Small business SEO and local search: the ultimate guide

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Are you tired of feeling overshadowed and underestimated as a small business or local company regarding SEO? Well, here's some good news! You can take your local search results from average to awesome with the right strategy and tools. Whether starting from scratch or already having a website, this ultimate guide to small business SEO will help you leverage local SEO to drive more traffic to your business. So, get ready to make the most of your online presence and stand out in the search results!
Table of contents


Local SEO vs. SEO — what's the difference?
Small business SEO and local search ranking factors
Step 1: Make a good website
Step 2: Let Google know your location
Step 3: Write content about what you offer
Step 4: Share your expertise and reputation
Step 5: Keep your online information up to date
What the Yoast Local Premium bundle can do for your small business SEO

Note: This guide is about SEO for small/medium businesses, particularly those with a specific region to target and a limited budget. If your business has multiple locations, you might want to check out our article about creating local landing pages instead. Alternatively, if your website is aimed at a wider audience, you're probably better off with our regular SEO guide. Our local search guide has more insights on how it works in the background.
Local SEO vs. SEO — what's the difference?

The key difference between SEO and local SEO is which search results you want to appear in. SEO is about ranking in search results that don't depend on a specific location (i.e., national or international search results). On the other hand, local SEO is about optimizing pages and sites for region-specific results, such as ‘near me' searches. These searches enable users to find products and services available in their area.
Of course, optimizing your small business website for local searches involves many of the same steps as regular SEO. Our guide will help you through the SEO basics in a way that makes sense for a smaller website, plus the extras you need to know about local SEO.
Small business SEO and local search ranking factors

When search engines are deciding what to rank in a local search result, there are four main factors they take into consideration:

Is your website up to scratch?
Where are you (or your store/services) located? Is that near to the person who is searching?
What do you offer, and is it relevant to the person searching for?
Do you have a good (online) reputation?

If you want to optimize your website to rank better but are unsure where to start, you might want to look at ourfree SEO course for beginners. In the rest of this guide, we'll cover the most important factors for succeeding at local SEO in more detail.
Keep reading: Local ranking factors that help your small business SEO ?
Step 1: Make a good website

Let's be honest; your site is probably not the ‘Mona Lisa' of websites. It doesn't need to be perfect, but it does need to meet certain standards. For instance, site structure, loading speed, and security are important for SEO and user experience. Look at our article about what makes a good website to ensure yours will meet expectations.
If you don't already have a website, you can start with WordPress. Other options are available, but our SEO plugins work best with WordPress. Of course, we have Yoast SEO for Shopify if you run an ecommerce store on said platform. You might also be interested in following our free WordPress for beginners training.
Learn more: Holistic SEO: Improve every aspect of your website ?
Low-budget branding for small business SEO

We have talked about this repeatedly: branding isvery important for SEO. Branding means stuff like your logo and tagline. Do they represent your company without further explanation? What do your logo and tagline reveal about your values and your field of expertise? It’s all about recognition, and it's just as important for small business SEO as it is for big companies.
You can work on your branding without investing a lot of money. Yes,low-budget brandingis a thing, even if you’re anon-profit organization. When working on your branding with limited resources, there are several budget-friendly tips to consider. One of the most crucial steps is to claim and optimize your Google Business Profile listing. This helps ensure you provide accurate information, such as your name, address, and phone number. Consistency is also key across all platforms, ensuring your NAP information remains consistent on online directories and social media profiles. We'll dive into this later.
Develop a unique brand language that sets you apart from your competitors. Make sure it is consistently used across all platforms, including social media. Blogging provides a cost-effective way to build brand identity while establishing yourself as an authority in your industry. Attending local events allows you to network with potential customers while establishing your trusted authority in the field.
Encouraging online reviews can significantly boost your visibility. It's worth encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. By implementing these tips, you can work toward building a strong brand presence without breaking the bank. It allows you to showcase your business in the best possible light while capturing the attention of your target audience.
Read moreow budget branding tips for small businesses ?
Step 2: Let Google know your location

To help Google understand where your business is located and put you in the right local results, it's essential to have up-to-date contact information in all the right places. So it's very important to align your info on all the platforms you operate on. Search engines will check and double-check your details to ensure everything adds up.
Make a contact page

Aside from search engines, your (potential) customers must know how they can contact you, too. You should always add your contact details in places where users would expect to find them — for example, in your website footer — and, of course,on your contact page.
Local business structured data

Many factors influence small business SEO, but one very obvious is your NAP. NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. In the case of a local business, details like addresses, phone numbers, geo-coordinates, opening hours, etc., should be correct at all times. The best way to present these details to search engines is by usinglocal business structured data. Yoast SEO has a lot of options for adding structured data.
Structured data is an essential component of local SEO. LocalBusiness structured data, in particular, provides an excellent opportunity for local businesses to improve their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). By incorporating localBusiness structured data, you can provide search engines with details about your business. Details include your name, address, phone number, and opening hours. This information helps search engines better understand your business, making listing your business in relevant search results easier.
Structured data also provides a better user experience for potential customers. Customers can easily find you by providing accurate information about your business, such as your location. Search results that include rich snippets, such as business ratings and reviews, can help customers decide to visit your business. These factors improve your click-through rate (CTR) and drive more traffic to your website and physical store. By incorporating localBusiness structured data into your website's code, you're providing search engines and potential customers with valuable information that can help boost your visibility and generate business.