SEO for Local Business Owners: The Lowdown

Launching a local business can be an exciting and fulfilling journey. But it also comes with its share of challenges—especially when you’re trying to stand out in a crowded local market and build a loyal customer base.

In a digital world overflowing with competition, getting noticed is often the hardest part.

Fortunately, local SEO offers a powerful way for smaller businesses—those without a dominant online presence—to compete with bigger brands and still get found in search results.

Why Your Business Needs SEO in the First Place?

Your website is one of the most valuable assets your business has. It’s where potential customers go to:

Find your products or services in search results
Verify your business information
Learn about your offerings, location, and contact details

From your name, address, and phone number (NAP), to essential business information, having a live website is now a non-negotiable.

But simply launching a website or landing pages is just one piece of the puzzle.

To truly succeed, you need to outperform nearby competitors and ensure your physical location gets the digital attention it deserves.

That’s where a strategic local SEO plan makes all the difference—helping your business climb local Google rankings and attract real, local customers.

Start with This Guide to Local SEO

This guide is your starting point to mastering local search engine optimisation. We’ll share proven strategies that will help you build and optimise your website to attract more local traffic and grow your business organically.

These tips come straight from our local SEO experts in Brisbane, who have worked with hundreds of businesses across Queensland and beyond—helping them boost their online visibility, increase customer engagement, and improve performance in their local markets.

By applying targeted local SEO tactics, you can drive more qualified traffic to your site and convert more visitors into loyal customers.

It all starts with understanding how to leverage tools like Google My Business and implement SEO techniques tailored specifically to your local area—which we’ll cover step by step in this guide.

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is the process of optimising your website to rank higher in search engine results for localised keyword searches. This strategy is especially important for businesses targeting customers within a specific geographic area.

To succeed in local SEO, it’s critical to build a strong presence on platforms like Google My Business and Google Maps, along with other relevant online directories. These listings help potential customers find your business easily when searching for local products or services.

When you’re competing with other businesses in your area, a well-executed local SEO strategy becomes even more crucial. It allows your business to stand out and attract attention from nearby customers who are ready to buy.

Local SEO increases your website traffic by ensuring your business appears when people search for solutions close to where they live or work. It also offers convenience—features like “click-to-call” or direct map directions via Google My Business make it easy for customers to contact or visit you.

In addition to improving visibility, local SEO helps boost customer trust and retention, as people tend to engage more with businesses located within their own community.

How Local SEO Differs from Traditional SEO?

How Local SEO Differs from Traditional SEO?

While both SEO and local SEO aim to improve your visibility in search engines, they use different strategies and ranking factors.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) refers to the process of improving your website so that it appears more prominently in search engines like Google. This typically focuses on organic (non-paid) search results, targeting broad or national keywords that are not tied to a specific location.

Local SEO, on the other hand, is designed to help your business show up in search results for localised queries—such as “coffee shop near me” or “electrician in Gold Coast.” The goal is to rank highly when people in your suburb, town, or city search for services you offer.

Local SEO requires more than just optimising your website. It also involves:

Creating and optimising Google My Business listings
Ensuring NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone number) across all directories
Building local citations on trusted, location-specific or industry-relevant websites
Earning local reviews to boost trust signals

Why It Matters?

When done correctly, local SEO can:

Increase visibility in Google Maps and local search packs
Improve your conversion rate by connecting you with nearby customers
Boost your rankings in local directories like Yelp and other map-based platforms

While traditional SEO focuses on growing visibility nationally or globally, local SEO helps you own your backyard—ensuring your business is the first choice in your local community.

What Are the Ranking Factors for Local SEO?

One of the most influential ranking factors for local SEO is your Google My Business (GMB) profile, which contributes to over 25% of the signals Google uses to determine local search rankings.

Google My Business is one of the most effective and accessible tools for managing your online visibility on Google. It allows you to take control of how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps.

With a GMB profile, you can:

Update your business name, address, phone number, and hours of operation
Upload photos of your products, services, or premises
Post updates and promotions
Respond to customer reviews
View insights about how users are finding and interacting with your business

You’ll also gain access to valuable data—such as how many people are discovering your business via local search or navigating to your location through Google Maps.

How to Set Up Google My Business?

If you haven’t yet created your Google My Business listing, this is a critical first step. The more detailed and accurate your listing is, the better.

To get started:

Log into Google My Business using your Google account. (Create one if you haven’t already.)
Enter your business name and address.
If you don’t have a physical storefront, you can choose to list a service area instead.
Select the business category that best represents your service.
Add your contact number and website URL.
Complete as much of your profile as possible with relevant, updated, and accurate information.

Other Key Local SEO Ranking Factors

While your Google My Business profile is essential, it’s not the only factor Google considers. Understanding and optimising the following local SEO signals can significantly improve your rankings and online presence:

1. Links

Backlinks remain a major ranking factor. The more high-quality links pointing to your website, the more authority your site gains in Google’s eyes.

These can include:

Backlinks from relevant blogs and industry sites
Local directory listings
Social media shares
Mentions from reputable sources

All of these contribute to increased search engine visibility, particularly for local searches.

2. Reviews

Customer reviews and ratings are a powerful trust signal—not just for potential customers, but also for Google.

Positive reviews can boost your credibility
Higher ratings often result in better click-through rates
Reviews provide social proof and insights that help you improve your offerings

Encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews, and responding to them (especially negative ones) shows you’re engaged and invested in quality service.

3. On-Page SEO

On-page SEO focuses on the optimisation of your actual website content.

This includes:

Using local keywords strategically
Optimising meta descriptions and page titles
Structuring your content with relevant headings (H1, H2, etc.)
Embedding location-specific content (e.g., service area pages)

We’ll explore more about on-page SEO in later sections of this guide.

4. Citations

Citations refer to mentions of your business across the web—typically including your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP).

These appear on:

Local business directories
Industry-related websites
News articles and blogs

The consistency and volume of your citations help Google validate the legitimacy and location of your business. If you’re mentioned somewhere, consider reaching out to request a backlink to strengthen your authority.

5. Behavioural Signals

User behaviour on your site also plays a role in local SEO rankings. Google analyses factors like:

Time spent on site
Bounce rate
Pages visited per session

These behaviours help Google determine whether your website delivers value and relevance to visitors. The more engaging and helpful your content is, the more likely it is to rank higher.

6. Personalisation

Personalisation refers to how users experience your content based on their preferences, location, and past behaviour.

This could mean:

Displaying tailored content
Customising email marketing
Offering locally relevant services or promotions

By understanding and addressing your customers’ needs, you create a better user experience—one that can positively influence rankings.

7. Social Signals

Your social media presence can influence your local SEO indirectly. High engagement on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter shows that people are interacting with your brand.

Metrics like:

Shares
Likes
Comments
Clicks through to your website

…can all signal relevance and trust to search engines.

A strong social media strategy that drives users to your website can lead to better local rankings over time.

Is This Really That Important?

Absolutely.

If your goal is to rank highly in Google’s local search results, understanding and optimising for these ranking factors is essential. From your website and GMB listing to social media, reviews, and behavioural signals—each piece plays a role in shaping your local online presence.

By aligning your digital strategy with these local SEO signals, you position your business for:

Better visibility
Increased traffic
Higher customer trust
More conversions

Is My Business Eligible for a Google My Business Listing?

If your business has direct, in-person interactions with customers during your stated business hours, then you are eligible for a Google My Business (GMB) listing.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, ATMs, video rental kiosks, and similar automated services can also be listed, provided they offer clear customer support contact information.

Having a verified Google My Business profile makes it easier for potential customers to find your business online, explore your products or services, and determine whether you’re the right fit — all before stepping through your doors or picking up the phone.

How to Add Local Business Structured Data (Schema Markup) to Your Website?

Schema markup is a form of structured data that gives search engines more context about your website and its content. It’s a simple, low-cost (often free) technique to boost your site’s visibility in local search results.

What Is Schema Markup?

Schema is a collection of tags (code) added to your website that helps search engines like Google and Bing better understand the content on your pages.

This code enables your content to appear as rich snippets — those enhanced listings that include reviews, product info, hours, or other highlights — on Google Search Results Pages (SERPs).

Why Does Schema Matter?

The more accurate and detailed the structured data you provide, the greater the chances your business has to:

Appear prominently in search results
Improve organic rankings
Drive more relevant traffic
Increase conversion rates

Examples of schema-enhanced content include:

Videos
Product details
Customer reviews
Event listings
Services or contact information

By implementing local SEO schema, your business can stand out in SERPs, especially in mobile search, where rich snippets play a vital role in user decision-making.

And the best part? It’s free — all it takes is a bit of time and attention to detail.

How to Implement Schema Markup for Your Local Business?

You don’t need to be a web developer or coding expert to get started with schema.

Google offers a free tool called the Structured Data Markup Helper, which simplifies the process and walks you through each step.

With this tool, you can:

Add schema for local business info, reviews, products, events, and more
Highlight the relevant content on your web pages
Generate the markup code automatically
Insert the code into your website with ease

This tool not only helps you tag the right elements for visibility, but it also provides tips on how to improve your indexing and display in search.

The Google Local Pack: Why Your Local Business Must Be Included?

When users search for local businesses on Google, the Local Pack appears at the top of the results. This feature makes it fast and easy for people to find nearby companies, view their websites, or call them directly through Google Maps.

With over a billion searches per day, users expect to find relevant local results instantly. That’s why Google shows real-time business data in the Local Pack—to help people make decisions quickly and easily.

The Local Pack is especially tailored to businesses with a physical location, such as restaurants, retail stores, and service providers like plumbers or contractors.

To get your business listed in the top three Local Pack slots, you need to optimise both your Google My Business profile and your website’s content or landing pages.

Key Elements to Optimise for Local Pack Success

Keep your information complete and current

Any changes in your business—address, phone number, services—should be updated immediately. Inaccurate data can mislead Google and your potential customers. At a minimum, your listing and landing pages should clearly include:

Physical location
Phone number
Business category
Business attributes (e.g. services offered, amenities)

Verify your location(s)
When Google prompts you to confirm your business details, especially address, act promptly. In your GMB dashboard, you’ll see a red “Verify Now” banner—click it to ensure your data has maximum impact in search.

Set correct business hours
Mismatched hours frustrate customers. If your GMB profile shows you’re open but you’re actually closed, you risk losing trust and repeat visits. Always keep your hours accurate, including special or holiday hours.

Respond to reviews
Customer reviews matter—both positive and negative. Responding shows you care and can help resolve issues. Reviews influence Google’s perception of your business just as much as other local SEO elements like keywords or landing pages.

Ensure your site is mobile-optimised
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test is a free tool that reveals how your website performs on mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, Google will flag it—and users will struggle with navigation, small text, or layout issues.

Given that billions of users access the internet via mobile, your site needs to look and work well on phones and tablets.

Build with mobile-first in mind
If you’re creating or relaunching a page, consider using AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). This open-source framework ensures pages load rapidly on mobile, enhancing user engagement and visibility.

Consider developing a mobile app
Apps provide another touchpoint for your audience on mobile devices. They can work as marketing tools or interactive hubs showcasing your products or services. Many low-code/no-code options exist, making app development more accessible than ever. You just need a clear idea of features and budget—and a development partner to execute.

Accessibility is Essential: Make Sure All Users Can Interact with Your Website

When optimising your website for local SEO, most people focus on keyword research, landing pages, backlinks, or social media presence. But one crucial factor often overlooked is accessibility—ensuring your website can be used by people with disabilities, including those who rely on screen readers or other assistive technologies.

Improving your site’s accessibility not only makes your content more inclusive but also helps search engines better understand and rank your content, increasing engagement and visibility.

How to Improve Accessibility for SEO and User Experience?

Accessibility means removing barriers that might prevent users with disabilities from engaging with your site. It also helps search engines index your content more effectively. Below are key strategies to enhance your website’s accessibility while strengthening your local SEO efforts.

1. Use Alt Text for All Images (with Local SEO in Mind)

Alt text (alternative text) describes images for users who cannot see them. For users with visual impairments, this description is read aloud by screen readers.
It’s also an SEO signal—so use descriptive, relevant keywords related to your business and location when appropriate.

Example: Instead of “Image1.jpg”, use: “Alt: Digital marketing agency in Gold Coast working with local businesses”.

2. Choose an Accessible CRM

Accessibility covers a range of needs—from visual impairments (like colour blindness or low vision) to motor skill limitations.
Select a content management system (CMS) that supports accessible templates and plugins, allowing your website to cater to as many users as possible.

3. Make Web Forms Accessible

Forms can be difficult to use for individuals with mobility or visual impairments. Ensure:

All form fields are clearly labelled
Field labels are positioned correctly for screen readers
Forms can be navigated via keyboard (not just mouse)

4. Use Proper Heading Structures (H1, H2, H3)

A clear and hierarchical heading structure helps both users and search engines understand your content.

Use:

H1: For the main page title
H2: For main sub-sections
H3: For supporting details within each H2 section

This improves SEO and ensures content is easy to scan with assistive technologies.

5. Carefully Choose Your Colour Scheme

Colour accessibility is crucial. Avoid problematic combinations like:

Red and green (commonly indistinguishable for colour-blind users)
Red and black (low contrast and difficult to read)

Instead, opt for high contrast colour schemes like white text on a dark background or vice versa for maximum readability.

6. Improve Landing Page Load Times

Slow-loading pages affect everyone but are especially difficult for users with slower devices or assistive tech.
Fast websites rank better and provide a better experience. Improve speed by:

Enabling browser caching
Compressing images
Minimising unnecessary code or scripts
Removing unused plugins

7. Enable Caching to Improve Local Search Rankings

Caching temporarily stores page data so returning users can load pages faster.
This improves load times and contributes to better rankings in local search results.

8. Limit Unnecessary Plugins and Add-ons

Too many plugins can bloat your site and slow it down.
Audit your site regularly and remove plugins that are outdated, redundant, or not essential.

9. Optimise Your Images for Faster Loading

Large images can slow down page performance. Optimise by:

Compressing with tools like TinyPNG
Using correct formats (e.g., JPEG or PNG-8)
Saving images using “Save for Web” options in tools like Photoshop

10. Clean Up Your Codebase

Over time, websites can accumulate unnecessary code that impacts speed. Use plugins or tools to:

Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
Remove unused code
Streamline page structure for faster load times and improved SEO

11. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A CDN stores copies of your website across multiple locations, delivering content to users from the nearest server.
This reduces latency and speeds up loading, especially for mobile users.

Optimise Your Contact Page for SEO and Accessibility

Having a contact page is essential for customer convenience and SEO. Ensure it includes:

Business name
Email address
Physical address or service areas
Phone number
Operating hours

Use Schema Markup to Tag It as a Contact Page

In your CMS (like WordPress), add schema markup to define the page type as “ContactPage.”
This helps Google recognise it and display relevant info in search results.

Make Phone Numbers Clickable on Mobile Devices

Clickable phone numbers improve mobile usability and help capture leads quickly.
To make numbers clickable:

Highlight the number
Click the Hyperlink button
Use: tel:+61400000000 (no spaces or dashes)

Also, use the international format to ensure users outside your region can still reach you.

Add a Map to Your Website for Stronger Local SEO

Embedding a map on your site offers dual benefits. First, it helps prospective customers quickly locate your physical business. Second, it signals to Google that your location is accurate, improving your visibility in Google Maps.

To integrate a map in a Google-compliant way, use Google My Maps — a free tool that lets you add pins, images, descriptions, and more to build a custom map. With the new Search Console integration in Webmaster Tools, you can see how users find your map across devices.

Unlike standard Google Maps, My Maps allows you to include additional details — for example, routes to trade shows you’ve visited, markets your business serves, or places where your products are used. Any geographic information you want to share visually can go here rather than in text form.

Doing this helps SEO by validating your location and making your business more discoverable to users searching locally.

The Importance of Testimonials for Your Business

Testimonials are a critical component of both marketing and local SEO strategies. They let your potential customers see real-life benefits and outcomes of using your service or product, adding credibility and social proof.

A testimonial typically comes from someone who has used your offering and can vouch for its quality or effectiveness. Because these voices feel personal and authentic, they resonate more strongly with readers.

Here’s what testimonials bring to the table:

They help build trust between you and prospective clients
They can boost conversion rates
They encourage customer loyalty and repeat business
From an SEO perspective, they add user-generated content, which can reinforce relevant keywords and improve local search rankings

By placing testimonials on your site, you give Google more content and context to index, increasing the chance of ranking higher for relevant searches.

Leverage Social Media for SEO and Visibility

When you select your brand name and website URL, it’s wise to check its availability on major social media platforms. Even if you’re not ready to build the pages immediately, securing consistent handles and URLs prevents later conflicts.

Social media is a powerful tool—not only for brand visibility and engaging your audience, but also for improving your SEO. Linking your social media profiles from your website and vice versa creates a two-way traffic flow, strengthening your backlink profile. More links and more traffic contribute positively toward your local SEO ranking.

By continuously producing content for your site, you give yourself material to promote on social channels, helping you funnel more visitors back to your site and reinforcing SEO signals.

Focus on Locally Targeted Copy

There are two major reasons to create copy that speaks to your local area:

It’s more relevant to your audience; they connect with familiar places and contexts
It’s SEO gold — you can naturally weave in local keywords to improve ranking for area-specific searches

However, local content must still be high quality and compelling. You might collaborate with local influencers for guest content or coverage of your services. Writing about local events your business participated in is another efficient and authentic way to produce engaging local content.

Real customer stories or experiences humanise your brand and make your messaging more relatable.

Make Reviews a Priority

Among the many local ranking signals, customer reviews stand out as a strong indicator of credibility and trust. Google emphasises reviews because it wants to show users legitimate, high-quality businesses in local search results.

How to Encourage More Reviews?

Ask satisfied customers in person, by phone, or via SMS to leave a review
Include a link to your Google Reviews page in your email signature
Create a dedicated reviews page on your website to showcase testimonials
Use social media to request reviews and link directly to your reviews page
After a purchase or service, redirect users to a thank-you page containing a reviews link
Include a review request on your invoices or receipts

These steps make it easier for customers to leave feedback — which helps your SEO and builds social proof.

Build and Maintain Citations

Citations are a backbone of local SEO — much like backlinks are for organic SEO. They establish your business’s presence and authority in your local area, particularly within map rankings.

Citations can be structured or unstructured:

Structured citations: Listings on directories (e.g. Yelp, Google My Business, Bing Places) with standard fields (name, address, phone, hours)
Unstructured citations: Mentions in blogs, news sites, event listings, or other web pages

Even if a citation isn’t clickable, it still counts if it includes consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information. The more quality citations you accumulate, the more Google sees your business as valid and authoritative in your region.

Optimise Your On-Page SEO

On-page SEO covers the content, structure, and internal linking of your website. By refining these elements, you help both users and search engines understand and value your pages. Some key considerations:

Use your keywords strategically in page text, titles, and headings
Structure your site through internal linking to related content
Ensure your meta titles and descriptions are descriptive, keyword-rich, and relevant
Optimise your URLs by including simple, relevant keywords

Keyword Research for Local Searches

Begin by listing topics related to your business — what you sell, where you serve, etc.
Brainstorm associated terms or long-tailed phrases people might use
Use keyword planning tools to see search volume, competition, and related terms
Combine this data with local modifiers (suburbs, city names, “near me”) to refine your list

Discover User Intent

Modern SEO demands understanding why people search, not just what they search for. With increased use of voice assistants, your content must align with user intent—what they really want to find out or do.

To understand user intent:

Use Google Trends to see what people are searching in your local region
Observe patterns in queries (question phrases, comparative phrases, etc.)
Use this insight to shape content that answers those needs directly

Use Google Keyword Planner

The Google Keyword Planner is a free, powerful tool for discovering which keywords people search, how often, and how competitive they are. With this insight, you can:

Select the best keywords for your content
Refine your existing keyword list
Understand search volume and trends

To access Keyword Planner, you’ll need a Google Ads account (but you don’t have to spend money). Use it to inform your headings, page copy, and blog topics.

Black-Hat Local SEO: What to Avoid

Methods that seem like shortcuts often backfire in the long run. Examples of unethical (black-hat) tactics include:

Spamdexing: flooding the web with automated links
Link schemes: exchanging or generating low-quality links just for SEO gain
Keyword stuffing: forcing keywords unnaturally into copy
Cloaking: presenting different content to search engines than to users

Always stick with White-hat SEO to build a sustainable online presence.

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Local SEO success doesn’t come overnight. It takes consistency, ongoing updates, and attention to detail. Avoid shortcuts that promise instant results.

If handling local SEO in-house is too time-consuming or challenging, it could be wise to partner with a reliable local SEO agency. Their expertise often pays for itself in improved visibility and business growth.