Disclaimer: This is an AI curated version of a video I watched and passed trough AI in order to summarizate it and somewhat automate this content. All credit on the video and original content to this awesome youtuber Wes Mcdowell. This is an experiment to give you curated written version of awesome youtube content on SEO.
With a recession looming, it’s never been more important for local businesses to be found online. For most local businesses that means dominating the top spots in Google’s local “3-pack” - the three businesses that appear at the top of local search results with a map.
The good news is there’s loads of research and data that outlines exactly what you need to do to rank at the top of these local search results. The bad news is most business owners feel overwhelmed trying to tackle everything at once.
What you really need is a prioritized checklist - a clear roadmap of the most important local SEO tasks to tackle first, second and third to make the biggest impact in the least amou nt of time. That’s exactly what I’m going to give you in this post, straight from the experts at Whitespark, the leaders in local SEO rankings.
By the end you’ll have a step-by-step plan to outrank 99% of your local competitors and have your business be the first one customers find when searching for your products or services in your area. And I’ll even give you a downloadable version of this checklist so you can reference it and follow along.
Priority #1: Set Your Primary Google Business Profile Category
The first and most important step is to set your primary Google Business Profile (GBP) category. This is the main category that represents your core service or product, like “plumber” or “estate planning attorney”.
Why is this so important? It helps Google understand what your business does so you can be found by customers searching for those specific services. For example if you’re a landscape architect, choosing “landscape architect” as your primary category is much more helpful than a more generic term like “landscaper”.
To do this simply log into your GBP account, go to your business info and select the single category that best fits your primary service or product offering. This is an easy task - the hardest part is just determining the most specific and accurate category for your business.
Priority #2: Add Secondary Categories
Once you’ve set your primary category the next step is to add additional secondary categories that represent other services or products you offer. This will help you show up in more relevant searches. For example if you’re a landscape architect, adding “landscape lighting designer” as a secondary category means you can be found by customers searching for that specific service, not just the broader “landscape architect” term.
To do this simply click the “Add another category” button in your GBP dashboard and select the additional categories that accurately represent your business offerings.
Priority #3: Complete All Profile Details
Next you’ll want to make sure your entire Google Business Profile is fully filled out with accurate up-to-date information. This includes your business name, address, phone number, website, description, photos and any other relevant details.
The reason this is so important is because a complete, detailed profile makes your business appear more reliable and trustworthy to both customers and Google. Businesses that take the time to fully fill out their information are rewarded, those that only provide the bare minimum are often overlooked.
Simply log into your GBP dashboard and review each section, make sure everything is accurate and complete.
Priority #4: Ensure NAP Consistency
NAP stands for Name, Address and Phone number - and ensuring consistency across all of your online listings is crucial for local SEO.
This means your business name, address and phone number must appear exactly the same everywhere it’s listed online - on your website, your Google Business Profile and any other directories or listings. Even small discrepancies like “Main St” vs. “Main Street” can negatively impact your rankings.
To check for NAP consistency do a quick Google search for your business address and review each listing that appears. Make sure the NAP details match perfectly across the board. If you find any inconsistencies update the listings to ensure everything is aligned.
Priority #5: Display Accurate Business Hours
Displaying your regular business hours, as well as any special hours for holidays or events is an easy but important local SEO task.
Providing this information helps customers know when they can reach you and prevents frustration if they show up or call when you’re unexpectedly closed. It also signals to Google that your business information is up-to-date and reliable.
Simply log into your GBP dashboard, go to the hours section and input your normal operating hours. Make sure to also add any special hours for holidays, vacations or other events.
Priority #6: List All Services and Products Clearly listing out the services and products you offer is important for customers and Google to understand what your business does. But it also has the added benefit of increasing your chances of showing up in relevant searches.
The more services you list the more opportunities you have to show up when someone searches for those specific offerings. For example if you’re a landscape architect and you list “artificial turf installation” as one of your services you’re more likely to show up when someone searches for that term.
In your GBP dashboard go to the services or products section and list out each offering including a clear description and if possible pricing information. Use relevant keywords throughout to help optimize for search.
Priority #7: Upload High-Quality Photos and Videos
Uploading visually appealing photos and videos that showcase your work, your team and your business can have a big impact on your local search visibility and customer trust.
This is especially important if you’re in a visually driven industry like contracting, design or landscaping where customers want to see examples of your work. But even for less visual businesses having a professional online presence with images can still be beneficial.
Use your own high-quality photos and videos or consider using AI-generated images if needed. The key is to make sure they are compelling and representative of your brand and services.
Priority #8: Leverage the Google Q&A Feature
The Google Q&A feature allows customers to ask questions about your business but it also gives you the opportunity to proactively answer common FAQs.
This is powerful because it allows you to provide helpful information to potential customers right on your Google Business Profile. It shows you care about answering their questions and concerns which can build trust and credibility.
To get started simply access the Q&A section of your GBP and start posting your own frequently asked questions and answers. Then make sure to respond promptly to any new questions that come in from customers.
Priority #9: Optimize Website Title and Meta Description
Your website’s title tag and meta description are the snippets of text that appear in search engine results and optimizing them can have a big impact on your click-through rates.
For local SEO you’ll want to make sure these elements include your core service or product name, your location and any relevant benefits or selling points. This helps both customers and Google understand what your page is about and why they should click through. To optimize these elements simply log into your website’s content management system and edit the title and meta description for your homepage. Focus on including your most important keywords and what makes your business unique.
Priority #10: Create Service Location Pages
In addition to your homepage you’ll want to create individual service or location specific pages on your website. This allows you to provide more detailed information about each of your offerings and target specific geographic areas.
For example instead of just having a general “Roof Repair” page you’d create separate pages for “Roof Repair in Austin” and “Roof Repair in Dallas”. This gives each service the opportunity to rank on its own and boost your overall local search visibility.
While creating these pages does require some additional content creation tools like ChatGPT can make the process easier by generating service page content for you.
Priority #11: Ask for Google Reviews
Positive Google reviews are a critical local SEO factor as they help build trust and credibility with potential customers. The more reviews you have the more likely you are to show up at the top of local search results.
To ask for reviews simply ask your satisfied customers to leave feedback on your Google Business Profile after you’ve completed a job or service. Make it as easy as possible for them by providing a direct link to your review page.
While this process can be manual it’s an important ongoing task to keep up with to maintain a strong online reputation.
Priority #12: Aim for High Star Ratings
In addition to the total number of reviews Google also places a lot of weight on your overall star rating. The higher your average rating the more likely you are to outrank competitors with lower scores.
Again the key is to continue providing excellent service and proactively asking happy customers to leave reviews. Over time this will help you build a strong high-rated online presence that Google will reward.
Priority #13: Ask for Keyword-Rich Reviews
Going a step further you can also ask customers to include relevant keywords and location details in their Google reviews. This helps reinforce the services you provide and the areas you serve further boosting your local search visibility.
When asking for reviews suggest that customers mention the specific service they received and your city or neighborhood. While you can’t dictate the exact wording this gentle nudge can increase the likelihood of those important details being included.
Priority #14: Add a Booking or Appointment Link If you offer bookings or appointments add a direct link or button to your Google Business Profile. This improves the user experience and signals to Google that you’re actively engaged with customers.
To do this simply add the URL of your booking or scheduling page to the relevant section of your GBP. This could be your contact page, a dedicated booking page or even a third-party scheduling tool.
Priority #15: List on Major Directories
Building citations - or listings of your business name, address and phone number (NAP) - on major online directories is a local SEO tactic.
The more places your NAP appears across the web the more credible and trustworthy your business appears to customers and search engines. Focus on the big players like Yelp, Facebook and Bing Places as well as any relevant industry or local directories.
This can be time-consuming so many businesses outsource citation building to a local SEO agency or service.
Priority #16: Report Spam Listings
If you see competitors using spammy tactics in their Google Business Profiles you can actually report them to Google. This includes things like keyword-stuffed business names or duplicate listings.
To do this find the offending listing, click the “Suggest an edit” button and provide evidence of the violation, such as a screenshot of their website showing their actual business name. Google will then review the report and take action.
While this may seem controversial removing spam listings helps level the playing field and ensures customers find legitimate businesses in the local search results.
Priority #17: Build Quality Backlinks
Earning high-quality backlinks - or links from other reputable websites to your own - is a local SEO tactic. These “votes of confidence” from other sites signal to Google that your business is authoritative and trustworthy.
Some ways to build backlinks include:
- Joining local business associations or directories that link to member websites
- Guest posting on industry blogs or local news sites
- Leveraging partnerships or sponsorships with other local businesses
While link building can be time-consuming many businesses outsource this task to a specialist agency or service.
Priority #18: Use a Descriptive Business Name
Your actual business name can also impact local search visibility. Ideally your name should naturally reflect your core service or product, like “Smith Plumbing and Heating”. This helps customers understand what your business does and also gives you a boost for those keywords. However, changing your business name legally can be a big undertaking so this may not be an option for everyone.
At minimum make sure your website, listings and other public-facing materials prominently feature your service-oriented business name even if it’s different from your official legal name.
Priority #19: Be in Your Target City
Having a physical address in the city or geographic area you’re trying to rank for is a big local SEO factor. If your business is in a suburb or neighboring town you’ll have a much harder time showing up in searches for the primary city.
The only solution here is to either move your business to the target location or establish a physical office or branch in that city. This is a big commitment but can pay huge dividends in terms of local search visibility.
Priority #20: Leverage Proximity to Customers
In addition to being in your target city Google also weighs how physically close your business is to the person searching. The closer you are the more likely you are to show up in their local search results.
While this may seem unfair for businesses that serve a wider geographic area it’s the reality of how local search works today. The best approach is to focus your marketing efforts on your immediate local area and also explore other channels like YouTube that can help you reach customers beyond your immediate vicinity.
👉 Download the Local SEO Priority Checklist to get started.
And if you want an even more powerful way to generate leads and clients online be sure to register for my free on-demand video training on how to build a client-generating website that sells your services for you.