Normal SEO versus local SEO
Normal SEO is about ranking a website anywhere. Local SEO is about ranking a business near the person searching. A plumber in Ringwood doesn't need to rank in Perth. They need to show up for someone in Ringwood with a burst pipe.
Where local results show
- The map pack: three businesses with a map, above the normal results.
- Google Maps: when people search inside the Maps app.
- The normal results: websites with local pages, below the map.
What Google ranks on
| Factor | What it means | Can you change it? |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | How well your profile matches the search | Yes: categories, services, description |
| Distance | How far you are from the searcher | Not really |
| Prominence | How well known and trusted you are | Yes: reviews, website, mentions online |
What local SEO work involves
- Setting the right categories and filling in every service on your Google Business Profile.
- Getting reviews coming in every week.
- Making your name, address and phone number match everywhere online.
- A website with a page for each service you want to rank for.
- Photos, posts and keeping the profile up to date.
Who needs it
Any business whose customers are local and search for what it does: trades, cleaners, clinics, salons, mechanics, removalists. If people type "near me" for your kind of business, local SEO is how you show up.
Rather not do this yourself? Our Google Business Profile management handles the profile, the posts and the reviews every week, for one monthly fee.