Local businesses seeking more calls, leads, and foot traffic need to master Local SEO. This guide outlines five actionable steps that plumbers, electricians, doctors, dentists, chiropractors, and other local service providers can implement today to scale their business through improved local search visibility.
Understanding Local SEO
Local SEO operates differently than traditional search engine optimization. While general SEO comprises three major pillars (on-page, off-page, and technical SEO), local SEO touches each of these areas but functions as its own distinct discipline.
The concept remains consistent with broader SEO principles: businesses aim to increase visibility on Google for relevant queries and keywords. However, local SEO specifically targets potential customers in geographic proximity to the business.
Step 1: Google Business Profile Verification and Optimization
The Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) creates that rich result appearing on the right-hand side of search results pages. This profile includes critical business information, operating hours, and customer reviews.
How to Claim Your Google Business Profile:
- Search for “Google Business Profile” on Google
- Create an account and follow the intuitive step-by-step process
- Add comprehensive business information including:
- Business name, address, and contact details
- Operating hours
- Photos of your location (if applicable)
- Service areas
The final verification step may require video evidence of business ownership, such as footage showing you opening the business with a key or displaying business signage.
Pro Tip: Physical locations aren’t required to qualify for a Google Business Profile. Service-area businesses can also create listings by defining their coverage areas instead of displaying a physical address.
Step 2: Create Location-Specific Service Pages
Develop dedicated pages on your website for each city and state you service. Each location page should be:
- Unique and content-rich
- Organized in a logical site hierarchy
- Internally linked from your home page to pass link equity
- Optimized for local search terms
These location-specific pages serve two critical purposes:
- They help you rank in regular search results for local terms
- They can be linked from your Google Business Profile service area listings, creating a seamless connection between your search presence and website
Step 3: Build Consistent Citations
Citations are mentions of your business across the web that include your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). Maintaining consistent NAP information across all platforms is crucial for local search success.
Tools like Moz’s Citation Checker can help identify:
- Missing citations that need to be created
- Existing citations that contain inconsistencies
- New citation opportunities
Start by conducting a citation audit using Moz’s tool:
- Search for “Moz Citation Checker”
- Enter your business information
- Review the results to identify opportunities for creating or correcting citations
Step 4: Acquire Local Backlinks
Backlinks act as editorial votes of confidence for your business, signaling relevance and authority to search engines. For local SEO specifically, focus on acquiring backlinks from other businesses and organizations in your service areas.
For example, if you have a service page targeting Salt Lake City, Utah, seek backlinks from other Salt Lake City businesses and organizations to that specific page. These local backlinks serve as strong indicators of your relevance to that geographic area.
Step 5: Implement Localized Reporting
To measure local SEO performance effectively, implement custom reporting that shows how you rank in various service areas. Tools like Local Dominator allow businesses to:
- Monitor rankings across multiple service areas
- Identify underperforming locations
- Make data-driven optimization decisions
Without proper reporting, it’s challenging to determine which local SEO efforts are working and which need adjustment. Localized reporting provides the insights necessary to allocate resources efficiently.
Bonus Tip: Automate Review Acquisition
Google Business Profiles with more positive reviews tend to perform better in local search. Automating the review acquisition process can significantly increase the number of reviews your business receives.
Consider implementing a CRM solution that:
- Creates opportunities to address negative experiences before they become public reviews
- Tracks customer interactions
- Measures customer satisfaction through Net Promoter Score (NPS)
- Automatically requests reviews from satisfied customers
