Your customers search for businesses like yours every day. They type “pizza near me” or “plumber Boston” into Google. You want your business to pop up first, not your competitor down the street.
That’s what local SEO does. It helps your business appear when people search for what you offer in your area. But Google doesn’t pick enterprises randomly. They use specific signals to decide who gets the top spots.
Let’s look at what works to get your business noticed online.
How Google Picks Local Businesses
Google uses three main things to decide which businesses to show first:
How well you match the search. If someone searches “coffee shop Cambridge,” Google wants to show actual coffee shops, not restaurants that happen to serve coffee. You need to tell Google what your business does.
How close are you to the person searching? Google knows where people are when they search. A person in Back Bay will see different results than someone in Quincy. This helps small neighborhood businesses compete with big chains.
How widespread and trusted your business is. Google looks at your reviews, how often other websites mention you, and whether people visit your business. Popular businesses get better spots.
These three things work together. You can’t just focus on one and ignore the others.
Set Up Your Google Business Profile Right
Your Google Business Profile acts like your business card on Google. When people find you in search results, they see the info from this profile. Most business owners fail to complete it entirely, which results in lost customers.
Fill out every single section. Add your exact business name, address, phone number, and website. Pick the categories that best describe what you do. Upload good photos of your storefront, your team, and your work.
Don’t stuff keywords into your business name. Don’t claim a fake address. Google catches these tricks and punishes businesses that try them. Just be honest and complete.
Posting regularly on your Google Business Profile shows Google that your business stays active. Share photos from recent jobs. Answer customer questions. Post news about sales or events. Google notices active companies and ranks them higher.
Keep Your Business Info the Same Everywhere
Your business name, address, and phone number must appear the same on every website. Google checks hundreds of websites to verify your information. If they find different versions, they get confused about which one is right.
Local citations and NAP consistency play a massive role in regional rankings. List your business on major sites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Angie’s List. But also look for local directories. Your city’s chamber of commerce website, local newspaper business listings, and industry associations all count.
Here’s what trips up most businesses: They write their address differently on different sites. “123 Main St.” on one site and “123 Main Street” on another. Pick one way to write everything and stick with it everywhere.
This work may seem tedious, but it makes a significant difference. Google trusts businesses that show the same information everywhere.
Get More Customer Reviews
Reviews help you in two ways. They help your business rank higher in search results, and they convince people to choose you over competitors.
Google looks at reviews on your Google Business Profile, other sites like Yelp, and testimonials on your website. Fresh reviews matter more than old ones, so you need new reviews coming in regularly.
Don’t wait for reviews to happen. Ask for them. Send a text or email after you finish a job with a link to leave a review. Make it easy for happy customers to share their experience.
Reply to every review, good and bad. Thank people for good reviews. Fix problems mentioned in bad reviews. This shows Google and customers that you care about what people think.
The businesses that rank highest typically have recent reviews, numerous reviews, and reviews on multiple websites.
Your Website Still Matters
Local SEO builds on regular website optimization. Your website needs to load quickly, function well on mobile devices, and feature high-quality content about your services.
Service area pages can boost your local rankings. If you’re a roofer working in Boston and Cambridge, create a separate page for each city. Write about the specific services you offer in each place.
Ensure your website functions flawlessly on mobile devices. Most people search for local businesses on their phones. If your site is slow or hard to use on mobile, you’ll lose customers.
Social media doesn’t directly affect your Google rankings, but it helps your local presence in other ways. When you post about local events or share customer photos, it shows Google you’re active in your community.
Get Other Websites to Link to You
When other websites link to your site, Google sees it as a vote of confidence. For local businesses, the most effective links often come from different local organizations.
Contact your local newspaper when you have news to share. Sponsor a Little League team or a community event. Join your chamber of commerce. These activities often result in websites linking back to you.
Partner with other local businesses that don’t compete with you. A wedding photographer might partner with local florists and caterers. You can refer customers to each other and link to each other’s websites.
One good link from your city’s official website or a respected local organization is worth more than dozens of links from random websites.
Quality beats quantity every time.
Track What’s Working
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Use tools to see where you rank for important searches. Watch how many people call your business or visit your website from Google.
Google gives you free tools to track this stuff. Google My Business Insights shows how people find your business profile. Google Analytics shows what happens when people visit your website.
Most business owners never look at this data. The ones who do have a massive advantage because they can see what’s working and fix what’s not.
Our guide to local SEO covers more strategies you can use once you master these basics.
Contact Boston Web Marketing
Boston Web Marketing has spent over 15 years helping businesses dominate their local markets. We don’t use cookie-cutter approaches. Every business is unique, and we develop strategies tailored to your specific situation and goals.
We’ve seen what works and what wastes time and money. Our clients consistently outperform their competitors because we focus on strategies that drive results.
Ready to get more local customers? Call us at (857) 526-0096 or contact our team today. We’ll analyze your current local search presence and show you exactly how to improve it. Don’t let your competitors capture the customers who should be choosing you.