Local SEO: how to show up on Google when people search in your city

When someone searches for “plumber near me” or “dentist downtown”, Google first shows a map with three businesses. Being there can be the difference between the phone ringing or not. That’s local SEO: the work of making your business show up when people search in your area.

The good news is that much of it can be done without being an expert. Here’s where to start.

How Google decides who to show

Google says that for local results it looks at three things:

• Relevance: how well your business matches what the person searched for.
• Distance: how close you are to the searcher, or to the area they mentioned.
• Prominence: how well known and trusted your business is, based on reviews, mentions and your presence on the web.

You can’t change distance. The other two, you can.

Step 1: Google Business Profile

It’s the listing that appears on the map, and it’s free. If you don’t have one yet, it’s the first thing to do. If you do, make sure it’s complete:

• Your real business name, without stuffing in keywords. Google penalizes that.
• The right primary category, plus secondary categories if they apply.
• Address or service area. If you go to your clients, you can hide your address and list the neighborhoods or cities you serve.
• Hours, phone and website, always up to date.
• A description of your services, in the words your clients use.
• Real photos: your team, your premises, finished work.

Step 2: reviews

Reviews carry a lot of weight, both for Google and for the client who’s deciding. A few ideas:

• Always ask for them, at the moment the client is happy. Send the direct link by message.
• Reply to all of them, good and bad. A kind reply to criticism says a lot about your business.
• Don’t buy or fake reviews. Besides being against the rules, it shows.

Step 3: a website that talks about your area

This is where many businesses fall short. Your Google listing puts you on the map, but your website confirms to Google what you do and where. Make sure your site has:

• Your service and city in key places: the page title, the main heading and the copy. For example, “Accounting firm in Córdoba” instead of just “Welcome”.
• A page for each important service, with its own explanation. A single page with everything mixed together ranks worse.
• The same contact details everywhere: the same name, address and phone as on your Google listing and social media.
• Structured data, invisible code that tells Google in an organized way who you are, where you are and how to contact you. We include it on every site we build.

If you don’t have a website yet, start by reading why your business needs its own website.

Step 4: a fast website that works well on phones

Most local searches happen on a phone, often at the very moment the service is needed. If your site is slow or looks bad, the person goes back and calls the next one. We explain this in website speed and mobile-first design.

Step 5: presence on other sites

Being mentioned in other places adds prominence. Some options:

• Directories for your industry or your city.
• Chambers of commerce or professional associations.
• Suppliers or clients who mention you on their websites.
• Local press coverage.

What matters is that your details are always the same.

Common mistakes

• An unverified Google listing, or one with an old phone number.
• Changing the business name on the listing to add keywords.
• A website that doesn’t mention your city anywhere.
• Not measuring anything: Google Search Console is free and shows you which searches you appear for.

Local SEO takes time

Don’t expect results in a week. Local SEO is steady work: new reviews, an up-to-date listing and a website that’s kept in shape. Businesses that stick with it for a few months usually see the difference in inquiries.

At Balboa Web, basic local SEO, Search Console setup and your Google Business Profile listing are included in our Local Presence Package. If you’d like us to review how your business shows up today, get in touch.