Local search shows the nearest businesses that match a search, for example “coffee shop near me”. To rank in local search, complete your Google Business Profile. Keep your name, address and phone number the same everywhere, and collect real reviews.
Learn this skill in the course Digital Marketing (MC-DM).
Signs that you lose local customers
- Your business does not show on the map when people search near your shop or office.
- Directories show an old address or an old phone number.
- Competitors have many reviews, and you have few or none.
- You have three branches, but only one web page for all of them.
What affects your local ranking
- Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business): Google uses this data to decide if your business matches the search. Distance, categories, city and state are important.
- Name, address and phone number (NAP): the same details on each site where your business is listed (citations).
- Reviews: the number, the quality and how recent they are, on Google and on other review sites.
- Links: links to your site from good local websites and publications.
- Your pages: the keyword and the location name in titles, headings, descriptions and URLs.
- User behaviour: clicks, calls, direction requests and time on your site tell Google that your result is relevant.
How to improve your local ranking
1. Complete your Google Business Profile
Verify the profile, so that Google can show it. Enter the correct name, address, phone number, website and opening hours. Select the correct categories. Upload clear photos of your premises, your team and your products.
2. Make your details the same everywhere
List your business in the main local directories and in your industry associations. Use exactly the same name, address and phone number on each site. If a site shows wrong details, ask the site owner to correct them. The correction can take weeks to show in search.
3. Ask for reviews
Few customers write a review without a request. Ask each satisfied customer for a review, and send a direct link. Reply to each review, also to the negative ones. Do not buy reviews or write them yourself.
4. Earn local links
Take part in local awards, charity drives and community events. Sponsor a local team, association or event, so that its website links to you. Do not post links in comments on other websites. Google treats this as spam.
5. Optimise your pages for each location
Put the keyword and the location name in the title, the headings, the meta description, the URL and the image alt text. Do not repeat the keyword too often. Make one landing page for each branch, and link each branch listing to its own page.
6. Make your site fast on phones
Most local searches come from phones. Google has used mobile usability as a ranking factor since 2015. Make the images and videos smaller, so that your pages load fast. Make the text easy to read and the buttons easy to tap.
7. Answer spoken questions
Many people use voice search, for example when they drive. They speak full questions, such as “where is the nearest tyre shop”. Put short, direct answers to these questions on your pages.
8. Publish useful content
Google rewards content that gives real value to the reader. Publish advice and news about your field. Use skilled writers, from your staff or from outside.
What to do this week
- Search for your business name on Google Maps. Correct each wrong detail in your profile.
- Write down your business name, address and phone number in one standard form. Check them on three directories.
- Ask five satisfied customers for a Google review.
