When someone searches for "roofer near me" or "accountant in Norwich", Google does not show the best business. It shows the businesses it is most confident about: the ones that are clearly relevant, clearly in the area and clearly trusted by other people. Local SEO is the work of making your business one of those.
The good news is that most of it is straightforward, and much of it costs nothing but time.
Start with your Google Business Profile
For local searches, your Google Business Profile is often seen before your website. It is the box with your name, reviews, opening hours and the map. If you have not claimed yours, do it first.
Then fill it in properly:
- the right main category, plus any secondary ones that genuinely apply;
- the areas you serve, if you visit customers rather than having them come to you;
- your services, with short descriptions;
- real photos of your work, your team and your premises, added regularly;
- opening hours that you keep up to date, including bank holidays.
Be consistent everywhere
Google cross-checks your business name, address and phone number across the web: your website, your profile, directories such as Yell, social media pages. If one says "Ltd", another has an old address and a third an old mobile number, Google is less sure they are all the same business.
Pick one version of your details and use it everywhere. It is a boring job, and one of the most useful.
Ask for reviews, and answer them
Reviews influence both where you appear and whether people choose you. The simplest approach works best: ask happy customers soon after the job is done, and make it easy by sending them the direct link to leave a review.
Reply to every review, good or bad. A calm, helpful reply to a negative review often reassures future customers more than another five stars would.
Make your website clearly local
Your website should leave no doubt about what you do and where:
- mention the towns and areas you cover, naturally, in your text;
- give each main service its own page, rather than listing everything on one;
- put your phone number and address (or service area) on every page;
- add structured data, a small piece of code that tells search engines your business name, address and opening hours in a format they read reliably.
A roofing firm near Norwich that covers Norfolk and Suffolk, for example, should say so on its home page and on its service pages, not just in the footer.
Speed and mobile matter more than ever
Most local searches happen on a phone, often outdoors with a weak signal. If your site takes ten seconds to load, many people will tap the next result. Google measures this too. A fast, simple, mobile-friendly site helps both your ranking and the number of people who actually get in touch.
What not to waste money on
- Buying links or reviews. It can get your profile suspended, and it is not worth the risk.
- Pages stuffed with town names. Fifty near-identical pages for fifty villages look like spam to Google and to people.
- Anyone promising first place. Nobody controls Google's results. Be wary of guarantees.
Give it time
Local SEO builds up. Most of the steps above show results over weeks and months, not days. Do the basics well, keep your profile active, collect reviews steadily, and keep your website fast and clear.
If you would like a hand, every website we build includes the technical groundwork for search and help setting up your Google Business Profile. And if you just want to know where you stand, our free website check is a good place to start.