization for Yandex is that you can tell the search engine which geographic region you’re targeting via its webmaster tools interface.

Yandex strongly emphasizes geotargeting, and its search results are split between geo-independent (location doesn’t matter) and geo-dependent (location is important).

What’s more, a ‘leak’ in January 2023 revealed a full 1922 ranking factors, which gave SEOs an unprecedented look beneath the hood of one of the major search engines.

Local Search Tips for Yandex

• If you’re targeting a particular region, you can log in to your Yandex Webmaster account and set it as such.
  
• The emphasis placed on geotargeting means that it is harder to rank for multiple locations in Yandex than on Google. 

• It’s essential to submit your business information to the Yandex Business Directory. From here, you can specify up to seven regions.

• If you have a presence in Russia, your website should include the complete address along with your telephone number. 

• Yandex is much slower at indexing than Google, so you’ll need to manually submit your local business website’s sitemap via Yandex.Webmaster.

• Yandex algorithms do factor in meta tags, so make sure that your site has unique, descriptive meta tags in place for each page you want to see ranking. 

• The Yandex algorithm factors in user behavior metrics to determine if your site is useful to visitors. Focus on sharing helpful, good quality, and relevant content to answer search queries. Consider how your page performs too, and look for ways to improve navigation and page speed. Finding ways to keep visitors on site longer can boost your engagement rating, which can lead to higher search positions.

• Use Yandex Metrica (the Yandex equivalent of Google Analytics) to understand how users interact with your site. It provides heat maps, form analytics, and session replays so you can examine user behavior and refine your site accordingly – this will assist with the user behavior point above so you’re eligible for higher rankings.  

• Back in 2011, Yandex revealed that it had additional requirements for commercial websites. These include credibility, interface, product range, prices, payment methods, and delivery. These criteria boil to trust. Ensure contact information is easy to find, maintain a strong social media presence, and offer clear product descriptions and clear shipping information.

Baidu

Baidu is unequivocally the number one search engine in China. It handles more than three billion searches daily but differs significantly from Google on local ranking factors. You’ll need to pay a fee to improve your domain ranking. You’ll also need to avoid sharing any content on your site that could be considered to be anti-government sentiment or adult themed, as that would result in your domain being blocked from search results. 

Local Search Tips for Baidu

• To unlock higher rankings, you’ll need to have your site verified by Baidu. You’ll need to pay a fee for this and provide business information. Once achieved, your site will have one of three labels; V1, V2, or V3. V1 is the most basic, V2 is more expensive, and V3 is earned. Verification is obtained via Baidu PPC and applies to paid and organic results. The basic V1 label costs around $100 per year. 

• Baidu censors search results, so you’ll need to be very mindful of your web content to avoid being blocked. You’ll need to avoid anti-government sentiment as a matter of course (including in any outbound links on your site) along with other sensitive material such as adult content or gambling-related information. 

• Some words can also trigger blocklisting and make your site ineligible for local search rankings due to their political connotations. To ensure you stay on the right side of the censors and don’t hamper your chances of local rankings, it’s recommended that all content is created or checked by native speakers. 

• Content localization (rather than a standard translation) can also help you build higher local visibility. This ensures your content sounds natural and authentic to a native Chinese visitor. This can lower bounce rates – high bounce rates can be taken as a sign of mistrust which can hamper rankings.

• Place your most important local keywords at the top of the page. It’s thought Baidu will only index the first 100KB so having local keywords at the beginning of your content is essential for improved local rankings.

• Chinese search users heavily favor mobile search, and the ranking algorithm considers mobile friendliness. Ensure your site is optimized for mobile devices, not just to unlock better rankings but to ensure you can convert search users after they arrive on the site. 

Other Search Engines to Consider

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo was one of the original pioneers of private search. It promises no tracking and is popular with more tech-inclined search users. It crawls over 500 sources to return search results that closely match the search intent, so the standard rules of optimization apply. 

One important thing to note: because DuckDuckGo doesn’t collect data about its users, it doesn’t know where a search user is searching from. You’ll therefore need to add clear location markers to your website. This includes having your full business address and contact information present, plus using locally related keywords in your page titles, meta descriptions, and website content. 

Swisscows

Swisscows is another search engine allowing users to search anonymously. It doesn’t use cookies or tracking technology or record search history. One thing that sets Swisscows apart is its position as a family-friendly engine. It won’t return any offensive or potentially objectionable content, such as pornography or gambling, in search results, so it’s safe for the whole family to use.

Swisscows uses Bing to serve search results, so you’ll need to rank well in Bing local search for Swisscows visibility.

Startpage

Startpage is another privacy-forward search engine that doesn’t track search users. Instead, consumers looking for local businesses and services must specify a location with their search term, for example, “coffee shop near Bourbon Street, New Orleans”. The standard local SEO rules for Google local search optimization apply. 

Gibiru

Launched in 2009, Gibiru doesn’t use cookies, log IP addresses, or record searches. As a privacy-first engine, it doesn’t share its ranking factors. But, having a similar mind for visitor security will likely help. It’s advisable to activate HTTPS, use secure encryption for form processing and payment process, and follow Google best practices.

Naver

Naver is South Korea’s search engine of choice and that’s because it’s highly focused on South Korea. Its search results are localized because Naver spiders don’t crawl the whole of the Internet.

If South Korea is a key market for your local business, you’ll need to create a strong pool of unique content, written in Korean. Your site should also be very mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and load quickly.

Ask

Previously known as Ask Jeeves, the Ask algorithm works a little differently from other search engines. Intended to be the engine users visit when they need a question answered, Ask prioritizes expertise in its search results. Local listings aren’t presented on a map, they’re simply included in the main search results.

In addition to the standard SEO tactics of using localized keywords on the site and growing your link profile, sharing knowledgeable, useful content can help to boost search visibility.

Dogpile

Growing your local business presence on Dogpile depends on your rankings elsewhere. Dogpile pulls the top results from other search engines to create its own search results. That means you’ll naturally gain good visibility on Dogpile if you rank well on alternative search engines such as Bing and Yahoo.

Diversify Your Options

As you can see from this list, there are plenty of other search engines for potential clients to discover your business through. The good news is that you don’t need to worry too much about lots of fiddly optimization that’s unique to each one. We’d definitely recommend spending some time making yourself familiar with other search engines to Google though, because you could be missing out on customers you were previously ignoring.