Local SEO
Also called: local search optimization, local search engine optimization, map pack SEO
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a business so it ranks for location-based searches, like Google Maps, the map pack, and "near me" queries. Google ranks local results mainly on three factors: relevance, distance, and prominence.
How Google ranks local results
Google’s own guidance names three signals: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the searcher), and prominence (how well-known you are, based partly on reviews and how many sites link to you). You cannot move your storefront closer to every searcher, so most of the work goes into relevance and prominence.
In practice that means:
- A complete, verified Google Business Profile with the right primary category. Google states that businesses with complete, accurate info are more likely to show up.
- Reviews. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey of local SEO practitioners, reviews were the second-largest factor for map-pack rankings, behind the Business Profile itself.
- Consistent NAP (name, address, phone) across directories and citations.
LocalBusinessstructured data on your site, so Google Search can read your address, hours, and ratings directly. (Maps and your Business Profile are populated separately, not from on-site schema.)
Local SEO splits into two surfaces that rank differently. The map pack (the three-result box with a map) leans on your Business Profile and reviews. The classic blue-link results below it lean more on on-page content and links, the same as regular organic SEO. Ranking well usually means working both at once, which is why local work sits alongside, not instead of, standard on-page and link building.
How it affects your traffic
For any business with a physical location or a service area, the map pack sits above the regular results and captures a large share of clicks on "near me" and city-plus-service searches, which are the queries with the highest buying intent. If your profile is incomplete or your reviews and citations are thin, you stay invisible for exactly those searches while competitors get the calls. SEOBRO's Local SEO service handles the profile, reviews, NAP citations, and local schema so nearby customers find you first.
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