When someone types “mechanic near me” or “hairdresser in La Massana” into Google, they are not just browsing: they have a need and want to solve it soon. Local SEO is about getting your business to appear in those searches, both on the map and in the regular results.
For many local businesses it is the channel with the highest purchase intent there is. And, done well, it keeps paying off month after month without paying for every click. In this guide we explain how it works and what matters most.
What local SEO is and who it’s for
Local SEO is the part of search engine optimisation that focuses on searches with a geographical component: those that include an area (“dentist in Escaldes”) and those Google treats as local even when they don’t (“late-night pharmacy”, “Italian restaurant”).
It matters to any business serving customers in a specific area: shops, restaurants, clinics, garages, gyms, estate agents, professional firms and service companies that travel to the customer’s home.
Where local results appear
In a local search, Google usually shows two blocks:
- The map with several businesses (often called the “local pack”), which comes from Google Business Profiles.
- The organic results, which come from websites.
Ideally, you should be in both. The first depends mainly on your Business Profile; the second, on your website. And each reinforces the other.
The three factors that matter most
Google says it openly: to rank local results it considers each business’s relevance, distance and prominence.
Relevance
How well your business matches what is being searched for. The category you choose in your profile, the services you describe and your website content all play a part. If you do bodywork and paint repairs but only say “garage”, you will struggle to appear when someone searches for exactly that.
Distance
How close you are to the person searching or to the area they mention. You can’t change it, but you can make it crystal clear where you are and which areas you serve, both in your profile and on your website.
Prominence
How well known and trustworthy your business appears: reviews, mentions on other websites, directory listings, links and the overall quality of your website. It takes the longest to build and makes the biggest difference against competitors.
Your Google Business Profile: your shop window on the map
The Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is free and is the most important piece of local SEO. A well-kept profile includes:
- The business’s real name, without keywords artificially added.
- An accurate primary category and relevant secondary categories.
- Address or service area, up-to-date opening hours (including holidays) and phone number.
- A clear description of what you do and who for.
- Real photos of the premises, the team and your work, refreshed often.
- Products or services with descriptions.
- Posts with news and offers.
Reviews are not just a ranking factor: they are the first thing a customer checks before calling you.
Reviews: quantity, quality and replies
Reviews influence your position and, above all, the customer’s decision. What works:
- Ask for them systematically from happy customers, right after the service, with a direct link.
- Reply to all of them, including negative ones, politely and offering a solution.
- Never buy or fake them: it breaks Google’s rules and can lead to penalties or the profile being removed.
Your website matters too
The Business Profile needs a website to back it up. For local SEO, the website should have:
- Consistent contact details: name, address and phone written exactly as in the profile and directories.
- A page for each main service and, if you serve several areas, useful content about each one (not copied pages with only the town name changed).
- Local business structured data so Google understands who you are and where.
- A good mobile experience and fast loading.
- A map and directions, if customers visit your premises.
Common mistakes that reduce visibility
- A half-completed Business Profile, with outdated hours or no photos.
- Name, address and phone written differently on the website, on Google and in directories.
- A website without pages explaining each service or the area you work in.
- Never asking for reviews, or never replying to them.
- A slow website or one that looks bad on mobile, where almost all these searches happen.
- Creating several profiles for the same business or using fake addresses.
How long until you see results?
It depends on competition in your sector and area, and on your current presence. Some improvements, such as completing your Business Profile properly, show fairly quickly. Others, such as earning reviews and authority, take months. Be wary of anyone promising you the top spot by a specific date: nobody controls Google’s results.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and managing a Business Profile costs nothing. What it does require is time and consistency: keeping information up to date, uploading photos, posting and replying to reviews.
Can I appear on the map without premises open to the public?
Yes. If you travel to customers (plumbers, renovations, cleaning…) you can set up your profile as a service-area business, listing the areas you cover and hiding your address.
Is it worth paying for ads on Google Maps?
They can complement local SEO, especially in very competitive sectors or to win customers while organic rankings mature. We explain it in Google Ads or Meta Ads.
How often should I update my profile?
Review hours and details whenever they change, and add photos and posts regularly. An active profile builds trust and signals to Google that the business is still up and running.
Where to start
The first step is knowing where you stand: how your business appears today, what competitors have that you don’t and what is failing on your website. You can analyse your website’s speed and technical SEO for free in AVAR LAB. If your website is new, our guide to SEO for a new website will also help. And if you want a complete plan for your area, let’s talk.
Written by the Avar Marketing Systems team: three partners trained in marketing, advertising and management, running their own online stores since 2019. Meet the team →
