What is local SEO — and why does my business need it?

What SEO actually is (without the jargon)

SEO stands for search engine optimization. In plain English: it’s the set of things that tell Google your business exists, where it is, what it does, and why it’s worth showing to searchers.

When someone searches “plumber near me” or “nail salon in [your city]” and your business shows up, that’s SEO working. When it doesn’t show up — and a competitor does — that’s SEO not being in place.

It’s not magic, and it’s not instant. But for local businesses, the basics of local SEO are surprisingly straightforward — and ignoring them means leaving calls and bookings on the table every single day.

Local SEO vs. regular SEO — what’s different

Regular (national) SEO is about ranking for keywords people search anywhere — “best running shoes,” “how to start a business.” It’s highly competitive and takes years to build meaningful traction.

Local SEO is a smaller game — and that’s a good thing. You’re not competing with every business in the country. You’re competing with the handful of businesses in your city or neighborhood that do what you do. That’s a fight you can actually win with a solid foundation.

Local SEO also controls a specific type of Google result: the map pack — the three local listings with a map that appear near the top of search results for most service queries. That real estate gets far more clicks than the regular blue links below it.

The two things that matter most

You can overthink local SEO. The fundamentals come down to two things working together:

1. Your Google Business Profile

If your business isn’t claimed and filled out on Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), you’re essentially invisible in map results. This free listing is where your address, hours, phone number, photos, services, and reviews live — and it’s the single biggest local SEO lever you have.

A complete, accurate, active Google Business Profile with real reviews is the fastest path to showing up in map searches for your service area.

2. Your website

Your website is where Google learns what your business actually does. Without a real website — or with a thin, generic one — Google has little to work with when deciding whether to surface you for relevant searches.

A solid local SEO foundation on your site includes:

• Your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistent with your Google profile
• Service pages that clearly describe what you do and where you do it
• A page title and description that mention your service and location
• Fast load time on mobile (Google prioritizes mobile performance)
• A link to and from your Google Business Profile

None of this is technically complex. It’s setup work — and once it’s done correctly, it compounds over time.

What happens when you skip it

When a potential customer searches for what you offer in your area, Google serves them the businesses it knows the most about and trusts the most. If your competitors have their Google profile optimized and a real website, they show up. You don’t.

The customer clicks the first or second result, calls, books. You never knew they were looking.

This happens hundreds of times a year for most local service businesses — especially in competitive categories like home services, salons, restaurants, and fitness. The cost isn’t a line item you can see. It’s just calls you never got.

How long does it take to see results?

Honest answer: it depends. Google Business Profile updates can show results in days to weeks once the profile is properly filled out and you start collecting reviews. Website SEO improvements take longer — typically 2–4 months before you see meaningful movement in organic rankings, and up to 6–12 months for competitive keywords.

That said, the earlier you start, the earlier you benefit. The businesses ranking at the top of your local market today started building that foundation months or years ago. Every week without a foundation is a week your competitors are widening the gap.

What good local SEO setup looks like in practice

Here’s what a proper foundation covers:

• Google Business Profile claimed and fully filled out — category, hours, services, description, photos, and a link to your website
• Consistent NAP across the web — your name, address, and phone number should be identical everywhere (your site, Google, Yelp, Facebook, industry directories)
• Service pages on your website — one page per core service, with clear descriptions and location references
• A fast, mobile-first website — Google uses mobile performance as a ranking factor
• A review strategy — even just asking happy customers to leave a Google review makes a measurable difference

None of this requires an expensive agency or a technical background. It requires someone who knows what to set up and does it correctly the first time.