When someone searches for “plumber near me” or “cafe in Sheffield”, they’re usually ready to take action.
They’re not researching for later. They’re looking for somewhere to go, someone to call, or a service they can trust right now.
If your business isn’t showing up in those moments, you’re missing out on customers who are already looking for what you offer.
This is where local SEO comes in.
Local SEO focuses on helping your business appear in location-based searches, making it easier for nearby customers to find and choose you.
For example, when someone searches for “cafe in Sheffield” or “cafe near me”, Google shows a map with nearby businesses, reviews, and key information like opening hours and location. These results are different from more general searches, where Google typically shows articles or guides instead.
Google ranks local businesses based on factors such as:
- Relevance
- Distance
- Prominence
There are several ways to improve how your business performs in these results, which we’ll cover below.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the process of improving how visible your business is in location-based search results.
It focuses on helping you appear when people nearby are actively looking for the products or services you offer.
For example, if you run a bakery with a physical shop, a local SEO campaign could be used to increase footfall to your shop and subsequently improve sales. This is achieved by ensuring your business is in the best position possible to rank above your competitors when someone searches locally.
How Do Local SEO Services Differ from Regular SEO?
While there is some overlap, local SEO focuses on different areas compared to traditional SEO.
For example, local SEO includes:
- Optimising your Google Business Profile
- Appearing in map pack results
- Using location-specific keywords
Traditional SEO focuses more on improving your website’s visibility on a broader, national or international level.
Find out more about our available SEO services online today.
Why Are Local SEO Services Important?
When people need a service locally, they usually go straight to Google or their chosen LLM platform (Gemini, Claude, etc.)
They search for things like “emergency plumber near me” or “solicitor in Sheffield” and choose from the businesses that appear first.
If your business isn’t showing up in those results, you’re missing out on enquiries from people who are already looking for what you offer.
Local SEO helps you appear in those high-intent searches, putting your business in front of potential customers at the point they’re ready to take action.
For small businesses in particular, this can make a big difference. You don’t need a huge brand or national presence; you just need to be visible to the right people in your area at the right time.
Having good local SEO can also positively affect your appearance in LLMs, which are a massive part of how people search these days.
Here at Wildcat, we have seen great success in this area, with many leads for new, local clients coming from our appearance in LLMs.
Get in touch to see how we can help your business
What benefits are seen from Local SEO Optimisation?
A website that is well-optimised for local users can experience:
- Increased phone calls from people searching locally
- Increased visitors, both in-person and online, from nearby customers
- Increased number of orders/conversions from the local area
How Does Local SEO Work?
Local SEO works by helping Google understand three key things about your business:
- What you offer
- Where you’re located
- How trustworthy are you
Once Google comprehensively understands your business, it makes considerations on the following factors:
- Relevance – If your business is relevant to a user’s search query and you offer the desired products and/or services, it is likely that Google will consider your website to be a relevant result.
The local keyword targeting strategy used at Wildcat Digital has produced real results for our clients, improving local relevance in their community.
- Distance – While this is not necessarily something you can change to satisfy each customer, Google does take into consideration how far away the searcher is from your business’s location. The closer you are, the higher you will appear.
- Prominence – This is a more nuanced factor for ranking local businesses, and it will consider some of the ways in which previous customers have described their experience. This could take the form of starred reviews or comments left on your Google Business Profile.
If your business doesn’t just operate in one area, local SEO for multiple locations can still be done. Read our helpful blog on how to target multiple cities without hurting your SEO to find out how.
How Local SEO Has Changed In Recent Years
Since the rise of AI, the way in which we search has changed; users’ focus is no longer just on the top-ranking URL. AI overviews provide users with immediate answers to their queries and, therefore, are something users have become accustomed to when looking for an answer.
Many elements of local SEO also come in a condensed, straight-to-the-point format, one well-suited to this modern way of searching, such as:
- Local Map Packs
- Google Business Profile
- Local Organic Listings
- Knowledge Panel
The Difference Between Local Map Packs and Organic Listings
The main difference between Local Map Packs and Organic listings comes down to intent.
Local map pack results appear when someone is ready to take action, for example, searching “plumber near me” or “cafe in Sheffield”. These results show nearby businesses, reviews, and directions.
Organic results are more common for research-based searches, such as “best cafes in Sheffield” or “how to choose a good cafe”, where users are comparing options or looking for more information.
When are Each Used?
As the above provide different answer formats and target different audiences, you may wish to target a specific one, but how do you choose one over the other?
When to focus on local SEO:
- You want to reach customers in a specific area
- You have a physical location or service area
- You rely on calls, visits, or local enquiries
When to focus on traditional SEO:
- You target a wider (national or international) audience
- You’re creating informational or blog content
- You don’t rely on a physical location
How Can I Do Local SEO?
Now that you know what local SEO is and how it works, the next logical step is to take appropriate action to optimise your digital marketing efforts for your local audience.
Below are some of the key steps to making sure your business is in the best position possible to succeed in SERP rankings, which we follow in our local SEO service strategy here at Wildcat Digital.
Find out more in our recent blog – How Can I Rank Better in My Local Area?
Optimised Google Business Profile
The first and (arguably) most important step to any local SEO campaign is to establish a well-optimised and accurate Google Business Profile. To achieve this, you will need to verify with Google that the address you have provided on the profile is correct. Once verified, you must ensure the following elements are correct:
- Website Link
- Accurate business details
- Name
- Address
- phone number
- Business category
- Reviews plus responses
One of the key things to remember when thinking about local SEO is to remember that you must operate in the areas that you are targeting. Furthermore, adding high-quality images of your business’s products and services, including alt text and keyword-rich image descriptions, will help to prove your authenticity to Google.
Read more about why this is important in our recent blog – Why Optimise My Google Business Profile?
Location-Specific Keywords
The logical beginning of any SEO campaign is to perform keyword research. When it comes to local SEO, you must select location-specific keywords. While it may be tempting to aim for keywords with high search volume, this won’t necessarily lead to increased relevant traffic.
Instead, consider targeting keywords that relate to your business and location, and include keyword modifiers to help to increase the relevancy of your traffic even further.
Lower volume keywords with a higher conversion potential carry more value for local searches. For example, if you’re a plumber in Sheffield, targeting a keyword like “emergency plumber Sheffield” will attract more relevant customers than a broader search like “plumber”.
Read more about long-tail keyword relevance
Why not take a look at what keywords your competitors are targeting, too? Nothing is stopping you from going after the same ones!
Find out more about keyword research in our recent blog – Why are keywords important in SEO?
Google Local Map Packs
You will have likely seen Google Local Map Packs when searching for a business online. These results appear above organic listings, making them one of the most valuable positions for local businesses.
These map packs are a collection of three of the top local businesses that are relevant to the searcher’s query, and display all the relevant information that a customer would need to locate and visit that business, such as:
- Business name and location
- An indication of average price (££ – £££)
- Opening hours
- Available services
- Ratings and reviews
- Applicable tags
Managing Reviews
When it comes to managing reviews online, it is not just the quantity of reviews that you have that matters to Google; it is also the way in which those reviews have been managed.
Reviews help Google understand how trustworthy your business is, which can influence how visible you are in local results.
For example, if you receive positive reviews, why not respond to show your gratitude to those customers? Similarly, when you receive a negative review, respond to the comment and address any issues the customers may have had to try to improve their experience.
For more information, why not read our recent blog – Reviews: The Missing SEO Ranking Factor
Optimised Website
A multi-faceted approach to local SEO will naturally gravitate towards ensuring your website is optimised for your local audience. At Wildcat Digital, this will include:
- Ensuring that the business location is included throughout the website
- Optimising on-page content for location-specific keywords
- Considering getting involved in local events that you can post about on your website
- Gaining high-quality, authoritative local backlinks where possible
As with SEO in general, it will also be important that your website loads quickly to reduce bounce rate, that a simple navigation is used that is user-friendly, and that the design is current.
To learn more about identifying content to optimise on your website, take a look at our blog on how to refresh old content for SEO.
FAQs
What Is The Best Way To Develop a Local SEO Strategy?
There are numerous ways to tackle a local SEO campaign, but the best way to ensure your business will perform well locally is to enlist the services of an expert SEO agency.
At Wildcat Digital, we work with a number of small and large businesses to help deliver an SEO campaign that is tailored to local performance. Contact us today to find out how we can help your business to stand out locally.
Does Local SEO Still Work?
Yes, local SEO is more important than ever in the current search climate. With an expectation for instant answers, ensuring your business comes up in local SEO components of the Google SERP is imperative to gaining clicks.
Read our top tips on how to rank better in your local area
Can I Still Do Local SEO For Multiple Locations?
Yes, the key thing to remember is to keep each page unique! Having a clear website strategy, including location landing pages, is a great way to avoid cannibalisation. Some top tips include:
- Target specific local keywords, unique to each landing page
- Link to local businesses via case studies
- Create a separate GBP for each location
Read more on how to target multiple cities without hurting your SEO
What SEO Services Does Wildcat Digital Offer?
As digital experts, we can help your business punch above its weight online. Get in touch today to find out more about our local SEO services.
Wildcat Digital is an award-winning agency that helps businesses of all sizes improve their online performance.
Learn more about he we can help:
- Local SEO
- Mobile SEO
- Content Writing
- Small Businesses
- Technical SEO
- Digital PR
- SEO Consultancy
- International SEO
