Improve your local SEO: a checklist for local businesses

Anyone searching for "electrician near me" or "hairdresser Nuremberg" first gets a map with businesses from the area. Local SEO, local search engine optimisation, makes sure your business shows up there and in the normal search results. This checklist shows what you can do yourself.

How Google chooses local results

Google names three main factors for local results: relevance, distance and prominence (source: support.google.com/business/answer/7091). Relevance means how well your listing matches the search. Distance is how far you are from the searcher. Prominence comes from reviews, links and mentions on the web, among other things. You cannot change the distance, but you can influence the other two.

Google Business Profile checklist

• Profile claimed and verified, no duplicate listings.
• Real business name without extra search terms.
• Main category as precise as possible, fitting additional categories.
• Address or service area, opening hours including public holidays.
• Services with a short description.
• Your own, current photos of the business, team and work.
• Link to the website, phone number and a booking or enquiry link if you like.
• New reviews on a regular basis and a reply to every review.

Website checklist for local SEO

• Town and service in the page title and main heading, for example "Painter in Ansbach".
• Name, address and phone number written the same everywhere: on the website, in the profile and in directories.
• A separate page for each important service if you want to be found for several services.
• An honest paragraph about your service area instead of long lists of town names.
• Structured data of the LocalBusiness type that matches the visible content.
• Fast loading and a site that works perfectly on a phone.
• Describe how to get there. An embedded Google map transfers data to Google and usually needs consent, a simple link to the map does not.

Reviews checklist

Ask satisfied customers for a review right after the job and send them the link from your Business Profile. Google's policies prohibit rewards for reviews and bought reviews. Reply to every review, including critical ones, factually and friendly.

Directories and mentions checklist

Listings with your chamber or guild, in well known business directories and articles in the local press or on club websites help, as long as the details are correct. A listing with the wrong phone number does more harm than no listing. Better a few well kept listings.

What local SEO is not

• Made-up addresses or mailboxes to appear in other towns. The Business Profile guidelines do not allow this.
• Search terms in the business name, such as "Painter Miller Ansbach cheap".
• Dozens of almost identical town pages where only the place name changes. Google treats such doorway pages as spam.

How long does local SEO take?

A complete Business Profile can become more visible within weeks. Better rankings of the website for search terms with a location usually take several months and depend heavily on the competition. Reputable providers do not promise a guaranteed first place.

Frequently asked questions

Can I improve my Google Maps ranking without a shop?

Yes. If you travel to customers, enter a service area in your Business Profile and hide the address. All other points of the checklist apply in the same way.

Does local SEO cost anything?

The Google Business Profile is free. It still takes time: for photos, reviews and maintaining the website. The free website check on this site quickly shows you where your website stands technically.