Get Found: A Small Business Guide to Mastering Local SEO

For small businesses, especially those relying on local customers, mastering local SEO is crucial. Whether you’re a restaurant, hairdresser, or local shop, optimising your online presence helps ensure your business shows up when people nearby are searching for services like yours.

In this article, we’ll break down the basics of local SEO in simple terms and offer easy-to-implement tips for improving your local search performance.

?

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of optimising your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches. It’s all about making sure that when someone nearby is looking for the products or services you offer, your business shows up at the top of the search results.

Imagine you run a café in Cardiff. When someone types “best café near me” into Google, your goal is to be at the top of the results so that potential customers know you exist and can easily find you.

?

1. Start with Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is one of the most important tools for improving your local SEO. When people search for businesses nearby, Google often pulls data directly from these profiles to display in search results.

Steps to optimise your profile:

• Keep your information up to date: Ensure your business name, address, phone number, and opening hours are accurate. This information needs to be consistent across all platforms (e.g., your website, social media, etc.).
• Add photos: High-quality photos of your business, products, or services can encourage more clicks. Show off your space and what you offer.
• Collect reviews: Positive reviews signal trust to potential customers and Google. Ask your happy customers to leave reviews and be sure to respond to them—whether they’re positive or not.

Having a fully optimised Google Business Profile is a quick win for boosting your visibility in local searches.

?

2. Use Location-Specific Keywords

Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines when looking for a business like yours. For local SEO, using?location-specific keywords?is key to being found by people in your area.

How to use them:

• On your website: Include your location in key areas of your website, such as in titles, headers, and within your content. For example, instead of just saying “we’re the best café,” say “we’re the best café in Cardiff.”
• In your blog or content: If you write blogs or have other content, include references to your location. A blog titled “5 Things to Do Near Cardiff’s Best Cafés” not only provides value but also helps boost your local relevance.
• In your Google Business Profile: Make sure your business description includes keywords that mention your services and location.

?

3. Optimise for Mobile

Most local searches happen on mobile devices. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you could be missing out on potential customers. Google prioritises mobile-friendly websites in its rankings, so it’s vital that your site loads quickly and looks good on phones and tablets.

What to check:

• Make sure your site’s pages load quickly on mobile.
• Ensure buttons and links are easy to tap.
• Make sure the text is readable without needing to zoom in.

?

4. Build Local Citations

Local citations are online mentions of your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP). Citations can be found on local directories, social media platforms, or review sites. Having consistent information across these citations is important for Google to trust your business’s location.

Examples of places to list your business:

• Yelp
• TripAdvisor
• Facebook
• Local business directories

The more accurate and consistent your citations, the better your chances of showing up in local search results.

?

5. Encourage and Manage Reviews

Reviews are a huge trust factor for both customers and search engines. Encouraging your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews—especially on your Google Business Profile—can boost your visibility. The more positive reviews you have, the better your business looks to Google.

How to encourage reviews:

• Ask for reviews after a successful service or sale. It can be as simple as sending a follow-up email asking for feedback.
• Respond to every review—both positive and negative. Show potential customers that you value their input and are responsive to issues.
• Regularly monitor reviews across platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.

?

6. Track Your Performance with Simple Tools

It’s important to measure the success of your local SEO efforts, and there are plenty of tools to help you do that. Here are a few that are easy to use:

• Google Analytics: Track where your website traffic is coming from and see how visitors interact with your site.
• Google Search Console: Get insights into which search queries are bringing people to your site and which pages are performing well.
• Google Business Profile Insights: See how customers are interacting with your profile, including how many views you’ve had, how often people clicked for directions, and more.

By tracking your performance, you can adjust your local SEO strategy to focus on what’s working and where improvements can be made.

?

Wrapping Up

Local SEO is a powerful tool for small, location-based businesses. By focusing on optimising your Google Business Profile, using location-specific keywords, and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, you can significantly improve your chances of being found by potential customers nearby.

Don’t forget the importance of reviews—ask happy customers to leave them, and make sure your business is listed on local directories. By tracking your performance using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console, you can continue to refine your strategy and build a stronger local presence.

Mastering local SEO doesn’t require an expert—just a bit of time, consistency, and attention to detail. However, if you’re looking for an expert review of your SEO efforts or support in optimising your online presence, Karbon Creative is here to help.