Local Search in Plain Words

When someone searches for a plumber, a haircut or a place to eat near them, Google shows a short list of local businesses. People call this local search. It sounds technical, but the idea is simple, and most of what you can do about it is plain, steady work. This guide explains the idea and then gives you a checklist for each part. Plan on about 15 minutes, including a ten minute check of your own.

The three things Google looks at

Google has said it uses three things to pick local results: relevance, distance and prominence.

Relevance

How well your listing matches what someone searched for. If your profile is thin or the category is wrong, Google has less to match.

Do this:

1. Pick the most specific primary category that fits. See How to Choose Your Google Categories, Services and Service Area.
2. List your services.
3. Write a description in the words a customer would use. See How to Write Your Google Business Description.

Distance

How close you are to the person searching. You cannot change it.

Do this:

1. Make sure your address is correct, so you show up where you really are.
2. If you do not serve customers at your address, set a service area and hide the address.

Prominence

How well known you are. Google says this comes from things like reviews and mentions of your business around the web.

Do this:

1. Ask every customer for a review. See How to Ask for a Google Review Without Feeling Awkward.
2. Reply to the reviews you get. See How to Answer a Google Review, Good or Bad.
3. Keep your business name, address and phone number the same everywhere. See Make Your Name, Address and Phone Number Match Everywhere.

What you cannot control

You cannot control how many people search, who else is nearby, or the exact order Google chooses. Nobody can guarantee you a spot at the top. Be wary of anyone who says they can. See What an SEO Audit Is, and What to Ask Before You Pay for One.

What you control is a set of steady, accurate habits:

• A complete, correct Google profile.
• The same name, address and phone number everywhere your business is listed.
• Real photos and recent posts.
• Honest reviews, with replies.
• A website that backs up what your profile says.

Local means the people near you

Being found by everyone is not the goal. Being found by the people within driving distance who need what you do is. So say clearly what you do, make your location easy to confirm, and build your name nearby. A thousand strangers across the country are unlikely to hire you. The neighbor down the road might.

A ten minute check

1. Search for your main service plus your town, and look at what shows up. Then search for your business name.
2. Check your hours, address, phone number and categories on your Google profile.
3. Look at your newest reviews and see which are still unanswered.
4. Check that your website says the same things as your profile.

For a longer walk through, see How to Get Found on Google as a Local Business and Check How Your Business Shows Up on Google, and Fix What Is Wrong.

If you would rather hand this off

A lot of local search problems are not about tricks. They are mismatches, like a website that says one thing and a profile that says another. We keep your profile, website and listings matching, and we make no promises about rankings. See our local SEO service, or get started.