Local SEO in 2026: a plain-English guide
Local SEO is how you show up when someone nearby searches for what you sell. It is different from national SEO, and simpler than the industry makes it sound. Here is what actually matters.
Relevance, distance, prominence
Google ranks local results on three factors: how relevant you are to the search, how close you are to the searcher, and how prominent (well-known and well-reviewed) your business is. You can't move your address, but you can strongly influence relevance and prominence.
1. Consistent citations (NAP)
Your Name, Address and Phone must match exactly everywhere they appear online — your site, your GBP, and every directory Google checks. Inconsistencies quietly drag your rankings down. Cleaning them up is unglamorous and one of the highest-ROI things you can do.
2. On-page signals
- A clear title tag with your service and city
- One page per service, not one page for everything
- LocalBusiness structured data (schema) so Google understands you
- Fast load times — most visitors leave a slow page
3. Reviews
Review count, rating, recency and keywords in reviews all feed prominence. A steady stream of recent reviews beats a big pile of old ones.
Metrics you can ignore
Impressions and "reach" feel good but rarely pay the bills. Track calls, direction requests, and form fills — the actions that turn into customers. If a metric doesn't lead to revenue, it's a vanity metric.