Local SEO that gets nearby customers to call you first.
Local SEO makes your business appear in Google Maps and local search results when people nearby look for what you do. It centres on your Google Business Profile, accurate listings, reviews and a website that backs them up.
Signs you need local SEO
- Competitors appear in the map results for your services and you do not.
- Your Google Business Profile is unclaimed, incomplete or out of date.
- Your business name, address or phone number differs across the web.
- You have few reviews, or reviews nobody has replied to.
What we do for local visibility
- 01
Google Business Profile
We claim, verify and complete your profile within Google's rules: correct categories, services, hours and areas served.
- 02
Service areas done properly
If you travel to customers, we set up the profile as a service-area business and hide the address, as Google's guidelines require.
- 03
Consistent listings
Your name, address and phone number matched across the directories and sites that matter in your market.
- 04
Reviews
A simple, honest process for asking real customers for reviews and replying to all of them. We never write or buy reviews.
- 05
Local pages on your site
Pages that describe the services and areas you genuinely cover, with real detail, not near-identical suburb pages.
- 06
Tracking
Calls, direction requests and website visits from your profile, reported by your account manager.
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. Distance is the one factor we cannot change, so we focus on relevance and prominence. Details are in Google's guide to improving your local ranking.
What a strong Google Business Profile includes
- The most accurate primary category, plus secondary categories that genuinely apply.
- Your real-world business name, with no added keywords, taglines or service descriptions. Google's representation guidelines say including them can lead to suspension.
- Accurate hours, phone number, website and service list.
- Real photos of your work, team or premises.
- Posts, questions and answers, and replies to reviews.
Storefront or service-area business?
| Storefront | Service-area business | |
|---|---|---|
| Customers | Visit you | You go to them |
| Address shown | Yes | Hidden, with a service area set |
| Profiles | One per location | One for the central location |
| Not allowed | Virtual offices and mailboxes | Virtual offices and mailboxes |
Reviews without the risk
Reviews are one of the strongest trust signals, and one of the easiest to get wrong. Google's policy on fake engagement says paid and incentivised reviews are not allowed, and that businesses may not discourage negative reviews or selectively ask only satisfied customers. You may encourage genuine reviews from all customers.
- Ask every customer, at the same point in your process.
- Make it easy with a direct link.
- Never offer a reward in return for a review.
- Reply to every review, including the difficult ones, calmly and specifically.
Local pages that earn their place
A local page should exist because you genuinely serve that area and have something specific to say about it: the services you offer there, who the work is for, and real details. A page that repeats the same text with a different suburb name adds nothing and is the kind of thing we avoid. See our local SEO checklist, or read what local SEO is if you are new to it.
Businesses with more than one location
Each location needs its own accurate profile and its own page with real information: address or service area, opening hours, team and services. Consistent business details across all of them matter, because the same facts feed maps, search and AI assistants.
What you get
- A complete, compliant Google Business Profile
- Clean, consistent listings
- A review process you can run every week
- Reporting on calls, directions and visits
Related pages
- SEO
Managed SEO that fixes what holds your site back and reports on enquiries, not just rankings.
- AI SEO
Be found and recommended in AI search.
- SEO consulting
Expert SEO strategy, audits and second opinions without a full retainer.
Start with a free AI visibility check
In 30 minutes we look at how your business appears in Google, on maps and in AI assistants, and tell you what we would fix first. See what happens on the call.
Sources
Local SEO: common questions
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is the work of making a business show up in Google Maps and local search results. It covers your Google Business Profile, listings, reviews and the location and service information on your website.
Can I rank in the map results without a shop front?
Often yes, as a service-area business, if you serve customers at their location. Google requires the address to be hidden in that case. A virtual office or mailbox does not qualify for a profile.
Does local SEO help with AI assistants?
Accurate, consistent business information helps every system that reads it, including AI assistants that answer "who should I call near me". We treat local and AI search visibility as one job.
Can you pay for a better local ranking?
No. Google states there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Anyone selling that is not being straight with you.
How long does local SEO take?
Profile and listing fixes can be done quickly, but changes in local rankings usually take weeks to months. We report on calls, direction requests and visits so progress is visible before rankings move.
Do I need a website for local SEO?
Yes. Your website backs up your profile with detail about your services and areas, and it gives people and search engines something to trust.
What if someone else has claimed my profile or created a duplicate?
We can work through Google's process to claim, verify or resolve duplicates. It sometimes takes a while, and we will tell you what to expect.
Can you manage reviews for me?
We set up the process and write replies for your approval. The reviews themselves must come from your real customers.