Local SEO is the set of adjustments that makes a business show up in searches with local intent, like “dentist near me” or “pizza place in Pinheiros,” both on Google Maps and in the map pack within search results. Google decides that ranking based on three factors: relevance, distance, and prominence. You can’t change distance. Relevance and prominence depend on your profile, your reviews, your website, and how your business shows up across the internet.
Traditional SEO competes for a results list that’s the same for everyone. Local SEO competes for a list that changes based on who’s searching and where they’re searching from. The same search done in two different neighborhoods shows different businesses.
Google’s three factors
Google itself describes these factors in its tips for improving local ranking.
Relevance
How well your profile matches what the person searched for. It factors in your primary category, secondary categories, listed services, and description. A restaurant with the category “Restaurant” shows up less for “Japanese restaurant” than one with “Japanese Restaurant”.
Distance
The distance between the person searching and the business. If someone types in a neighborhood, Google uses that neighborhood. You can’t change this, which is why using a fake address to “seem closer” leads to suspension.
Prominence
How well known the business is. This includes reviews (quantity, rating, and how recent they are), mentions on other websites, links to your site, and your website’s strength in organic search.
What you can change, in order of impact
- The right primary category. This is the adjustment with the biggest impact, and the one most often gotten wrong. See how to choose your category.
- A complete profile. Services, hours, real photos, description, attributes. Use the optimization checklist.
- Consistent reviews. A steady stream of real reviews matters more than a spike followed by months of silence. See how to get reviews without buying them.
- A website with a page per service and city. Your website reinforces relevance. A page like “Dental implant in Santo André” helps your profile show up for that search.
- The same name, address and phone number everywhere. Website, social media, local directories. Inconsistencies confuse Google.
- Local mentions. Business associations, neighborhood press, partners. Every real mention adds to prominence.
What doesn’t work (or makes things worse)
- Keyword stuffing in the profile name. It might even boost rankings for a while, but it’s the number one reason for suspension. See suspended business profile.
- Photos with geolocation data. GPS info embedded in a photo doesn’t change your position on Maps. What matters is real, frequent photos. Details in Google Business Profile photos.
- Bought reviews. This breaks the rules and can take down your real reviews too.
- Posting every day expecting to rank higher. Posts help convert people who already found your profile, but they aren’t a strong ranking factor. Read posts on Google Business Profile.
Local SEO and AI-generated answers
Google now answers local searches with AI, on Maps and in search. These answers pull from the profile, reviews and website. A business with a complete profile and reviews that mention the service has a better chance of being cited. We explain this in Google Ask Maps and AI-powered local search.
How long it takes
Profile adjustments usually show results within weeks. Prominence, which depends on reviews and mentions, builds up over months. There’s no guarantee of a top position, and anyone who promises one is promising something they don’t control.
Frequently asked questions
Does local SEO work for a business without a storefront? Yes, as a service-area business. See Google Business Profile without an address.
Do I need a website to do local SEO? The profile works without a website, but a website reinforces relevance and prominence.
Is local SEO the same as advertising on Maps? No. Ads are paid and show a sponsored label. See advertising on Google Maps.
How do I know where I stand today? Our free Google Business Profile audit compares your profile with three competitors in your area.