When someone in your area searches for what you do, say "therapist near me" or "accountant in Bristol", does your business show up? If not, you're missing out on people who are actively looking for your services, right now, in your town.
That's what local SEO is about. It's not magic, and it's not complicated. It's just making sure Google knows who you are, where you are, and what you do.
Let me walk you through what actually matters.
First things first: your Google Business Profile
If you do nothing else, do this. Your Google Business Profile (the old "Google My Business") is the single most important thing for showing up in local searches.
When someone searches "massage therapist Southampton", Google shows a map with three businesses. That's called the "map pack" or "local pack." Getting into those three spots can mean the difference between a steady stream of enquiries and none at all.
Here's how to set yours up properly:
Claim and verify your profile. Go to business.google.com and follow the steps. Google decides the verification method automatically based on your business type and location: it might be phone, text, email, a short live video call, or a postcard by mail. Postcard verification isn't offered to every business any more, and if you're offered video verification, Google's own guidance recommends taking it (Google Business Profile Help).
Fill in everything. Every field. Your exact business name (no keyword stuffing), your address, your phone number, your opening hours, your services. Add photos: real photos of your business, not stock images.
Pick the right categories. Choose your primary category carefully. If you're a counsellor, don't just pick "therapist": pick "counsellor" or "psychotherapist" if that's more accurate. You can add secondary categories too.
Keep it updated. Changed your hours? Update them. Offering a new service? Add it. A profile that's clearly looked after works harder for you than one that was set up once and forgotten.
Reviews matter more than you think
Reviews are a genuinely significant part of how Google decides who appears in the local pack. In BrightLocal's most recent Local Search Ranking Factors survey of local SEO specialists, reviews accounted for 20% of local pack ranking factors, up from 16% in the previous survey two years earlier (BrightLocal, Local Search Ranking Factors 2026). They also help potential clients trust you before they've even spoken to you.
Getting reviews doesn't have to be awkward, but it does need to be fair. Google's review policy doesn't allow businesses to selectively ask only happy clients, or to ask for specific wording or star ratings. The safest approach is to ask every client the same way, after every job, and let them write it in their own words: "I'm glad I could help. If you have a moment, a Google review would really help other people find me."
Respond to every review, good and bad. A simple, genuine reply shows you're engaged and attentive, without naming the client if that could identify them, which matters especially if you work in a confidential field like therapy or counselling.
Your website needs to match
Your Google Business Profile is only part of the picture. Your website needs to back it up.
Your name, address, and phone number should be identical everywhere. If your Google profile says "12 High Street" but your website says "12 High St", that inconsistency can hurt you. Pick one format and stick to it.
Include your location on your website. Mention your town or area naturally in your page content. "I offer counselling services in Norwich and the surrounding villages" is helpful. Repeating your town name over and over is not, and risks reading as keyword stuffing.
Have a proper contact page. Include your full address, a map, your phone number, and your email. Make it easy for people to reach you.
Make sure your site works on phones. Most local searches now start on a mobile device: BrightLocal's 2026 consumer research puts it at 73% (BrightLocal, Consumer Search Behavior). If your website is awkward to use on a phone, people leave, and Google notices that too.
A quick way to see how you're actually doing: open an incognito or private browser window (so you get neutral results, not ones shaped by your own search history) and search for your service plus your location. If you're not on the first page, that's worth knowing.
Local content that actually helps
You don't need to blog every week. But having some content that's relevant to your area can help.
A therapist in Leeds might write about managing stress during a busy local event, or finding work-life balance in a busy city. A decorator in the Cotswolds might share advice on choosing paint colours for stone cottages.
This isn't about gaming the system. It's about being genuinely useful to people in your area. (If you want pages built specifically to target each town or area you serve, that's a slightly different job: see our guide to local landing pages.)
What about directories?
Being listed in relevant directories still helps, but quality matters more than quantity. Focus on:
- Yell.com
- Thomson Local
- Your industry-specific directories (like the BACP directory for counsellors)
- Local business directories for your area
Again, make sure your details are consistent across all of them.
The honest truth
Local SEO isn't a quick fix. Google's own guidance on SEO generally is that it takes "typically from four months to a year from the time you begin making changes until you start to see the benefits" (Google Search Central, Do I need an SEO?). But the work you put in now keeps paying off. Unlike paid ads, which stop the moment you stop paying, good local SEO builds over time.
Start with your Google Business Profile this week. Get it fully filled in. Ask your next client for a review, the same way you'd ask anyone. Check your website shows your address clearly.
Small steps, done consistently. That's what works.
Want a website that's built for you and then kept up for you? Elite Rose Digital sets up websites for small UK businesses from £249, then looks after them from £49 a month (12-month minimum). Tell us what you need at eliterose.digital.