Local SEO basics: how to get on the map

Local search is decided by three things: proximity, relevance and prominence. You cannot influence proximity, but you can influence the other two.

Get the Business Profile right

Fill it in completely: categories, services, opening hours, photos and description. An incomplete profile is the single most common reason a business does not appear in map results.

Reviews are a ranking factor

Volume, recency and your replies all count. Ask for a review systematically after every successful job and respond to every one — including the critical ones.

Real location pages

If you operate in several cities, each one needs its own page with genuinely local content. Duplicated pages with the city name swapped do not work.