When someone nearby searches for “emergency plumber,” “nail salon near me” or “best tacos in [your city],” Google shows a short list of local businesses — usually with a map — before any regular results. Getting into that list is one of the most valuable things a local business can do online.
The good news: local SEO isn’t magic. It’s a set of clear, repeatable steps. Use this checklist to find the gaps holding your business back.
1. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is the foundation of local SEO. If you haven’t claimed it yet, do it today and complete verification. Make sure the business name matches your real-world signage — adding extra keywords to your name can get your profile suspended.
2. Pick the right categories
Your primary category is one of the strongest signals Google uses for local rankings. Choose the one that best describes your core business (for example, “Family law attorney” rather than just “Lawyer”), then add relevant secondary categories for other services you genuinely offer.
3. Complete every section
Fill in everything Google allows: hours (including holiday hours), service areas, services with descriptions, products, attributes, a business description and your website link. Complete profiles give Google more to work with and give customers more reasons to choose you.
4. Add real photos — and keep adding them
Upload genuine photos of your storefront, team, work and products. Fresh, authentic images help customers trust you and keep your profile active. Avoid generic stock photos.
5. Keep your name, address and phone number consistent
Your NAP (name, address, phone) should be identical everywhere — your website, Google, social profiles and directories. Inconsistent details confuse search engines and customers alike. If you’ve moved or changed numbers, hunt down and fix old listings.
6. Get listed on the directories that matter
Beyond Google, claim your profiles on platforms like Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yelp and any directories specific to your industry or local chamber of commerce. Focus on quality and accuracy rather than listing everywhere.
7. Ask for reviews and reply to every one
Reviews influence both rankings and buying decisions. Make asking part of your routine — a short text or email with a direct review link after a job well done works well. Reply to every review, positive or negative, politely and promptly. Never buy reviews or offer incentives for positive ones; it violates platform rules and can backfire badly.
8. Create a page for each core service
A single “Services” page listing everything you do rarely ranks well. Give each main service its own page that explains what it is, who it’s for, what it costs (or how pricing works), and answers common questions. If you serve several towns, create genuinely useful location pages — not copies with the city name swapped.
9. Optimize your pages for local searches
Use the words your customers use. Include your service and location naturally in page titles, headings and copy (“Roof repair in Fort Lauderdale”), and make sure your address and service area appear on your site. Write for people first; keyword-stuffed pages turn visitors away.
10. Add LocalBusiness schema markup
Schema markup is code that helps search engines understand your business details — name, address, phone, hours, services and reviews. It won’t replace the steps above, but it removes guesswork for search engines and can make your listings richer.
11. Make your website fast and mobile-friendly
Most local searches happen on phones, often on the go. If your site is slow or hard to use on a small screen, people leave — and Google notices. Aim for fast load times, readable text, big tap targets and a click-to-call button that’s easy to find.
12. Track what matters
Measure the actions that bring in revenue: calls, direction requests, form submissions and bookings. Google Business Profile performance reports, Google Analytics and Google Search Console are free and show you what’s working. Review them monthly and adjust.
Bonus: show up in AI answers too
More people now ask AI assistants and Google’s AI Overviews for recommendations. The same fundamentals help here: consistent business information across the web, genuine reviews, and clear pages that directly answer common questions about your services, pricing and service area.
Where to start
If this feels like a lot, start with steps 1–7 — they’re free and often deliver the quickest wins. Then work on your website pages and tracking.
Want an expert to handle it for you? Our SEO and local SEO services cover every step on this list, with plain-English reporting each month. Get a free local SEO review to see where you stand.