What Does a Local SEO Strategy Look Like?

1. Optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP) or create one if you haven’t already

   This is your digital storefront, and one of the biggest local ranking factors. Make sure you:

   • Fill out every section with accurate info
   • Add photos of your team, location, and work
   • Post updates 1–4 times per month (events, offers, company news)
   • Respond to every review within 24–48 hours
   • Use all relevant categories and attributes
   • Add a Q&A section for common customer questions
   • Include business hours, holiday schedules, and contact info

   TL;DR: A complete Google Business Profile (GBP) makes your business 2.7x more likely to be seen as reputable (Google Consumer Insights, 2025).

2. Keep Your NAP Consistent Everywhere

   NAP = Name, Address, Phone Number. These must be identical across all platforms or as close to identical as possible.

   Key places to check:

   • Google Business Profile
   • Bing Places
   • Facebook Business Page
   • Industry-specific directories (e.g., Avvo, Healthgrades)
   • General directories (Yelp, YellowPages, Foursquare)

   Even small differences like “St.” vs “Street” can hurt rankings—although less of an issue these days, it’s still best practice to be as accurate as possible.

3. Optimize Your Website for Local SEO

   Your website should clearly reflect your geographic focus or location. Here’s how:

   • Add your city/region to title tags and meta descriptions
   • Include location info in headers and homepage copy
   • Embed a Google Map with your address
   • Create pages like “Web Design in Surrey” or “Digital Marketing in Markham” that highlight your services/products + location

   Keyword Research Tip: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or paid keyword research tools such as Semrush or Ahrefs to find “[your service]” + “[city]” combinations. For smaller cities, target the nearest major city since search volume data may be limited, but user behaviour should be similar within nearby locations.

   TL;DR: Google needs location signals from both your website and GBP to trust your local relevance.

4. Create Pages for Every Area You Serve

   If you serve multiple areas, don’t stop at one city page. Create unique pages for:

   • Nearby cities (e.g., “Mississauga SEO Services“)
   • Suburbs or neighbourhoods (e.g., “SEO for North York Businesses”)
   • Hyperlocal zones (e.g., “Digital Marketing in Yorkville”)

   This helps you rank in “near me” searches. This strategy is also crucial for capturing voice searches like, “Hey Google, find a marketing agency near North York.”

5. Answer Local Customer Questions

   Target long-tail keywords and FAQs that address specific, local pain points. This type of content is excellent for capturing conversational search queries or AI-related searches.

   • “How much do Facebook ads cost in Toronto?”
   • “Where can I find a reliable electrician in Burnaby?”
   • “How to choose a dental clinic in downtown Toronto?”
   • “What’s the best SEO strategy for realtors in Vancouver?”

   This type of content earns high visibility in Google’s AI-generated answers and attracts better-qualified leads.

6. Add Local Schema Markup

   Schema helps Google understand your business. Key types for local SEO include:

   • LocalBusiness schema (name, address, hours, etc.)
   • Service schema (services offered by location)
   • Review schema (star ratings)
   • FAQ Page schema (for Q&A sections)

   TL;DR: Schema improves visibility in rich results/SERPs and can include things like stars, business hours, and service types.

7. Build Local Backlinks and Citations

   Links from local websites are powerful. Here’s where to start:

   • Partner with nearby businesses for link swaps
   • Sponsor local events or nonprofits
   • Join local business directories (such as your local ‘Chamber of Commerce’)
   • Pitch stories to local media and blogs
   • Guest blog for other related but distinct businesses in your area
   • Create content like “Top 10 [Your Industry] Spots in [City]”

   TL;DR: Local links signal location trust and authority to search engines.

8. Manage Reviews Actively

   Reviews directly influence your rankings and your reputation. Best practices:

   • Respond to all reviews – positive and negative
   • Ask happy clients for Google reviews consistently
   • Monitor third-party platforms like Yelp and Facebook
   • Use review generation tools or automation if needed

   Key Stats:

   • 87% of consumers read online reviews (BrightLocal, 2025)
   • Businesses with 3–5 star reviews get 25% more clicks (BrightLocal, 2022)
   • 70% of consumers use rating filters when searching for businesses, with 4+ stars being the most common filter (ReviewTrackers, 2023)
   • Only 53% of consumers will consider a business with <4 stars (BrightLocal, 2022)

How Is AI Changing Local SEO?

AI hasn’t replaced local SEO; it’s just evolving the way people search the web:

• Voice Search: More people now say “best roofer near me” instead of typing “roofing services Richmond.”
• AI Answers: Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) shows AI-generated summaries, and your content needs to answer user questions directly to have a chance of being referenced with those answers.
• Personalized Results: Google uses user location, behaviour, and preferences to show nearby services.

What you can do:

• Focus on conversational keywords (“Where can I find…”)
• Add FAQs to your content
• Keep content current and highly specific to your city/industry

Measuring Your Local SEO Success

• Initial setup is overwhelming for small teams or businesses that aren’t experienced in SEO
• Competition is fierce, especially in major cities and competitive industries
• Consistency is tough, especially with multiple listings and platforms
• Local SEO takes time; it’s not a one-and-done strategy. Sometimes it can take months before you start to see any traction, as all this takes time to not only do but for Google and other engines to find and recognize your work
• ROI can be hard to track without proper analytics and call tracking

A winning local SEO strategy isn’t just about generating more clicks; it’s about earning trust and establishing yourself as the go-to choice in your community.

By combining technical SEO, high-quality content, and a strong real-world reputation, you can effectively dominate your local market. And remember: local SEO is a long game. The businesses that succeed are the ones that stay consistent and committed to the process, and sometimes even when you do everything right, it can feel like you are taking 2 steps back versus 1 step forward due to external factors (Google algorithm updates, increased competition, etc). It’s okay; all you can do is keep working on the process and adjust your strategy if needed, and eventually, your business will gain traction.