← Glossary SEO

Local SEO

SEO focused on ranking for searches with local intent ('near me', city names).

Explained simply.

Local SEO gets you found by people looking for a business in their area. It's different from regular SEO: it emphasizes Google Business Profile (your listing in Maps), reviews, local citations (directory listings with consistent name/address/phone), and location pages on your site. Critical for any business with a physical location.

An example.

Dentist in Austin wants to rank for 'dentist in Austin' and 'emergency dentist near me'. They claim their Google Business Profile, collect 50+ 5-star reviews, build listings on Yelp/Foursquare/etc, and publish location-specific content. They show up in the Map Pack (top 3 map results on local searches), which drives the bulk of foot traffic.

Why it matters.

For local businesses, local SEO is more valuable than general SEO. The map pack at the top of local searches gets most clicks. Your Google Business Profile is arguably more important than your website for discovery.

Related terms

Google Business ProfileSeoRanking

Further reading