What Is Local SEO, and Does Your Business Need It?
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is the work of getting a business found when people nearby search Google or Google Maps for what it sells, such as “dentist near me” or “roof repair in Denver”. It covers four things: your Google Business Profile, your reviews, the local pages on your website, and your business details on other sites.
Key takeaways
- Local SEO decides whether you appear when someone nearby searches for your kind of business.
- Google says it ranks local results mainly on relevance, distance and how well known the business is.
- Your Google Business Profile is the centre of local SEO, and Google does not charge for it.
- You need local SEO if customers visit you or you travel to them; an online-only business cannot have a Business Profile.
In this guide
This guide answers “what is local SEO?” for owners who keep hearing the term: what it is, how it differs from ordinary SEO, and whether your business needs it. If you would rather hand the work over, see our local SEO service.
What is local SEO in plain words?
It is the work of appearing in the results Google shows to people near you. Google says its systems recognise that many searches have local intent, and gives the example of a search for “pizza” returning nearby businesses that deliver. Those results appear inside Google Maps, and in ordinary Google Search as a map with a short list of businesses beside it.
Map pack (also called the local pack)
The map and short list of businesses, typically three, in an ordinary Google search for something nearby. The name comes from the SEO trade. Google calls them local results.
How does local SEO work?
Google publishes the outline. It says local results are mainly based on three things: relevance, distance and how well known the business is, which it calls prominence. It does not publish how much each one counts, and it says it keeps the details of the ranking system confidential.
| What Google looks at | What it means | How much you control |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | How well your Business Profile matches what the person searched for | A lot: your category, services and details |
| Distance | How far you are from the person searching | Almost nothing: it follows your real location |
| Prominence | How well known your business is, including how many websites link to it and how many reviews it has | Some, over time: reviews and links |
Google's help page on local ranking says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and how well known a business is, and that the last of these takes into account links from other websites and the number of reviews.
This is also how “near me” searches work. The words do not need to appear on your website. Google measures distance from where the searcher is, and says that if they have not shared a location it uses what it knows about their location.
Local SEO vs SEO: what is the difference?
Ordinary SEO gets pages of your website found by people anywhere. Local SEO gets your business found by people nearby. Most local businesses need some of both, and the local part comes first.
| Ordinary SEO | Local SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you appear | The normal list of website results | Google Maps and the map results in Search |
| What is being ranked | A page on your website | Your business, through its Business Profile |
| Main work | Writing useful pages, fixing the website, earning links | Completing the profile, earning reviews, building local pages |
| Typical business | An online furniture store, a software company | A dental clinic, a roofing company, a restaurant |
Does your business need local SEO?
You need it if customers come to your premises or you travel to theirs. You do not need it if you only sell online.
Which situation is yours?
- Customers visit your shop, clinic or restaurantYes. This is the core case for local SEO.
- You travel to customers in a set area, like a roofer or a plumberYes. You can have a profile without showing your address and list the areas you serve.
- You have several branchesYes. Each real location gets its own profile and its own page on your website.
- You sell only online, with no in-person contactNo. Google says Business Profiles are not for online-only businesses. Put the effort into ordinary SEO.
What does local SEO involve?
Four jobs. Three have their own guide.
- Your Google Business Profile: claim it, verify it and fill it in properly.
- Reviews: ask every customer, within Google's rules, and reply to each one.
- Your website: a clear page for each service and each place you really serve, with the same name, address and phone number as your profile.
- Other listings: the same details on the directories and apps your customers use.
With those in place, the ranking work starts: see how to rank higher on Google Maps. If you cannot find your business on the map at all, start with why a business does not show up on Google Maps.
How much does local SEO cost, and how long does it take?
The basics cost time, not money: Google does not charge for a Business Profile. If you hire help, our Local SEO Starter plan starts from $1,000 a month for one location or service area, with a three-month minimum, and extra locations add $300 to $500 each per month. See the pricing page.
On timing, Google says rankings for a new business can take up to a month to appear, and edits to a profile up to three days. After that, your progress depends on how strong the businesses around you are, so nobody can honestly promise a position or a date.
Related serviceLocal SEO service
We set up and look after your Google Business Profile, build the local pages, run the review plan and report calls and bookings by location.
See the serviceIs local SEO the same as ranking on Google Maps?
Ranking on Google Maps is the centre of local SEO, but not all of it. Local SEO also covers the local pages on your website, your reviews and your listings on other sites, which bring visitors through ordinary search results too.
Do I need a website for local SEO?
Not to have a Business Profile: Google's guidelines ask for a phone number or a website. A website still helps, because Google says the number of websites linking to your business is part of how well known it considers you.
Can I pay Google to rank higher in local results?
No. Google states that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Be wary of anyone who claims a special arrangement with Google.
Can I do local SEO myself?
Yes, for one location. Completing your profile, asking for reviews and keeping your details accurate take time more than skill. Owners tend to bring in help when they have several locations, a suspended profile or competitors who are well ahead.
See where you appear on the map today.
Send us your website and the areas you serve, and our free audit will show who is ahead of you locally and what to fix first.
The authors
Who wrote and checked this guide
Written by
Jamiez Nguyen
Founder & CEO
Jamiez Nguyen founded Taskcover and leads strategy and client growth. He started it in 2017 as a team doing search work behind the scenes for other agencies, then opened it to businesses in the USA, Canada and Australia.
Reviewed by
John Edward
CTO
John Edward leads the technical side of Taskcover: how sites are built, how fast they load, and how search engines read them.
Updated Fact-checked About the people at Taskcover
Sources
Where the facts in this guide come from
Facts last checked on October 12, 2026.
- 1Tips to improve your local ranking on GoogleGoogle Business Profile HelpChecked on October 12, 2026
- 2Get started with Google Business ProfileGoogle Business Profile HelpChecked on October 12, 2026
- 3Overview of Google Business Profile policiesGoogle Business Profile HelpChecked on October 12, 2026
- 4Find your business on GoogleGoogle Business Profile HelpChecked on October 12, 2026
- 5How Does Google Determine Ranking ResultsGoogle SearchChecked on October 12, 2026
