Local SEO

Local SEO is the part of search engine optimisation that makes sure you’re found in local and regional searches — whenever someone nearby looks for an offer like yours. Google detects this intent from phrasings such as „near me”, from place names in the query, or simply from the user’s location. It rewards it with dedicated result formats: the local pack (the map box with three highlighted entries above the classic results) and the listing in Google Maps. Ranking at the top here captures a large share of the clicks from your region.

Profile and consistency

The centrepiece is your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). It’s the entry that appears in the local pack and on Maps — with name, address, opening hours, categories, photos and reviews. Well-maintained, complete and up-to-date profile details are the strongest signal that your business is real, relevant and reachable. This includes fitting categories, regular posts, fast responses to reviews and accurate service areas.

The second building block is citations — mentions of your business in directories, portals and on other websites. What matters is NAP consistency: name, address, phone must be written identically everywhere. Even small discrepancies (an abbreviated street, an old phone number, a different company name) dilute the trust Google places in your location data. Clean, uniform citations therefore directly support your local pack ranking.

As of 2026, what counts most is data hygiene, genuine reviews and consistency across all sources — not the sheer number of entries.

What you’ll find on this page

Below you’ll find a topic world around local SEO: current news on Maps and local updates, blog articles with background and practice, lexicon articles for deeper insight and a glossary of the most important terms. Use the filters above to jump straight to a sub-topic — from the Google Business Profile to citations and NAP consistency.