Local SEO can feel like a daunting task. If done right, you can attract local customers, but the technical jargon and endless strategies can be overwhelming.
Perhaps you've searched for your business online, only to find it buried somewhere between other competing locations that are not even nearby. Meanwhile, your competition keeps showing up first like it’s no big deal. And you’re left wondering, what do they know that I don’t?
The truth? Local SEO doesn’t have to be a mystery or a maze of technical jargon. With a few simple strategies, you can boost your online visibility and attract more local customers. You don’t need to be an SEO expert to achieve results. Let’s demystify the process and help you get your business noticed.
We’re going to walk you through 10 local SEO strategies that work—no confusing tech-speak, no AI-level analysis, just clear, practical steps to help you stand out in your community.
Local SEO helps your business get noticed by people searching for services in your area. When users search for a product or service “near me,” Google evaluates businesses nearby and displays two main types of results:
SO, why should you be concerning yourself with local SEO? Well, a massive 46% of Google searches have local intent, approximately 60% of mobile users have reached out directly to businesses from the search results, and almost 20% of people make a purchase within a day.
Basically, local SEO is important if you want to get your business in front of more people, get more leads, and make more sales.
If you're providing products or services that rely on local customers, then local SEO should be a top priority in your marketing strategy. It’s essential for businesses with a physical location or those serving specific communities—think dentists, retail shops, salons, plumbers, and other service-based businesses. Nailing down your local SEO strategies is what makes sure nearby customers find you first, not your competitor down the street.
If there’s one thing you do for local SEO, make it this: claim and set up your Google Business profile (formerly Google My Business) because customers are 2.7x more likely to consider a business reputable if they have a complete Google Business profile.
This free tool is the backbone of your Local SEO efforts, putting you on Google Maps and boosting your chances of appearing in those converted Map Pack ranking positions (the ones immediately after the ads in any local search).
Google Business Profiles are one of the biggest factors for local rankings. A fully set-up profile is like a giant billboard telling Google that you’re open for business, trustworthy, and close to the customer.
Steps to maximise your Google Business profile:
As soon as you’ve set up your Google Business Profile, you need to consider the next most important local SEO ranking factor—reviews. Reviews are the modern-day word-of-mouth marketing—93% of people check online reviews before they buy a product or service.
Reviews show Google that customers trust your business. If people consistently say good things about you, Google takes it as a signal that you’re a quality choice. Plus, reviews give potential customers confidence to choose you over other options.
So, don’t go asking anyone and everyone to leave you a review, you need to be sure they’ve had a somewhat positive experience—especially in the early days of reviews collection.
Not sure where to send people to write a Google Review for your business? We’ve made this handy Google Review Link Generator, so you can make it super easy for customers to leave reviews.
How to get more reviews (without being pushy):
Local keywords help your business show up when customers search for services in their area. Phrases like “plumber in [City]” or “bakery in [Neighbourhood]” signal to Google that you’re a nearby option, helping you rank in local search results.
To make the most of local keywords, use them naturally across your site, especially on your homepage and service pages. If your business serves multiple areas, consider creating separate landing pages for each location (e.g., “Plumbing Services in [City A]” and “Plumbing Services in [City B]”). These pages can target specific locations, giving you a better chance of appearing in searches for each area you serve.
Top tip: be sure to make each of these pages unique, don’t just change the keyword. When you keep all of the content the same, you risk Google assessing these pages as duplicate content, which can get penalised and hurt your rankings.
Google loves content that speaks to the local community. Writing about events, local news, or neighbourhood tips on your website shows that you’re engaged with the area you serve. This can boost your local rankings and make your site more relevant to nearby customers.
When you create content tailored to local interests, Google sees that you’re closely connected to your community. While these people might not directly be searching for your products or services at that time, you’ll be in their minds in the future.
Some locally-inspired content topics to get the ball rolling could be:
Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—are one of the most important factors in improving your ranking in local search results. When other trusted, local sites link to your business, it signals to Google that your business is respected in the community.
To build these valuable links, consider collaborating with local businesses or community organisations. Sponsoring a neighbourhood event or charity often results in a sponsor link on the event’s website, which boosts your local presence. Cross-promoting with nearby businesses is also effective—linking to each other’s websites introduces you to new local audiences and strengthens your connections within the community.
Another effective approach is reaching out to local, non-competing businesses with content that complements their own. For instance, if you’re a florist, you might connect with a local wedding venue and offer to contribute a guest blog or wedding tips for their website, including a link back to your own. This kind of content collaboration benefits both businesses and is a great way to build valuable, community-centred backlinks.
Beyond Google, people search on Yelp, TripAdvisor, and other local directories to find businesses. Getting listed on these sites gives you extra visibility and adds credibility, especially for older customers who may trust these directories. You won’t get <dofollow> backlinks from most of these directories, but even <nofollow> backlinks add value to your overall SEO profile.
Each listing you have signals to Google that your business is well-established and connected to the local area. These listings serve as citations of your business, which helps reinforce your location and build trust.
How to make the most of your listings:
Schema markup is a piece of code that helps search engines understand key details about your business, like your address, hours, and services. Adding schema markup makes this information clearer to Google, which can boost your chances of showing up in local searches with details like your location or hours directly displayed in search results.
If this sounds a bit technical, don’t worry—your website manager can set this up. And if you don’t have one, consider reaching out to Heroes of Digital for a free local SEO proposal, which includes schema markup setup to help get your business noticed.
Did you know that over 60% of all Google searches happen on mobile devices? For local searches, this percentage is even higher, as people frequently look up nearby businesses on the go. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you risk losing potential customers who can’t easily navigate or load your site. Google also factors mobile-friendliness into its rankings, so a slow or awkward site can push you down in search results.
To make sure your site is mobile-friendly, try loading it on your own phone. Check that it loads quickly, the text is easy to read, and buttons are large enough to tap comfortably. A clean design with minimal images and large, clear buttons works best for mobile users, giving your customers a smooth experience and keeping them engaged with your business.
Getting featured in trusted local publications is a powerful way to build credibility and attract local attention. By sending press releases to local newspapers, magazines, or online news outlets, you can showcase business updates, new services, or community involvement, often earning a valuable backlink in the process. These links from reputable sources boost your local SEO, showing search engines that your business is a trusted part of the community.
How to use press releases effectively:
While social media activity doesn’t directly affect your search rankings, it’s a powerful way to build brand visibility and engagement within your community. Being active on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest puts your business in front of local audiences, increases awareness, and can lead to more reviews, mentions, and backlinks from local sites—all of which indirectly support Local SEO.
Use social media to connect with your community, share local content, and stay top-of-mind with customers. Post about local events, give behind-the-scenes glimpses, and engage with local influencers or businesses.
A great place to start is to repurpose the locally-inspired content you create in Strategy 5 into engaging and shareable posts. This means you don’t have to spend more time on ideation.
If this local SEO checklist and strategies sound great, but you’re not quite sure where to start, still don’t think you know how to do Local SEO, or you’d rather leave it to the experts—we’re here to help. At Heroes of Digital, we specialise in local SEO services in Singapore, helping businesses like yours show up right where local customers are looking.
Reach out to us for a free local SEO proposal, and let’s talk about how we can get your business noticed by more local customers.
Get A Free Proposal
