Rank Local
Build a local SEO foundation covering Google Business Profile optimization, NAP consistency, citation strategy, and review velocity.
Local SEO Ranking Factors
Local search results are determined by three primary factors:
- Relevance — How well your business matches the search query
- Distance — How close you are to the searcher's location
- Prominence — How well-known and trusted your business is online
You can't control distance, but you can maximize relevance and prominence.
Step 1: Google Business Profile Audit
GBP is the single most important local SEO asset. Audit:
Profile Completeness
- Business name matches real-world name exactly (no keyword stuffing)
- Primary category is the most specific match for your business
- Secondary categories cover all relevant services (up to 9)
- Address is accurate and matches what's on your website
- Phone number is a local number (not toll-free) that matches website
- Website URL points to the correct page
- Business hours are accurate (including special hours for holidays)
- Business description uses keywords naturally (750 chars max)
Visual Content
- Logo and cover photo uploaded
- At least 10 photos (exterior, interior, team, products/services)
- Photos updated regularly (monthly is ideal)
- Videos if applicable (60 seconds max)
Active Features
- Google Posts published regularly (weekly or biweekly)
- Products or services listed with descriptions and prices
- Q&A section monitored (seed common questions yourself)
- Messaging enabled if team can respond promptly
- Booking link configured if applicable
Step 2: NAP Consistency
NAP = Name, Address, Phone. It must be identical everywhere:
- Website (footer, contact page, schema markup)
- Google Business Profile
- All citation directories
- Social media profiles
Common inconsistencies to fix:
- "St" vs "Street" vs "St."
- "Suite 200" vs "#200" vs "Ste 200"
- Different phone numbers (main line vs direct)
- Old addresses from a previous location
- Abbreviated vs full business name
How to check: Search "business name" + "city" and review every listing that appears. Note inconsistencies.
Step 3: Citation Strategy
Citations are mentions of your business NAP on other websites. Key directories:
Foundation Citations (must-have)
- Google Business Profile
- Apple Maps / Apple Business Connect
- Bing Places
- Yelp
- Facebook Business Page
- BBB (Better Business Bureau)
Industry-Specific Citations
Vary by business type:
- Restaurants: TripAdvisor, OpenTable, Zomato
- Medical: Healthgrades, Vitals, WebMD
- Legal: Avvo, FindLaw, Justia
- Home services: HomeAdvisor, Angi, Thumbtack
- Real estate: Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin
Local Citations
- Local chamber of commerce
- City/regional business directories
- Local news sites and publications
- Community event sponsorship pages
Priority: Quality > quantity. 30 accurate citations on authoritative directories beats 200 on low-quality sites.
Step 4: Review Strategy
Reviews directly impact local pack rankings and conversion rates.
Getting More Reviews
- Ask satisfied customers at the point of service
- Send follow-up emails/texts with a direct review link
- Use Google's review link generator:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=[PLACE_ID] - Train staff to ask — make it part of the customer service flow
- Never incentivize reviews (violates Google guidelines)
Responding to Reviews
Response templates (customize — never copy verbatim):
Positive review response: "Thank you, [Name]! We're glad [specific thing they mentioned] went well. [Brief personal touch]. We look forward to [future interaction]."
Key: Reference something specific from their review. Generic "Thanks for the review!" signals you don't read them.
Negative review response: "[Name], thank you for sharing this feedback. We're sorry [acknowledge specific issue]. This isn't the experience we aim for. Please reach out to [contact method] so we can make this right."
Key: Respond within 24 hours. Acknowledge the specific concern. Move resolution offline. Never argue publicly.
Fake review response: "We don't have a record of this interaction. If you are a customer, please contact [email/phone] so we can look into this."
Key: Report via GBP dashboard first. Respond factually without being defensive. Don't accuse — state facts.
Review Velocity
- Aim for steady, ongoing reviews — not bursts
- A sudden spike of reviews looks unnatural
- 2-5 new reviews per month is healthy for most small businesses
- Track review velocity month-over-month
Step 5: Local Content
Create location-relevant content for your website:
- Location pages (if multi-location): unique content per location, not duplicated templates
- Local service pages: "[service] in [city]" pages with genuine local relevance
- Local blog content: Community involvement, local events, local case studies
- FAQ page: Answer location-specific questions
Avoid: Doorway pages (thin, templated pages targeting every neighborhood/zip code).
Step 6: Local Schema Markup
Add structured data to your website:
LocalBusiness Schema
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Business Name",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "City",
"addressRegion": "State",
"postalCode": "12345"
},
"telephone": "+1-555-555-5555",
"openingHoursSpecification": [...],
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": "40.7128",
"longitude": "-74.0060"
}
}Use the most specific business type available: Restaurant, DentalClinic, LawFirm, etc. rather than generic LocalBusiness.
Output Format
Local SEO Strategy: [business name / domain]
GBP Audit Results
- Profile completeness: [x]%
- Categories: [current categories — any missing?]
- Review count: [count] | Average rating: [stars]
- Photo count: [count]
NAP Consistency
- Inconsistencies found: [count]
- Directories checked: [count]
- Fixes needed: [list]
Citation Plan
| Directory | Status | Action | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business | Active | Update hours | High |
| Yelp | Claimed | Fix address format | Medium |
| [industry-specific] | Not listed | Create listing | High |
Review Strategy
- Current velocity: [reviews/month]
- Target velocity: [reviews/month]
- Reviews needing response: [count]
- Action items for getting more reviews
Content Recommendations
- Location pages to create
- Local content topics
- Schema to implement
Pro Tip: Use the free SEO Audit to check local schema markup and the Schema Markup Generator to build LocalBusiness JSON-LD. SEOJuice MCP users can run /seojuice:gbp-overview to see all GBP locations, reviews needing attention, sentiment breakdown, and reply to reviews directly from Claude.