In a digital-first world, it’s no longer enough to simply have a website for your local business. Whether you’re a plumber, boutique owner, dentist, or real estate agent, if local customers can’t find you online, you’re losing business to competitors who show up first in search results.
That’s where local SEO best practices come in. If you want to drive more leads from people near you—people who are actively looking for the services or products you offer—you need to rank higher in local search results.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through how to get more local leads using proven SEO strategies tailored specifically for local businesses. These are actionable, beginner-friendly tips that can help you stand out and attract customers in your area—fast.
1. Start with a Fully Optimized Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the foundation of your local online presence. It’s often the first thing people see when searching for services nearby, and it’s a top ranking factor for local SEO.
Best practices:
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Claim and verify your profile
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Choose the correct business category
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Add a keyword-rich description of your services
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Keep your hours, contact info, and service areas updated
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Add high-quality photos
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Post regular updates and promotions
Businesses with a complete and active GBP receive significantly more clicks, calls, and directions—turning searchers into leads.
2. Use Location-Based Keywords on Your Website
Your website should clearly tell both search engines and users what you offer and where you offer it. Use keywords that include your location naturally throughout your content.
Examples:
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“Miami family dentist”
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“Emergency plumber in Chicago”
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“Wedding photographer near Pasadena”
Use these keywords in:
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Page titles and meta descriptions
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Header tags (H1, H2)
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Service and location pages
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Image alt text
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Blog content
This helps Google match your business to people looking for services in your area.
3. Create Dedicated Location and Service Pages
If you serve multiple cities or neighborhoods, don’t cram all your content on one homepage. Instead, create separate pages for each location or service.
Why it matters:
Location-specific pages increase your chance of ranking for more local searches. For example, a cleaning service in New Jersey could have individual pages for “House Cleaning in Hoboken” and “Apartment Cleaning in Jersey City.”
Just be sure not to copy and paste the same content—make each page unique.
4. Ensure NAP Consistency Across All Platforms
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. Consistency across your website, Google profile, social media, and online directories is essential for building trust with search engines.
Tips:
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Use the exact same formatting everywhere (e.g., “Street” vs “St.”)
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Update old listings with correct info
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Use citation tools like Moz Local or BrightLocal to find and fix inconsistent data
Inconsistent NAP details can hurt your rankings and confuse potential leads.
5. Encourage Customer Reviews (and Respond to Them)
Online reviews are one of the most powerful trust signals for local SEO—and for converting leads.
How to get more reviews:
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Ask happy customers right after service (via text or email)
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Add a review link to your email signature
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Offer small incentives or thank-you gifts
Why respond?
Responding to reviews—both positive and negative—shows you care about your customers and encourages more people to leave feedback. Plus, reviews often contain keywords that can boost your search visibility.
6. Create Locally-Relevant Content
Publishing local blog content helps your website show up for more searches and positions your business as part of the community.
Ideas:
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Local guides (e.g., “Best Date Night Spots in Seattle”)
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Event recaps or coverage
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Charity work or sponsorships
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Interviews with other local businesses
This strategy brings organic traffic and increases dwell time on your website—two things Google loves.
7. Build Local Backlinks
Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a strong ranking factor. Getting them from local, reputable sites strengthens your authority and visibility in your area.
How to earn local backlinks:
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Partner with other local businesses
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Join your chamber of commerce or local business directories
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Submit to local blogs or news sites
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Sponsor community events or charities
Each backlink is a signal to Google that your business is trustworthy and relevant in your region.
8. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly and Fast
More than 60% of local searches come from mobile devices. If your site is slow, broken, or hard to navigate on a phone, users—and Google—will bounce.
Checklist:
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Use a responsive website design
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Compress large images
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Use clear CTA buttons (like “Call Now” or “Get a Quote”)
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Test your site with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test
Better user experience means more leads from mobile searchers.
9. Use Local Business Schema Markup
Schema markup is code that helps search engines better understand your website. For local SEO, adding LocalBusiness schema can help your business show up more prominently in search results.
Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to add schema for:
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Your business name, address, and phone
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Business hours
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Services offered
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Customer reviews
This can enhance your search listings with rich snippets, making them more eye-catching and clickable.
10. Track and Improve Your Performance
Use free tools like:
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Google Analytics to track website traffic
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Google Search Console to see keyword rankings
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GBP Insights to track calls, clicks, and views
Monitoring results helps you understand what’s working and where to improve. SEO is not a one-time job—it’s an ongoing strategy.
Final Thoughts
Getting more local leads doesn’t require a massive budget or technical team—it just takes smart SEO practices tailored for your area and audience.
By optimizing your website, leveraging Google tools, building trust through reviews, and creating helpful local content, your business can rise above the noise and be the first choice when locals search for what you offer.
Local SEO isn’t about chasing traffic—it’s about attracting the right people, right in your neighborhood, at the right time.
Also, you can learn more about Local SEO here.