Local SEO is everything that helps people nearby find your business when they search: on Google, on Maps, and now inside AI answers. It is less about tricks and more about being complete, consistent and well reviewed. Work through this list top to bottom; the early steps make the biggest difference.
Google Business Profile
- Claim and verify your profile. One profile per real location. If you serve customers at their address, set a service area instead of showing a home address.
- Choose the most specific primary category. “Nail salon”, not “Beauty”. Add secondary categories only if they are true.
- List every service or menu item. Give each a short description, and a price or “from” price where you can.
- Keep hours accurate. Set holiday and special hours before each holiday, not after customers find you closed.
- Add your booking, ordering or appointment link. Test it on a phone.
- Upload real photos. The outside (so people recognize your door), the inside, your team and your work. Add new ones regularly.
- Use posts. Offers, events, new items and seasonal hours keep the profile fresh and give people a reason to choose you today.
Your website
- One page per main service. Put the service and area in the page title, for example “Skin fades in East Austin”.
- Name, address, phone and hours in text on every page, usually in the footer.
- A contact page with a map and directions, plus parking or transit notes if they help.
- LocalBusiness structured data with your address, hours, phone and social profiles.
- Fast and phone-first. Test your homepage on mobile in Google’s PageSpeed Insights and fix what it flags.
- A short FAQ on service pages, answering the questions you hear every day in plain language.
Reviews
- Ask every happy customer. A QR code at the counter, a link in your booking confirmation or a follow-up text all work.
- Reply to every review within a few days. Thank people by name and answer complaints calmly and specifically.
- Never buy reviews or reward people for positive ones. It breaks Google’s rules, and in the US the FTC can fine businesses for fake reviews.
Listings and links
- Match your details everywhere. Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yelp, Facebook, Instagram and the directories in your industry should all show the same name, address, phone and hours.
- Earn local links. Your chamber of commerce, local news, event pages, partners and suppliers are all good, real sources.
Content and tracking
- Show the place and the people. Post photos and short videos of real work, and link your social profiles from your website.
- Track what matters. Connect Google Search Console and an analytics tool, then check monthly: calls, direction requests, bookings and the search terms people use to find you.
Common mistakes
Stuffing keywords into your business name on Google, using a PO box or virtual office as your address, creating a second profile for the same location, ignoring negative reviews and hiding your menu or price list inside a PDF.
How often to come back to this list
Do the full list once, then spend fifteen minutes a week on the parts that change: new photos, a post, replies to reviews. Revisit hours before every holiday and check your listings whenever you change your phone number, address or opening times.
Questions people ask
How long does local SEO take to work?
Profile fixes and new service pages can be picked up within a few weeks. Reviews, links and reputation build over months, which is why it pays to start early and stay consistent.
Do I need a blog for local SEO?
Not necessarily. Clear service pages matter more. A blog helps when it answers real customer questions, such as how often to get a trim or what to order for a party of twenty.
Does posting on my Google Business Profile help?
Posts keep your profile current and give people a reason to visit now. They are a small effort that supports the bigger signals: accurate details, reviews and photos.
Designated Studio is the marketing, website and branding team for local businesses in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia.
