Local SEO Strategies for Small Businesses

Boost your visibility and attract more local customers with these proven tips.

If you're a small business looking to get noticed online, local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is one of the most effective marketing strategies you can invest in. It helps your business appear in local search results, maps, and directories - exactly where your customers are looking.

But with so many competing businesses out there, how do you stand out? In this guide, we'll walk through practical, actionable strategies to help improve your local SEO and grow your online presence.

Local SEO StrategyOptimise Your Google Business Profile

Your Google My Business Profile is one of the most important tools in local search engine optimisation. When people search for businesses “near me” or in your town, Google uses this listing to decide what to show.

Tips to optimise:

Fill in every section (business name, address, hours, services, photos).
Use relevant local keywords in your business description.
Encourage happy customers to leave reviews.
Keep your info up to date - especially holiday opening hours.

A well-maintained Google Business Profile increases your chances of appearing in the map pack, giving you prime real estate in local search results.

Local SEO StrategyAdd Local Keywords to Your Website

Search engines like Google need context to know where your business operates. Make sure your website includes local keywords across key pages.

Examples:

“Hair salon in Loughborough”
“Accountant for small businesses in Nottingham”
“Affordable SEO agency Ashby”

Focus on naturally adding these keywords to your homepage, service pages, and contact page. Local content helps Google match your site to nearby users searching for your services.

Local SEO StrategyRequest Customer Reviews

Reviews are a powerful ranking signal for local search. The more high-quality reviews you have, especially with keywords and location, the better.

How to build reviews:

Ask satisfied customers to leave a review after a successful job or sale.
Respond to every review (good or bad) politely and promptly.
Highlight reviews on your website and social media.

Good reviews not only improve trust but can directly influence your visibility on platforms like Google and Bing.

Local SEO StrategyGet Listed in Online Directories

One of the most important factors in local SEO is consistency. Make sure that your Name, Address, and Phone Number are exactly the same across all online platforms.

We suggest starting with trusted directories like:

Google My Business
Yelp
Bing Places for Business
Facebook Business
Yellow Pages

Having consistent information across these trusted directories helps increase trust in your business from both users and search engines.

Local SEO StrategyEnsure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

Many local searches are done on the go, and most people now use their phones to find services. In fact, last year more than 60% of all Google searches were made on a mobile device.

Here’s why it’s important:

If your site is slow or hard to navigate on mobile, users will leave quickly.
Google considers mobile usability as a ranking factor.
A mobile-friendly website improves user experience and boosts engagement.

You can use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check how your site performs on mobile and make any necessary improvements.

Local SEO StrategyUse Location Pages

If your business serves multiple towns or regions, create separate pages for each location.

Each page should have content that’s unique to that area, like the services you offer, customer reviews, and local photos if you can.

This approach helps your website rank for searches in different locations without confusing both search engines and your visitors.

It also makes your site more relevant to people in those areas, improving the chance of them finding and choosing your services.

Need Help with Your SEO?

At Spiderscope, we specialise in helping small businesses grow their online presence through effective, affordable SEO.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your digital marketing to the next level, we have a Local SEO package to suit your goals and budget.