What is Local SEO?

If you run a local business, whether that’s a café, estate agent, plumber, or retail shop, you’ve probably heard the term Local SEO thrown around. But what does it actually mean, and why does it matter for your business?

A Clear Definition

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of improving your visibility in search results for location-based queries. Think searches like “dentist near me”, “accountant in Manchester”, or “best pizza in Brighton.”

Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking nationally or globally, Local SEO is specifically about making sure your business shows up when people in your area are searching for what you offer.

Where Local SEO Shows Up

When you search for a local service on Google, you’ll typically see two main types of results:

The Local Pack (Google Maps results): The map with three business listings that appears near the top of the page. These are often the first thing a user’s eye lands on, and clicks here can drive calls, directions, and website visits directly.

Traditional organic results: The standard web page listings below the map. These matter too, particularly for informational queries or for users who scroll past the map.

A strong Local SEO strategy targets both.

It’s not just Google, Don’t forget about Microsoft Bing

While Google dominates local search, Bing still plays an important role, particularly across Microsoft devices, voice search, and platforms like ChatGPT and Copilot that rely on Bing’s data.

At the centre of Bing’s local ecosystem is Bing Places for Business, which functions similarly to Google Business Profile.

To appear in Bing’s local results and Bing Maps, the fundamentals still apply:

Claiming and verifying your Bing Places listing is essential. Without this, your business is unlikely to appear at all.

Completeness matters. Making sure your profile includes accurate business hours, categories, services, and contact details helps Bing understand and trust your listing.

Consistency is key. Your business name, address, and phone number should match across your website, Bing Places, and other directories.

How Local SEO Actually Works

Local SEO works by helping search engines understand two things: where your business is located, and whether it’s relevant and trustworthy enough to show to the person searching.

For Google Maps and the Local Pack, Google considers three factors:

Business Relevance: How well your business matches the users query. This comes down to how clearly you’ve described your services across your website, your Google Business Profile, and other listings.

Location: How close your business is to the searcher (or the location they’ve specified in their query). You can’t change your physical location, but you can make sure Google knows exactly where you are.

Prominence: How well-known and regarded your business appears to be. This is shaped by reviews, citations across the web, links from other sites, and your overall online presence.

In addition to this, you’ll want to ensure you have fully completed your Google Business Profile, managing reviews, and ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data.

How Bing Determines Local Rankings

Bing evaluates local businesses in a similar way to Google, but with a few notable differences.

It still considers:

• Relevance: how well your business matches the search
• Distance: how close you are to the user
• Popularity: based on reviews, mentions, and overall presence

However, Bing places a stronger emphasis on a couple of additional signals.

Reviews & Third-Party Signals

Unlike Google, which prioritises its own reviews, Bing pulls data from external platforms like:

• Yelp
• TripAdvisor
• Facebook

This means your reputation across the wider web plays a more direct role in visibility.

It’s not just about having reviews – it’s about having consistent, recent, and positive feedback across multiple platforms.

Social Signals Still Matter

Bing is one of the few search engines that still openly considers social engagement as a ranking factor.

Activity such as likes, shares, and engagement on platforms like Facebook can contribute to how visible your business appears in local results.

A Practical Advantage

If you already have a Google Business Profile, Bing makes things easier.

You can import your existing data directly into Bing Places, which helps maintain consistency and speeds up setup.

What Local SEO Actually Involves

In practice, Local SEO covers a range of activities:

• Google Business Profile or Bing Places optimisation
• On-page SEO
• Local citations
• Review management
• Local link building
• Technical SEO

None of these alone will transform your rankings overnight. But done consistently and correctly, they compound over time.

Why It Matters More Than Ever

Local search behaviour has shifted significantly. More people than ever are searching with local intent, often on mobile, and often ready to act quickly.

If your business isn’t showing up in those results, you’re not just missing visibility, you’re missing customers who are actively looking for what you offer, right now.

And with search engines, such as Google continuing to evolve how search results are displayed, including AI-driven experiences, having a strong local foundation is increasingly important to maintain visibility regardless of how the interface changes.

What to Expect

Local SEO isn’t a switch you flip. It takes consistent effort, a clear strategy, and an understanding of what actually moves the needle for your specific business and location.

That said, for most local businesses, it’s one of the highest-return investments you can make. The traffic it brings is targeted, relevant, and often ready to convert.

You can explore my Local SEO services, or connect with me on LinkedIn always happy to have a talk about where you are and what might actually help.