What local SEO actually is
Local SEO is the practice of ranking in searches that have local intent — either explicit ("plumber in Dallas") or implicit (Google detecting the searcher is in Dallas and surfacing local results).
The prize is the Google 3-pack: three local business listings that appear above standard organic results, pulled from Google Business Profile data. The 3-pack captures 40-60% of clicks on local searches — more than all organic results combined.
Step 1: Google Business Profile
Everything local starts with Google Business Profile. This is non-negotiable.
- Claim your profile at business.google.com. Verify ownership (postcard, phone, email, or video, depending on category)
- Complete every field — hours, services, photos, categories, description, attributes
- Primary category matters enormously; choose the most specific accurate one
- Add secondary categories for related services (up to 9 additional)
- Upload 20+ photos across all categories (interior, exterior, products, team, at-work)
- Post updates weekly — offers, events, products, or posts about new work
- Answer Q&A (yes, you can seed your own Q&A with real questions buyers ask)
- Respond to every review within 24 hours
The most overlooked thing
Google Business Profile posts rank directly in the 3-pack. Not posting weekly is leaving free visibility on the table. We've seen businesses double their phone-call volume in 90 days just from consistent GBP posting.
Step 2: Google Reviews
Reviews drive 3-pack ranking more than almost any other factor in competitive categories. Star rating matters, volume matters, recency matters, and responsiveness matters.
- Target: 30+ reviews with 4.5+ stars to compete in most local categories; 100+ to dominate
- Use personalized email + SMS review requests — never bulk blasts that trigger Google's manipulation detection
- Build review requests into your client lifecycle (after delivery, on milestone completion, on invoice emails)
- Respond to every review within 24 hours, always professionally, never defensively
- Never offer incentives for reviews — Google's policy violation; removes reviews and can suspend profile
- Diversity in review content (specific words, keywords naturally mentioned) helps more than generic "great service"
Step 3: Local citations
Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across the web. Consistency matters more than volume — 30 consistent citations beat 200 inconsistent ones.
- Ensure NAP matches exactly across Google Business Profile, your website footer, and all citations
- Core citations: Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, Facebook, BBB
- Industry-specific: Clutch, UpCity, G2 for agencies; Avvo for law; Healthgrades/Vitals for medical; etc.
- Data aggregators: Neustar Localeze, Data Axle (these feed many other directories)
- Chamber of Commerce and local business associations
- Don't pay for mass citation submission services — Google flags these and they can hurt more than help
Step 4: Location pages on your website
If you serve multiple cities or neighborhoods, build a dedicated page per location. Each page should have unique content — not just a find-replace of the city name.
- Unique hero, unique intro, unique local context (neighborhoods, landmarks, local business environment)
- Embed Google Map with your Business Profile location
- Include local testimonials or case studies where possible
- LocalBusiness JSON-LD schema with geo coordinates and areaServed
- Internal links to/from your main services pages
- Don't create location pages for cities you don't actually serve — Google penalizes doorway pages
Step 5: Local content strategy
Content ranks for the "{service} near me" and "{service} in {city}" queries that don't always trigger the 3-pack but drive meaningful traffic.
- Blog posts on local topics: "best [service] in [city]" (with honest comparison, not just self-promotion)
- Local case studies ("how we helped [business type] in [city]")
- Area guides ("moving to [neighborhood]? here's what [your service category] looks like locally")
- Interviews with local experts in your category
- Event coverage and community involvement posts
Step 6: Technical SEO for local
- Schema: LocalBusiness on your homepage and location pages; Service schema on service pages; FAQPage where relevant
- Mobile-first — most local searches are mobile
- Page speed — Core Web Vitals affect rankings; LCP under 2.5s
- Clear internal linking structure — homepage → services → location pages → case studies
- Clean URL structure: /locations/[city]-[state] is a good pattern
What NOT to do
- ❌ Don't fake your address — Google catches this and suspends profiles permanently
- ❌ Don't keyword-stuff your business name ("Acme Plumbing - Best Dallas Plumber")
- ❌ Don't buy reviews
- ❌ Don't submit to spammy citation services
- ❌ Don't build doorway pages for cities you don't serve
- ❌ Don't neglect negative reviews — respond publicly and professionally
90-day local SEO plan
- Month 1: Claim + optimize GBP, fix website LocalBusiness schema, audit NAP consistency, start review outreach
- Month 2: Build 30 citations, launch location pages, start weekly GBP posts, continue review outreach
- Month 3: Ship 6-8 local content pieces, interview local businesses, measure + tune based on 3-pack visibility
- Ongoing: Weekly GBP posts, 24-hour review response, monthly citation audit, quarterly content push