What is local SEO? A starter guide for businesses
5 min read
Local SEO is the set of work that makes businesses serving a specific location more visible on Google Search and Maps. For a restaurant, clinic, or salon, most customers search for nearby options — local SEO targets exactly these moments.
How is it different from regular SEO?
Classic SEO focuses on national or global ranking. Local SEO is built on “location + intent”: searches like “dentist in Bornova” and “near me” queries. Results usually appear as a map and a local pack.
Core components
- Google Business Profile: the heart of local SEO.
- Reviews: affect both ranking and trust.
- Local keywords and content.
- NAP consistency and local directory listings.
Where to start?
First complete your business profile and measure where you stand in ranking. You can't improve what you don't measure: knowing which position you hold for which keyword is the starting point of any strategy.