A restaurant, a hair salon, a garage, a therapist: if your customers come to you, part of your visibility is decided by nearby searches, not just Google’s general ranking.
Local SEO answers one specific question: when someone searches for your type of business near them, does your business show up? Here is what actually matters, and what is out of your hands.
Local SEO vs classic SEO: the difference
Classic SEO works on the whole site: content, structure, overall popularity. Local SEO adds a dimension: the searcher’s location and your business’s location. That is what produces the block of results with a map, three addresses and star ratings, often above the classic results.
If your customers travel to you, or you serve them within a defined area, local SEO is not a secondary option: it is often the first thing a potential customer sees.
The three factors Google uses
Google itself explains what makes a business appear in local results: three factors, documented in its own official help pages.
- Relevance: does your profile match what is being searched for? A precise category and a clear description help.
- Distance: how far is your business, or your service area, from the person searching.
- Prominence: your online reputation, including reviews, but also your consistent presence elsewhere on the web.
None of these three factors can be bought. They are earned, and the outcome depends on Google, not on us.
Your business profile, the foundation
The Google profile (category, hours, photos, description, attributes) is the first factor you actually control. An incomplete or poorly categorised profile reduces your chances of showing up, even if the rest of your site is excellent.
Example: a hair salon
- The main category matches the activity exactly, not a broader neighbouring category
- Opening hours are up to date, including public holidays
- Recent photos of the venue, not only visuals supplied by Google
- The description uses the words customers actually search with
Consistent name, address and phone number
The same name, address and phone number should appear everywhere: on the site, on the Google profile, in directories, on social media. An address written differently in two places raises doubt, for Google and for a visitor in a hurry.
We cover this check, step by step, in our article on a website not showing on Google: if this point is not settled yet, that is where to start.
Customer reviews: one rule we never break
Reviews count toward your profile’s prominence, and for the trust of a customer hesitating between two addresses. But Google’s rules are strict, and we follow them: a review is never bought, never exchanged for a perk, and never requested only from happy customers.
The same review request goes out to every customer, without selection. Responses to reviews stay written, or at least approved, by you before publishing: it is your profile, your tone, your name attached to it.
Service area or a visible address?
Not every business has a storefront. A plumber or a consultant often travels to the customer, and an agency like ours mostly works remotely: all of them welcome little or no public at a fixed address. In that case, the Google profile can be set up as a service-area business, with the exact address hidden from the public: that is our own setup at Kayo.
The distance factor then applies to your service area rather than a precise address. This is a legitimate setup for Google, as long as it matches the reality of your business.
What local SEO cannot guarantee
We carry out the agreed actions with care: an optimised profile, consistent information, a review-collection method, presence in recognised directories. It is an obligation of means, not of result: no serious agency can guarantee a ranking, since the final position depends on Google’s algorithm, not on us.
Be wary of any offer that promises the top spot: that is a commitment Google itself lets no one make.
Where to start?
Start by searching for your own business, the way a customer would: does your profile show up, is it complete, are your hours correct? Note what is missing.
At Kayo, local SEO is quoted per project, as a one-off or monthly service. If you do not know where to start, the pre-audit is free: a first look at your profile and local visibility during the 20-minute call.
