Local SEO Guide: How to Attract Customers Near You

Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence so your business shows up when people nearby search for products or services you offer.

Have you ever searched for these queries? “butcher near me,” “best dentist in London,” or “laptop repair open now”? When you type those queries, seeking answers, local SEO will do its job to find businesses around you.

Instead of competing with businesses nationwide, local SEO helps you compete within your area, where your real customers actually are. With features like Google Maps, business profiles, reviews, and location-based results, local search has become the fastest way for customers to discover and choose nearby businesses.

How Does Google Determine Local Search Rankings?

Google uses a few key factors (relevance, distance, and prominence) to decide which businesses appear in the local pack and on Google Maps. Understanding these factors helps you focus on what actually moves the needle.

Relevance: Matching Search Intent

Relevance is about how well your business matches what someone is searching for. If a user searches for “vegan restaurant,” Google will prioritize businesses that clearly describe themselves as vegan-friendly in their profiles and websites.

You can improve relevance by:

• Choosing the right business categories in your Google Business Profile

• Clearly listing your services and products

• Using local keywords naturally on your website

• Creating content that answers local customer needs

The clearer you are about what you offer, the easier it is for Google to match your business to the right searches.

Distance: How Close You Are to the Searcher

Distance refers to how far your business is from the person searching or from the location they include in the query (for example, “near Sudirman” or “in South Jakarta”).

While you can’t change where your business is located, you can:

• Make sure your address is accurate and consistent everywhere online

• Set your service areas correctly if you serve customers at their locations

• Create location-based pages if you operate in multiple areas

Being physically close to the searcher gives you a natural advantage, especially for competitive keywords.

Prominence: How Well-Known and Trusted Your Business Is

Prominence is about your online reputation and visibility. Google looks at signals like reviews, ratings, backlinks, brand mentions, and overall activity to decide how trustworthy and popular your business appears.

Ways to improve prominence are:

• Getting more positive customer reviews

• Earning links from local websites or news outlets

• Being active and up-to-date on your Google Business Profile

• Having consistent business information across directories

Even if you’re not the closest option, strong prominence can help you outrank competitors who are nearer but less established.

You can also optimize your business with explainer video to stay active on online platforms, especially on TikTok, where its search engine works wonders with local keywords.

Action Plan: How to Actually Start Winning Local Search

You can directly start this operation by fixing the foundation, like claiming the Google Business Profile and optimizing its information. But results come from consistent action.

If you’re not sure where to start, this simple step-by-step plan will help you build momentum without feeling overwhelmed.

Week 1: Fix the Foundations

Start by making sure search engines clearly understand your business details. Your Google Business Profile and basic business information across the web should be accurate, complete, and consistent.

These signals directly affect whether you appear in local search results at all. This is also where you set expectations for customers.

When people see complete profiles, real photos, and clear contact information, they’re more likely to choose your business over competitors with messy or outdated listings.

Focus on these actions:

• Claim and verify your Google Business Profile

• Choose the most accurate primary and secondary categories

• Check that your business name, address, and phone number match everywhere

• Upload photos of your location, team, and services

• Update business hours and holiday schedules

Week 2: Optimize Your Website for Local Searches

Your website should reinforce your local relevance and describe your services. Adding location signals helps Google connect your pages with nearby searchers and improves your chances of showing up for local keywords.

At the same time, your site needs to convert visitors into real customers. Clear contact options and a mobile-friendly design make it easier for people to take action when they find you through search.

Focus on these actions:

• Add city or area keywords to titles, headings, and content

• Create location-specific service pages if you cover multiple areas

• Add a Google Map to your contact page

• Improve mobile speed and usability

• Add clear call-to-action buttons like “Call Now” or “Get Directions.”

Week 3: Build Trust with Reviews and Citations

Once your visibility improves, trust becomes the deciding factor. Reviews help customers compare options quickly, and they also influence how Google ranks local businesses.

Citations help confirm that your business information is reliable across the web. When multiple trusted websites show the same details, Google gains more confidence in your legitimacy and relevance.

Focus on these actions:

• Ask satisfied customers for Google reviews

• Respond to every review professionally

• List your business on trusted local and industry directories

• Fix any inconsistent or outdated listings

• Monitor new mentions of your business online

Ongoing Process

Long-term success in local SEO comes from staying active and visible in your community. Regular updates and engagement signal that your business is relevant and trustworthy.

Building relationships locally can also create opportunities for partnerships, referrals, and backlinks, which all strengthen your position in competitive local search results.

Focus on these actions:

• Post updates and promotions on Google Business Profile

• Publish helpful local content on your website

• Partner with nearby businesses for cross-promotion

• Join or sponsor community events

• Track performance and refine what works

Common Local SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Even with the right strategy, small mistakes can quietly hurt your local visibility and cost you potential customers. Many businesses focus on adding new tactics but forget to fix basic issues that directly affect how Google and users see their business.

Avoiding these common pitfalls can often improve your results faster than launching new campaigns, especially if your competitors are making the same mistakes.

Here are some local SEO mistakes to watch out for:

• Ignoring Google Business Profile updates: Not updating hours, photos, services, or posts makes your profile look inactive and less trustworthy to Google and customers.

• Using fake locations or keyword stuffing: Adding city names where you don’t actually operate or cramming keywords into business names can lead to ranking drops and profile suspension.

• Inconsistent business information: Different addresses or phone numbers across platforms confuse search engines and reduce confidence in your business data.

• Not optimizing for mobile users: Slow-loading pages, hard-to-tap buttons, and missing click-to-call options can push mobile visitors to competitors instantly.

Final Thoughts: Turning Local Searches Into Real Customers

Local SEO makes it easier for nearby customers to find and choose your business when they need you most. When your business information is clear, your website supports local searches, and your reputation is strong, search engines simply follow what real people already trust.

The most important part is consistency. Small actions done regularly, such as updating your profile, collecting reviews, and staying active in your community, add up to long-term visibility and steady growth.

If you start with the basics and keep improving over time, local search can become one of your most reliable sources of high-intent traffic. In many cases, that’s exactly what turns online searches into real-world customers walking through your door.

---

Author Bio

Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order).