Local SEO: The Definitive Guide for 2025 (+ Free Toolkit)

Local SEO is the most effective way to generate consistent leads for your business.

Think like a customer for a moment:

When you’re searching for a local solution, your need is specific, and your urgency is high.

You can’t think of a relevant business that has popped up on your Instagram feed recently. You’ve asked your friends for a referral. They’ve got nothing.

Meanwhile:

• You have a rat problem in your home, and need a reliable pest inspector
• You want to eat the best pizza in town after checking into your hotel
• You’re looking for the most reputable hairdresser after some failed attempts

If your business doesn’t show up in Google’s map pack or “near me” searches, you’ve failed to capitalize on the constant flow of qualified leads — ready to act.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to rank at the top of Google.

Ready to capture those leads? Let’s get started.

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO helps you appear in search results when someone nearby searches for what you offer.

For example, when someone searches for “barber Boston,” here’s what they see:

This kind of exposure isn’t random.

A strong local SEO strategy attracts high-intent local leads, drives foot traffic and phone calls, and builds brand visibility in the communities you serve.

It’s all about showing up where — and when — it matters most.

What’s the Difference Between Local SEO and Standard SEO?

Local SEO hones in on a specific region, while standard SEO targets a broad, geographically diverse audience.

For example, consider the search term “massaman curry.”

This query shows recipe results regardless of location. (Since people worldwide might want to cook this dish.)

To rank for this term, you’d need to create a recipe post with instructions, photos, and schema markup for ratings and cook time.

Now, adjust the search term to “massaman curry near me.”

The search results focus on local restaurants, showing only businesses within the searcher’s area.

To rank for local searches like this, you need to:

• Find popular keywords among local searchers
• Optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP)
• Create consistent name, address, phone number (NAP) citations

How Does Local SEO Work?

At a high level, local SEO works a lot like “standard” SEO.

When someone does a search, Google scans through its index to provide the best results for that person’s keyword.

But here’s what makes local SEO unique:

When Google detects that a search has local intent, it uses a different set of signals to choose and rank results.

It also displays those results differently.

The Map Pack

When someone searches for a local business or service, Google often shows a map with three business listings at the top of the results.

This is the “map pack” or “local pack.”

And ranking here is a big deal.

These listings dominate visibility and get a large share of clicks — especially on mobile.

Three main factors determine your map pack rankings:

• Relevance: How well your business matches what someone is searching for
• Distance: How far your business is from the location the search took place (or the location included in the search)
• Prominence: How well-known and well-liked your business is

The major source for most of this data?

Your Google Business Profile.

Creating a GBP lets you influence how your business appears on Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping.

But the map pack isn’t the only place you can rank for local searches.

Local Organic Results

Just below the map pack, you’ll usually find the local organic results — the traditional “blue link” listings that lead to websites.

While they may appear lower on the page, they’re still a major driver of traffic and conversions.

In fact, they often capture people who are doing more in-depth research or looking for specific services, offerings, or information before choosing a business.

To rank here, you’ll need all the essentials of strong SEO:

• Location-based keywords
• Well-structured landing pages
• On-page optimization
• Backlinks that reinforce authority and relevance

So even though local SEO is its own discipline, the fundamentals of organic SEO still apply.

And just like with traditional SEO, it all starts with choosing the right keywords.

1. Find Local Keywords That Bring You Customers

If you want to rank for local searches, you need terms that people in your area actually use.

In other words: You want to find high-volume keywords with local intent.

Here are some local SEO tips to help you get started:

Scan the SERPs

You don’t need a fancy tool to start finding valuable local keywords.

Just head to Google and search for your service plus location — like “Chicago plumber” or “dentist in Philadelphia.”

Then, look closely at what shows up in the search engine result pages (SERPs):

Map pack listings: GBP descriptions often include target keywords like “24-hour plumber” or “emergency dentistry”

“People also ask” boxes: These reveal real questions tied to your service — and can double as long-tail keyword ideas.

“People also search for” boxes: Found at the bottom of the page, these can uncover location-specific modifiers or alternative services.

This kind of SERP scanning gives you a quick sense of what’s working — and what people are actually searching for — all without leaving Google.

But once you’re ready to go deeper (and move faster), it’s time to bring in some tools.

Use Local Keyword Tools

Once you’ve pulled some ideas from Google, you can use a platform like Semrush to validate those keywords. And uncover dozens more.

Start with Semrush’s Organic Research tool.

Enter a competitor’s domain and click “Search.”

In the overview, click the “Positions” tab.

Look for keywords with local modifiers (like city names or “near me”) and decent search volume.

Depending on your product or service, even 50–100 monthly searches can be worth targeting in a local niche.

Pay special attention to value-driven terms too, like “affordable,” “open late,” or other service-specific phrases. These often signal high intent.

2. Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is your single most important asset when it comes to local SEO optimization.

If you haven’t created or optimized your Google Business Profile yet, this step-by-step guide has you covered.

What to Include in Your GBP

These are the essentials that help your profile show up. And convert.

• Write a clear business description: Summarize what your business offers, who you serve, and where you’re located. Include your relevant local keywords from Step 1 naturally, but avoid keyword stuffing.
• Keep your NAP consistent: Your name, address, and phone number should match exactly across your GBP, website, and third-party listings
• Link to the right page: If you have multiple locations, link each profile to its dedicated location page — not your homepage
• Choose the right categories: Pick the most accurate primary business category and add relevant secondary ones to expand keyword coverage
• Add products and services: Use these sections to describe exactly what you offer — in your own words
• Upload high-quality photos: Showcase your team, space, and offerings to help users choose you over competitors
• Update hours and info regularly: Make sure hours, holiday closures, and other key info are always accurate to avoid confusion and negative reviews

If you want to rank for competitive keywords, you need to go beyond the basics.

One of the most overlooked elements? Category selection.

Google requires you to choose a top-level category that best describes your business — and it must be selected from their predefined list.

But, what many skip is adding secondary categories.

These can expand the range of keywords and searches your business is eligible to appear for.

And once your profile is set up right, there’s one thing that can take it even further: reviews.

Get Reviews to Boost Your Rankings

Reviews don’t just build trust. They directly influence your local SEO performance.

Google uses review signals like quality, quantity, and recency to help determine map pack rankings.

And in competitive spaces, solid ratings can be the difference between getting clicked or getting skipped.

Ask Smarter to Get Better Reviews

Strong reviews come from a consistent, intentional process — and they start with how, when, and where you ask.

• Ask consistently: Make review requests part of your post-purchase or follow-up process
• Time it right: Ask right after a positive experience, when the customer is most satisfied
• Be specific: Instead of “Leave a review,” try “Would you mind leaving a quick Google review about [service]?”

One of the most impactful things you can do:

Make it easy.

Send a direct link to your Google review form via email, text, or receipts.

From your GBP dashboard, click the “Ask for reviews” button.

Then, generate a short URL (or QR code) to copy and send to customers.

Respond to Every Review (Especially the Bad Ones)

Responding to reviews isn’t just good customer service — it’s a local SEO signal.

Google has confirmed that replies help strengthen your local presence.

And not replying at all is actually worse in Google’s eyes than getting a 1-star review.

Take it from Miriam Ellis, local search scientist at Moz and founder of Miriam Ellis Consulting:

Replies show you’re active, engaged, and care about customer experience.

Even a short “Thanks so much!” or a personalized reply helps reinforce a strong customer relationship — and shows prospective customers that you’re paying attention.

And they are paying attention.

As Miriam puts it:

And when it comes to negative reviews, how you respond can make or break your reputation.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Respond quickly: Ideally within a few days
• Stay calm and professional: Even if the review feels exaggerated or unfair
• Acknowledge the concern: Show that you hear them
• Apologize when appropriate: A little empathy can diffuse tension
• Offer to resolve it: Preferably in private (e.g., “Feel free to call us directly and we’ll make this right”)
• Keep it short and constructive: Remember, future customers are reading

Just look at the difference this reply makes:

If you’re considering visiting India House, the reply takes a lot of the bite out of that negative review.

Remember, every review is a reflection of your brand.

Handle them well, and they become powerful proof that you care — and deliver.

3. Improve Your Website’s Local SEO

Your website still plays a big role in local SEO, especially when it comes to ranking in the organic results below the map pack.

It reinforces your location relevance, showcases your offerings, and helps Google understand who you serve and where you’re based.

Here’s how to set it up right:

Add Location-Based Keywords to Key Pages

Use keywords that combine what you do with where you do it.

Like “cosmetic dentist Chicago” or “emergency plumber Austin.”

These local terms help Google understand the geographic focus of your business.

Include them naturally in your title tags, meta descriptions, URLs, headers, and throughout your page copy.

Prioritize your homepage and key service pages for this kind of targeting.

And remember: Don’t overdo it. Clear, human-friendly language beats keyword stuffing every time.

Create Location-Specific Landing Pages

If your business serves multiple areas, you need dedicated landing pages for each one — even if you don’t have a physical office there.

The key is making sure each page has 100% unique content.

For example, if you serve both Boston and Brookline, don’t reuse or slightly tweak the same copy.

Write from scratch, tailored to each location.

As long as your content is unique and you genuinely serve that area, these location pages can help you rank in the local organic results — and drive high-converting traffic from nearby customers.

For example, this roofing company created pages optimized around “Brockton” and “Natick” in Massachusetts.

The kicker? They’re not physically located in either city.

Yet, they rank for both — thanks to solid, localized content built around each area.

Add Structured Data

Structured data is a type of code you add to your website to help search engines understand your content. It can be especially helpful for SEO for a local business.

The most common format for structured data is called Schema markup, and it’s the one Google recommends.

It’s a quiet but powerful way to support your local business SEO and improve how your site appears in search.

How?

• Supports AI Overviews: Google’s AI-generated results often pull info like hours, address, and services from structured data.
• Enhances SERP presence: Schema can trigger richer listings — like knowledge panels or local carousels — that feature key business info.
• Improves user trust: Accurate markup adds credibility with both search engines and users.

So how do you actually get it?

You’ll want to add schema markup to your site. Specifically, LocalBusiness schema, a structured data format made specifically for local businesses.

At a minimum, your markup should include:

• Business name
• Phone number
• Address
• Website URL
• Hours of operation
• Logo and image
• Geo coordinates (latitude and longitude)

But depending on what you do, you can also get more precise with types like “HardwareStore,” “Dentist,” or “Restaurant.”

Add markup to pages like your homepage, contact page, or individual location pages — anywhere you highlight key business info.

Embed a Map to Reinforce Your Location

Want to give Google one more local signal?

Embed a Google Map of your business on your Contact or About page. You can grab the code directly from your Maps listing:

Find your business on Google Maps. Then, click “Share.”

Next, click “Embed a map.” Now, copy the HTML and paste it into your page.

Even a small touch like this can reinforce your location. Especially in competitive areas.

4. Build Consistent NAP Citations

Google wants to be confident that your business is real. And, it’s where you say it is.

That’s where NAP citations come in.

When your name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web, it reinforces your credibility and helps you rank better in local search.

But if there are mismatches or outdated info floating around, it can work against you.

Here’s how to make sure your citations are clean and consistent:

Run an NAP Audit

You want your NAP data to be 100% consistent everywhere.

On your website.

On your Google Business Profile.

On business directories.

On local listings sites.

Basically, any place that mentions your business online.

There are a ton of citation tools and services to choose from. Semrush’s Listing Management is a great option.

No matter which tool or service you use, these are the most important things you’ll need to have before you start:

• The current, up-to-date NAP for the business
• Any historic NAP info (so you can easily find the outdated citations)

With this information, the tool you use will scour the internet for NAPs. And you’ll get a report like this:

Fix Incorrect NAPs

Now that you have a list of your NAP citations, you want to ID the ones that aren’t correct.

Fair warning:

If you have an older business that hasn’t had its NAP citations audited before, you can expect A LOT of citations that need a fix or update.

Incorrect NAPs usually fall into two different categories:

• Citations you can change (for example, on Yelp)
• Citations someone else has to change (for example, a mention on a local resource page)

Updating those in the first category one by one can be a giant pain.

That’s where a tool like Semrush’s Listings Management can help.

It scans key directories and lets you push consistent NAP data across dozens of platforms — all from one dashboard.

For citations that need a manual change from someone else, you’ll need to reach out one by one with targeted, friendly emails.

Here’s an example:

Find New Citation Opportunities

Let’s say you’ve built citations at Yelp, FourSquare, and the other usual suspects.

Wondering what’s next?

It’s time to go local.

Local citations are super relevant. And they can give your map pack rankings a real boost.

Since you’re reaching out to folks in your local area, your outreach conversion rate is usually going to be insanely high.

The question is:

How do you find local citation opportunities?

Check out the Backlink Gap tool in Semrush.

As the name suggests, this feature is designed for link building. But, it definitely works for citations too.

In fact, you can sometimes double-dip and get a link and citation from the same place.

Here’s how:

First, take a batch of 2-3 competitors and pop them into the tool along with your website on top.

You’ll get a report that lists all the sites that have linked to your competitors. Like this:

Sift through the results to find citation opportunities.

Link opportunities.

Or, both.

5. Earn Local Backlinks

Effective SEO for local businesses goes beyond rankings.

It’s about building visibility, trust, and community connections that convert.

Don’t get me wrong — traditional link-building strategies still work.

But if you’re a local business, you’ve got something national brands don’t: built-in connections to your community.

That local edge gives you access to unique, high-quality backlink opportunities.

Many of which are easier to earn than you’d think.

Connect with Other Local Businesses

You probably already work with other businesses in your area — suppliers, distributors, contractors, neighboring stores.

Start there.

List out your existing relationships and check if those businesses have websites.

Look for a page where a link to your site would make sense (like a “Partners” or “Suppliers” page).

Then, reach out directly and suggest it.

You’d be surprised how many will happily add your link.

For example, this paving contractor has a page that links to some of their favorite distributors.

Get Listed on Your Local Chamber of Commerce Site

A Chamber of Commerce link is one of the easiest and most valuable local backlinks you can earn.

Depending on your area, you may need to pay a membership fee or fill out a quick profile.

Either way, these links are highly trusted, relevant, and almost always include your NAP.

Want to go even further?

Offer to speak at a Chamber event — it’s a great way to get a contextual link and grow your local presence at the same time.

Sponsor Local Events

It’s a fact:

Most local events need sponsors.

And if you can sponsor a local event, you’ll usually find yourself with a nice link on the event’s website.

This local, non-profit circus is a good example. There’s a whole page on their site that links to their supporters.

And your support doesn’t have to be straight cash.

Run a pizza place? Consider donating a stack of large pepperoni pizzas.

Are you a printing company? You can offer to print up flyers.

You get the idea.

Leverage Local PR

Local news sites are often looking for feel-good stories or timely community updates.

If you’re doing something interesting — a grand re-opening, a milestone, a charity event — it’s worth pitching them.

Give reporters a few days’ notice, and include a quick summary they can pull from.

The easier you make their job, the more likely you are to get featured (with a backlink).

No big event on the calendar?

That’s fine.

Consider offering yourself as a local expert on your topic or industry.

Many outlets appreciate having go-to sources they can quote or feature in future stories.

As Miriam says:

6. Monitor Your Progress and Rankings

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

Tracking your local SEO performance helps you understand where you’re showing up, where you’re falling short, and what to focus on next.

Your GBP dashboard is a good start.

It tracks how often your listing appears in Search and Maps. And what actions people take next (like clicking your site or requesting directions).

From there, layer on tools that track performance across map packs, organic rankings, reviews, and even AI Overviews.

Track Your Map Pack Rankings

Once your local SEO strategy is in motion, you’ll want to keep tabs on how your business ranks — especially in the map pack.

While you can manually search and scroll, a tool like Semrush’s Map Rank Tracker gives you a much clearer picture.

It shows how your business appears for target keywords across different locations, using actual geo-coordinates.

That means you can see how your rankings vary across neighborhoods, cities, or even street corners.

Each pin represents a local position on the map, color-coded based on where your business shows up for a specific keyword (e.g., position 1–3, 4–10, or not in the top 10 at all).

This kind of insight helps you:

• Spot local visibility gaps
• See exactly where you’re dominating (or disappearing)
• Compare rankings against competitors in your area

Whether you’re optimizing for one location or managing a multi-location business, this tool gives you the data you need to prioritize next steps.

Check Your Organic Local Rankings

Not every local customer clicks the map pack.

Many scroll straight to the organic results — especially when comparing services or looking for detailed info.

Track how your key landing pages rank for high-intent, location-based keywords using tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console (GSC).

Analyze Your Reviews and Ratings

Reviews aren’t just about quantity.

Tracking trends in review volume, recency, and sentiment helps you understand how your reputation is shifting over time.

The GBP dashboard gives you a quick snapshot of recent reviews, average rating, and basic trends — great for keeping tabs on a single location.

For more advanced tracking, tools like Semrush’s Review Management, Whitespark, or GatherUp offer deeper insights.

You can monitor sentiment over time, track mentions of specific services or locations, and get alerted to new reviews automatically.

Look for AI Visibility

AI Overviews are already changing how local results appear — especially for queries like “best [service] near me.”

To see if your business is being featured, start with manual checks.

Run your core queries in Incognito mode and look for citations, especially in AI-generated summaries.

Some emerging tools are also beginning to track AI Overview visibility at scale, helping you spot inclusion trends over time.

You’ve Got the Playbook. Now Use It.

With your GBP dialed in, NAP citations cleaned up, and reviews rolling in, you’ve got everything you need to show up where it matters most.

But local SEO isn’t just one-and-done.

The businesses that win in the map pack are the ones that stay active — consistently applying local SEO best practices like updating info, earning reviews, and building their presence over time.

So, what’s next?

Grab our free toolkit for tools and templates to help you implement everything covered in this local SEO guide.

Or, take your GBP review game to the next level with our step-by-step guide to getting more Google reviews.