Local SEO is a powerful branch of online marketing that helps businesses with physical locations appear prominently in local Google results. While organic SEO can reach global audiences, geo‑targeted SEO builds your visibility within your local area. With 80% of local searches resulting in conversions, targeting local audiences remains an essential SEO strategy in today’s competitive digital landscape.

Whether you operate multiple locations or a single local shop, focusing on local signals can drive discovery, calls, and foot traffic. Even if you do not have a website, a complete and active Google Business Profile (GBP) and consistent directory listings can drive foot traffic.

In this article, we break down what local SEO is and how to implement it effectively for maximum results.

Optimize your Google My Business Profile

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free tool that can help your brand rank higher in local search, appear in Google Maps, and win Local Pack visibility. Consider GBP your dedicated local discovery hub. All businesses, regardless of size, should maintain a complete and accurate GBP to appear on Google Maps, the SERP, and local packs. Listing your products and services helps Google match you to relevant searches. Regularly posting photos, videos, and Q&As signals local activity and strengthens your authority.

Some of the top benefits include:

  • Accessible Business Information. Provides potential customers with essential details such as opening hours, photos, website links, phone numbers, and map locations.
  • Increased Visibility. GBP can increase visibility in search results, including local search, Google Maps, and other Google services.
  • Improved Credibility. Reviews influence decisions. Positive reviews boost visibility, differentiate you from competitors, and increase conversions.
  • Powerful SEO. A complete GBP supports your local search rankings and generates more traffic and leads.
  • Less Competition. It is typically easier to rank in local searches than in national ones.

An action checklist for creating an optimised GBP would typically look like this:

  • Choose the most specific Primary Category. Add relevant additional categories.
  • Write a concise description aligned to your services and location coverage.
  • Add Products/Services with clear names and prices where relevant.
  • Upload high‑quality photos and short videos that showcase your premises, team, and work.
  • Post weekly updates and offers. Mirror key social posts here for consistency.
  • Enable messaging. Seed Q&A with concise answers to common questions.
  • Use UTM parameters on your website link to measure GBP‑driven traffic.
  • Build a steady cadence of reviews and reply within 24 hours.

How does it work?

Google states that local rankings are based on three factors: relevance, distance, and prominence. Read this piece if you want to understand how Google sources and uses info in Business Profiles and local results.

  • Relevance - How well your business matches what a user is searching for when typing a query or keyword into Google
  • Distance - How far each potential business search result is from the location term used by a searching customer. If no specific location is specified, Google calculates distance based on what’s known about the user’s location.
  • Prominence - This is based on your business’s prominence on a local level, the number of websites linking back to your website, and the quantity of positive ratings and reviews

Analyze your Local Competition

Researching your local competition on SERPs and Google Maps clarifies your priorities, as it will help you understand what you are up against. Look up your local area combined with the search query related to your industry to search for top Google Business profiles. Analyse their ratings and reviews, what content they post, what keywords they use and how locally optimised their website is.

Localized Website Content

Implement robust local signals on your website so Google and customers can validate your service area.

  • Include consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) site‑wide, as well as opening hours, ideally in the footer.
  • Embed a Google Map on your Contact or Location pages.
  • Create service pages using natural city or service‑area terms.
  • Add internal links between service pages and location pages.
  • Include local photos, testimonials, and FAQs.
  • Add Article and Local Business schema where appropriate. Use the FAQPage schema on concise FAQ sections.

Research and select both short-tail and long-tail keywords that reflect your products or services and your location. Incorporate these into your website’s titles, meta descriptions, URLs and throughout your content to drive highly targeted traffic.

For enhanced hyperlocal targeting and entity-based SEO, create dedicated landing pages and blog posts for local events and local partnerships, and link them to your service pages. Examples of localised search queries include:

  • Florists near me
  • Electricians in Galway city
  • Best restaurants in Cork city

Utilizing Social Media to Make Connections

Social media platforms are powerful in local SEO efforts. Engage with your target audience by sharing local content, participating in community events, collaborating with your local enterprise office, and promoting special offers. Tag your business location in posts and use localised hashtags to reach nearby audiences. Sync key campaigns with GBP Posts to reinforce the same entities and offers across platforms.

Use AI for Maximum Visibility

AI search experiences (including Google’s AI Overviews) are changing behaviour, often reducing traditional website clicks while keeping visibility high. That being said, instant answers from AI still rely on local SEO data sources. Focus on accuracy and consistency across these sources, and add clear, scannable answers and definitions on your site so AI systems can parse your content. Research suggests AI Overviews appear for a meaningful share of local queries, meaning optimising entity clarity improves your chances of inclusion.

Monitor Your Results

Regularly monitor whether your SEO entity signals are driving visibility and foot traffic.

  • GBP: Track calls, website clicks (with UTM), direction requests, and map views.
  • Google Analytics and Google Search Console: Track sessions, conversions, and “[service] + city” impressions and CTR. Monitor Local Pack appearances.
  • Adjust your strategy monthly based on what metrics show is driving actions.

Multi-Location Listings

For certain business types with at least ten locations, Google allows you to claim multi-location business listings. This increases local engagement and enhances search visibility for each location. You can also create location-specific landing pages with localised keyword-enriched content for each branch. Implement separate Google Maps interfaces to display different landing pages for different locations, as well as branch-level opening hours, contact details, and social media links.

Multi‑Location Listings

For businesses with at least ten locations, Google offers bulk verification/management options, which increase local engagement and enhance search visibility for each location. Build a store‑locator hub and location-specific landing pages with distinct NAP, hours, photos, FAQs, and local reviews per branch. Ensure each GBP links to its matching location page.

FAQs

How does Google rank local businesses?

Local ranking is based on relevance, distance, and prominence. Keep your profile complete and aligned with on‑site content, earn steady reviews, and ensure accurate NAP data. Learn more in Google’s guide: Understand how Google sources and uses info in Business Profiles and local results.

How long does local SEO take to work?

Resulst can vary, but most businesses start to see movement within several weeks after fixing core signals like GBP completeness, review cadence, NAP consistency, and on‑page local content. Competitive markets can take longer.

What is the difference between the Local Pack and organic results?

The Local Pack shows map results and Business Profiles for nearby options. Organic results are traditional links. You should optimise for both because they reinforce each other. Useful overview: How to Rank in Local Search, Map Packs and Google Maps.

How do multi‑location businesses manage Google Business Profile?

Use bulk verification if eligible, maintain one profile per location with unique NAP and hours, and link each profile to its matching location page on your site. See details here: Understand how Google sources and uses info in Business Profiles and local results, and Bulk verification and multi‑location management.

How can I measure success from GBP?

Track calls, website clicks using UTM parameters, direction requests and map views in GBP, plus impressions and CTR for service plus city queries in Search Console. Adjust monthly based on what drives actions.

Final Thoughts

Implementing these local SEO tactics will significantly improve your visibility and attract more customers from your local area and community. Keeping your Google My Business profile robust and up to date is a proven strategy for improved visibility and credibility. Whether you are starting out or improving your current marketing, consistent local optimization is a key driver of growth. With Black Pug Studio, we can help you curate powerful SEO strategies to build local authority and attract your target audience.

Local SEO in 2025: How to Rank in Google Maps and the Local Pack was originally published in Creative by Black Pug Studio on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.