Home  /  Guides  /  What Is Local SEO
Guide

What is local SEO?

By Apex Digital StudiosUpdated June 20264 min read

Local SEO is the work of getting your business to show up when nearby customers search for what you do, like "plumber near me" or "Korean BBQ in Belleville." It's mostly about your Google Business Profile, online reviews, consistent listings, and local pages on your website.

How it's different from regular SEO

Regular SEO is about ranking your website for any search, anywhere. Local SEO zooms in on location-based searches and the Google "map pack" — that little map with three businesses at the top. In the map pack, your Google Business Profile and reviews matter as much as your website, sometimes more.

The main pieces of local SEO

  • Google Business Profile — the foundation. Here's how to set yours up.
  • Reviews — quantity, rating, and recency all matter.
  • Consistent listings (citations) — the same name, address, and phone across Bing, Apple, Yelp, and directories.
  • Local pages on your site — pages that target your city and services.
  • Local links — mentions from chambers, news, and community sites.

Does your business need it?

If you serve customers in a specific area — a shop, a restaurant, a contractor, a local service — then yes. Local SEO is how those nearby customers find you instead of a competitor down the road. See our full SEO & AI optimization service for how we handle it.

Want more local customers finding you? That's our specialty. Tell us about your business and we'll reply within 24 hours.

Get a Free SEO Audit
Keep reading

More guides