Local SEO: the basics most businesses miss

Local SEO isn't magic, and it isn't a secret. Most of the wins come from doing a handful of unglamorous things properly and consistently. Here's where to start.

Claim and complete your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is the single most important local asset you have. Claim it, verify it, and fill in every field — hours, services, service areas, photos, and a real description of what you do.

• Add real photos of your team and space, not stock images.
• Keep your hours accurate, especially around holidays.
• Post updates occasionally — it signals an active business.

Keep your name, address & phone consistent everywhere

Search engines cross-check your business details across the web. If your address is formatted three different ways across five directories, that inconsistency works against you. Pick one format and use it everywhere.

Earn reviews the right way

Reviews influence both rankings and the humans reading them. Ask happy customers at the right moment, make it easy with a direct link, and always respond — to the good and the not-so-good.

Build pages for what you actually do

If you offer five services, one catch-all page won't cut it. Give each meaningful service its own page with genuinely useful content. It helps search engines understand you, and it helps customers find exactly what they need.

Be patient — and consistent

Local SEO compounds. The work you do this month keeps paying off months from now. The businesses that win are rarely the cleverest — they're the most consistent.