Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a business's online presence to attract customers from geographically relevant searches — "PR agency near me," "best restaurant in Miami," "dentist in Brooklyn." It is critical for any business that serves customers in a specific location.

Google Business Profile

The centerpiece of local SEO. A complete, accurate, regularly updated Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) determines whether a business appears in the Local Pack — the map-based results that appear above organic results for local queries. Key fields: business name, address, phone, hours, categories, photos, reviews, and Q&A.

Local Ranking Factors

Relevance: how well the business matches the query. Distance: how close the business is to the searcher. Prominence: how well-known and well-reviewed the business is online. Reviews (quantity, quality, recency) are the strongest controllable prominence signal.

Citations

Local citations are mentions of a business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) on directories, review sites, and local publications. NAP consistency across all citations — Yelp, Yellow Pages, industry directories, Chamber of Commerce — is essential. Inconsistent information confuses search engines and hurts rankings.

PR Connection

Local media placements, community event sponsorships, and local business awards all build local SEO signals. A feature in a city newspaper or a mention in a local business journal strengthens both prominence and local relevance.

AI Local Queries

Users increasingly ask AI engines local questions: "What's the best Italian restaurant in SoHo?" ChatGPT and Perplexity retrieve from review sites, local publications, and business directories — the same sources local SEO optimizes. Local SEO is also local GEO.