Local SEO Guide
Local SEO is the practice of optimising your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches. When someone searches "plumber near me" or "best pizza in Manchester", Google shows local results with a map, business listings, and reviews. Local SEO helps you appear in these results.
The Local Pack
The local pack (or map pack) is the group of 3 business listings that appears at the top of Google results for local queries. It shows the business name, rating, address, phone number, and a map pin. Appearing in the local pack is the primary goal of local SEO.
Local SEO Ranking Factors
| Factor | Impact |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile (completeness, reviews, photos) | Very High |
| NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone across the web) | High |
| On-page SEO (title tags, content, LocalBusiness schema) | High |
| Reviews (quantity, quality, recency) | High |
| Backlinks from local sites | Medium |
| Proximity to searcher | Medium (you cannot control this) |
On-Page Local SEO Checklist
- Include your city/area in title tags: "Plumber in Manchester | Company Name"
- Add LocalBusiness structured data with address, phone, hours
- Create location-specific pages if you serve multiple areas
- Embed a Google Map on your contact page
- Add your full address in the footer of every page
- Ensure your site is mobile-friendly (most local searches are mobile)
Run a free SEO audit on your website to check title tags, structured data, and other on-page factors that affect local rankings.
Check your site now: Run a free audit on the RankNibbler homepage to see how your page scores across 30+ SEO checks.
Last updated: March 2026