8 Local SEO Tips to Level Up Your Strategy & Boost Your Business [2025]

By Liza Shuttleworth Last updated: 05.21.2025 10 minute read Marketing Guides Marketing Tools Search Engine Optimization

Done right, local SEO is the best way to increase visibility and turn local searches into real traffic, online and on foot.

But simply setting up a Google Business Profile isn’t enough!

To truly outshine your competition in local search results, you need a smarter approach to local SEO that goes beyond the basics.

That’s why we have curated this list of expert local SEO tips to help you maximize the impact of your efforts and attract real customers to your business.

Right, let’s dive straight in and level up your local SEO!

Understanding Local SEO

Local SEO focuses on optimizing your online presence for location-specific searches for products and services like yours.

Location-specific SEO practices aim to help your business appear more prominently in search results, and drive traffic, leads, and conversions from users in your geographic area.

So, how do you use local SEO practices to establish a location-specific online presence and help people in your area find your business?

At the most basic level, you need a website, a Google Business profile, social media accounts, and authentic customer reviews for your business to be discoverable in online searches.

However, you need to do these things right and make sure they’re fine-tuned to get the most out of them!

Here are our top local SEO tips from the experts:

8 Local SEO Tips to Level Up Your Local Online Visibility

1.Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Claiming and setting up a free Google Business Profile is a foundational element in local SEO and the simplest way to ensure that your business appears prominently for relevant location-specific searches.

In addition to appearing prominently, you can stand out from your competition by providing all the information customers need, like location, hours, contact info, and attractive pictures.

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At the most basic level, providing full and correct information is key to building trust and improving your ranking in the search results.

However, you can further optimize your business listing to get the most from it for both visibility and persuading customers to opt for your business over competing listings.

Checklist: How to Optimize Your Google Business Listing

Here is a simple checklist to ensure that your Google Business profile is properly optimized for best results:

Claim and verify your listing via Google Business Profile.
Ensure accurate business information (name, address, phone number, website, business hours).
Choose the right Google business category and add relevant secondary categories.
Add attractive high-resolution images depicting your location, products and services.
Write a compelling business description using relevant keywords (more on keywords below).
Regularly update business hours, especially for holidays or special events.
Ask for and respond to reviews from your customers to boost engagement and trust.
Use posts to share updates, offers, events, or promotions.
Add products and services with clear descriptions and pricing (if applicable).
Enable messaging so customers can reach you using chat or links to call or WhatsApp you directly from your listing.
Use attributes and highlights (e.g., women-led, wheelchair accessible).
Monitor insights and analytics to understand customer actions and adjust accordingly.

In addition, good photos, responding to reviews, and creating posts keep users active and engaged while also gaining views.

The more recent activity people see on your Google Business listing, the greater their confidence in your business!

2.Optimize Your Content for Local SEO Keywords

Keywords matter! Researching and using location-specific keywords on your website and business listings is important.

Some keywords will be fairly obvious, like the nature of your business + your location. However, including your special areas of expertise is important to stand out by providing exactly that the user is looking for.

For example, “Attorneys in Springfield” adds location specificity, but “Divorce attorneys in Springfield” targets people looking for exactly what you offer.

Understanding search intent and addressing the needs of people making searches for exactly what you offer, where you offer it, is essential! Check out this video from Moz to learn more about search intent:

The easiest way to find relevant keywords for your local SEO strategy is to use free keyword research tools.

Free Keyword Research Tools

Here are some of the best free tools to find local keywords relevant to your business:

Once you have a list of relevant keywords to use, create content and pages that utilize those keywords and best address user intent.

Follow keyword best practices for SEO, including a variety of keyword types, using them naturally in your headings, meta titles, meta descriptions and URLs.

3.Attract More Visitors with Content for Your Local Audience

Creating location-specific content for your website, blogs, newsletter, social media and WhatsApp communities is a great way to engage with your audience and integrate your local SEO with the rest of your marketing channels.

Focus on topics relevant to your customer base as well as those related to the broader local community and their interests.

You can write about local events, feature local industry news, conduct interviews with other local businesses, or run cross-promotional campaigns with other businesses in the area.

This type of content demonstrates the community spirit of the business and resonates with your local audience, while enabling you to optimize for local SEO with keywords, backlinks and mentions from others in the area.

4.Go Mobile First to Reach People on the Move in Your Area

The majority of location-specific searches happen on mobile devices, so its crucial to ensure that your website is properly set up for mobile users.

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When they search for businesses “near me” or look up directions, contact information, or reviews, they want to see mobile-friendly websites that load fast and are easy to navigate.

Not properly optimizing for mobile experiences will lead to higher bounce rates, lost leads, and lower search rankings, especially since Google prioritizes mobile usability as a ranking factor.

In addition to helping your SEO, mobile optimization makes it easier for users to take immediate action, such as calling your business, getting directions, or making a reservation, directly from their smartphone.

Tips to Ensure Your Website is Optimized for Mobile

Here is a simple mobile-optimization checklist for your business:

Use a mobile-responsive website design that adapts to all screen sizes
Ensure fast page load times (ideally under 3 seconds)
Simplify navigation with clear menus and easy-to-tap buttons
Make contact info clickable (tap-to-call phone numbers, maps, and email)
Display key information prominently (hours, location, services)
Enable mobile-friendly booking or ordering if applicable
Use readable font sizes and avoid small clickable elements
Try using different browsers and various types of mobile devices, like phones and tablets, to test your webite’s functionality
Optimize images for mobile (compressed and properly scaled)
Use structured data (schema) to help search engines display local info
Integrate with Google Maps for easy directions
Avoid intrusive pop-ups that interfere with the user experience

5.Expand Online Reach with Local Directory Listings

Adding your business to local directories improves your reach by helping you appear in numerous different results for the same search.

You can list your business on business directory platforms like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Clutch, and Hotfrog, as well as local business directories, chambers of commerce, or industry-specific associations.

It’s very important to make sure that the information listed in different directories is accurate and uniform.

Contradictory or out-of-date information is confusing for users and undermines their confidence in your business.

If your address, contact information, or hours change, make sure you update all your listings immediately.

6.Take Advantage of Social Media to Reach Your Local Audience

To use social media to your advantage for local SEO, consistently share engaging, location-specific content that highlights your business, community involvement, and customer interactions.

Tag your location in posts, use local hashtags, and encourage check-ins and user-generated content to increase visibility in your area.

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Linking back to your website or Google Business Profile from your social media accounts drives traffic and signals relevance to search engines and improving your local rankings.

7.Build Local Backlinks to Improve Your SERP Position

Gaining local backlinks is a powerful way to boost your position on local search engine results pages (SERPs) because it signals to search engines that your website is authentic, trustworthy and relevant in your area.

In addition to joining local business directories and associations to build backlinks, you can reach out to local news outlets or blogs with story ideas or press releases.

Think noteworthy business updates, community involvement, or unique offerings that might earn coverage and a link.

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Partnering with local organizations, charities, or events is another good way to earn a link from their website and mentions on their social media, blogs, and newsletters.

Collaborating with nearby businesses for cross-promotions or guest blog posts can further expand your local network and link profile.

Always aim for backlinks from reputable, locally relevant sites to maximize SEO impact.

8.Monitor and Adjust to Continually Improve Performance

Once you have all your local SEO ducks in a row, ongoing tracking becomes essential to maintain your success and identify opportunities to improve your local SEO.

Once you have all your local SEO ducks in a row, tracking and monitoring your efforts is essential to understand what’s working and where to improve.

Focus on key performance metrics like local search rankings, website traffic from local queries, Google Business Profile performance, and online reviews.

Regularly reviewing this data helps you refine your strategy, stay ahead of competitors, and respond to customer behavior trends.

Analytics Tools to Monitor local SEO Performance (Free & Paid)

Here is a selection of the best tools to help you track, monitor, and improve your local SEO efforts:

Google Business Profile Insights (free)
Google Search Console (free)
Google Analytics (free)
BrightLocal’s Local Search Results Checker (limited free use)
Local Falcon (free trial, paid packages from under $25/month)
Ubersuggest (free version with limited daily searches)
Moz Local (paid – under $20/month)
Yext (paid pricing tiers start under $20/month)

Wrapping Up

Implementing these local SEO tips effectively is key to helping your business stand out in local search results and attract nearby customers.

By optimizing your Google Business Profile, targeting local keywords, creating locally relevant content, and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly and integrated with Google Maps, you lay a strong foundation for visibility.

Adding your business to directories, building local backlinks, and using free tools to track your performance will further strengthen your online presence.

Consistent effort across these areas not only boosts your search rankings but also builds trust and credibility in your community.

With the right approach, local SEO becomes a powerful driver of foot traffic, calls, and conversions—making it one of the most cost-effective marketing investments for your business!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important thing to do for local SEO?

Claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile is the simplest and most impactful thing you can do to establish your business's online presence in your location. A Google Business Profile that is current, relevant, accurate and properly optimized is essential in order to appear in local search results for people in your geographic location, and improves your overall SEO too. Read the full guide for our straightforward Google Business Profile Optimization Checklist.

What are the three pillars of local SEO?

In SEO, the three pillars of local search are Proximity - How close your business is to the searcher’s location; Prominence - How well-known or reputable your business is online (e.g., reviews, links, citations); and, Relevance - How well your business matches what the searcher is looking for (based on keywords, categories, and content). Taking these three things into consideration is important when approaching local SEO practices, which should adequately address each aspect to ensure that your business is discoverable to local users online. Read the full guide for more local SEO tips.

Traditional SEO vs Local SEO: What is the difference?

Traditional SEO focuses on improving a website’s visibility in national or global search results, while Local SEO targets visibility in specific geographic areas, such as country, region, city or even a specific neighborhood to attract nearby customers searching for local products or services. Check out the full guide to learn more about local SEO and how to improve your visibility in the results for location-specific searches.