I've been doing local SEO for two years – here's what actually moves the needle
After working with local businesses across different niches, I kept seeing the same patterns. Most businesses losing to competitors aren't doing anything drastically wrong – they're just missing a few key things that compound over time.
Here's what I've found actually works:
- Reviews are everything – but most businesses treat them wrong
A 4.5+ rating isn't just a vanity metric – it's a ranking signal. What most people don't realise is that *review velocity* matters more than total count. 10 fresh reviews this month beats 200 reviews from 3 years ago in Google's eyes.
Also – responding to every positive review helps. For negative ones, be careful. If a review looks fake or violates Google's policies, report it immediately rather than engaging. Responding to bad faith reviews often does more harm than good.
- The GBP Services section is an underused SEO goldmine
Almost nobody talks about this. Adding detailed services with keyword-rich descriptions directly inside your Google Business Profile gives you a surprisingly easy SEO boost. With AI tools it takes maybe 20 minutes.
Even fewer people know that some business categories have the Services section locked by default – and there's a specific way to unlock it. If you're not seeing it in your GBP dashboard, you're likely leaving ranking potential on the table.
- Your website looks fine – but probably has hidden issues killing your local rankings
I've audited dozens of sites that looked professionally built but had basic issues underneath:
- Wrong or missing H1/H2 tags (or multiple H1s on one page)
- Business name not in the page title or header
- Opening hours that don't match GBP
- NAP (name, address, phone) inconsistencies across the site and directories
- Location pages with thin or duplicate content
Google cross-references everything. Small mismatches create trust issues that silently drag rankings down.
- GBP and your website need to speak the same language
Same business name, address, phone number – everywhere, formatted exactly the same. Sounds obvious. Almost nobody does it correctly, especially after a rebrand or phone number change.
- Hyperlocal keywords beat generic ones every time
Not just "plumber" but "emergency plumber [neighbourhood]" woven naturally into your service pages, GBP description and posts. Most businesses target the city – almost none target neighbourhoods or nearby towns where competition is much lower.
Happy to answer questions or dig into specifics in the comments.
What's been your biggest local SEO win or headache? Curious what others are seeing.