Local SEO
Local SEO that gets you found on Google Maps
Most local customers find a business through the map pack before they ever visit a website. Find out what's holding your Google Business Profile back, then fix it in the right order.
The problem
Sound familiar?
Invisible in the map pack
Your business shows up when people search your name, but not when they search for what you do.
Competitors with fewer strengths outrank you
Businesses with weaker websites still beat you because their profile signals are stronger.
Unclear what to fix first
Categories, reviews, citations and posts all seem to matter, and there's no obvious order.
What it costs
Why it's worth fixing
- Calls and direction requests go to the businesses that do show up in the map pack
- Spending on ads to make up for organic visibility you could earn
- Time spent on low-impact tasks while the real gaps stay open
The solution
Tools built for this
GBP Analyzer
Checks your profile's categories, details, reviews, photos and activity against nearby competitors and gives you a prioritised fix list. Free.
Analyze your profileSEO Audit & Action Plan
Reviews the website your profile links to, including technical health, on-page SEO and local signals, so the site backs up your local rankings.
Audit your websiteResults
What you can measure
Realistic signals to track. Results depend on your market and starting point.
- Searches, calls, direction requests and website clicks in Business Profile Performance
- Review count, average rating and how recent your reviews are, compared with competitors
- Which search terms trigger your profile
How it works
Practical next steps
- STEP 1
Run the free GBP Analyzer on your profile
- STEP 2
Fix category, services and profile detail gaps first
- STEP 3
Start a steady review routine and clean up your citations
- STEP 4
Check Performance data every month and repeat
Checklist
Local SEO checklist
- Your business name, address and phone number match exactly on your website, Google Business Profile and major directories
- Primary GBP category is the most specific one that describes your main service
- Service areas or address are accurate, and hours (including holiday hours) are current
- Each core service has its own page on your website that mentions the area you serve
- You have a repeatable way to ask every happy customer for a review, and you reply to reviews
- Real photos of your team, premises or work are uploaded, not just stock images
Worked example
Example: a plumber who doesn't appear in Maps for their own town
A two-van plumbing business sets its primary category to "Contractor" and lists a service area covering three counties. It rarely shows in the local pack for "plumber near me" in its home town.
The fixes: change the primary category to "Plumber", add "Drainage service" as a secondary category, narrow the service area to the towns they actually serve, and build one page per main service on the website. Then the owner sets up a simple text message asking for a review after each completed job.
None of this guarantees a top-three spot, because proximity to the searcher still matters most. But it removes the reasons Google had to prefer competitors.
Troubleshooting
If something isn't working
Profile doesn't show up at all
Confirm it's verified and not suspended in your Business Profile dashboard, and search the exact business name to see if a duplicate listing exists.
Shows for the business name but not for services
Review your primary category and make sure your website has a clear page for that service and location.
Rankings vary a lot between streets
That's normal. Local results depend on where the searcher is. Track a few locations instead of one.
Edits keep getting reverted
Google may be trusting other sources. Make sure directories and your website show the same details.
Guides
More Local SEO articles
How to optimize your Google Business Profile for better local rankings
A field-by-field guide to optimizing your Google Business Profile: categories, services, description, photos, reviews and posts, in order of impact.
7 min readWhy your business is not showing up on Google Maps (and how to fix it)
Not appearing on Google Maps? Work through the common causes, from unverified or suspended profiles to weak relevance and distance, and fix each one.
6 min readGoogle Business Profile categories: how to choose the right ones
Your primary GBP category is a major local relevance signal. How to research, choose and test primary and secondary categories without hurting your profile.
8 min readHow to rank higher in Google Maps without paying for ads
Organic ways to improve Google Maps rankings: strengthen relevance and prominence through your profile, reviews, citations, website and local links.
7 min readLocal SEO checklist for small businesses
A practical local SEO checklist for small businesses covering your Google Business Profile, website, citations, reviews, links and tracking, in a sensible order.
7 min readHow to improve Google Business Profile performance
Read your Google Business Profile Performance data properly and improve the metrics that matter: calls, direction requests, website clicks and bookings.
FAQs
Common questions
See how your Google Business Profile stacks up
A free, prioritised review of the profile signals that matter for local rankings.