Definition
Local SEO encompasses all strategies and techniques that allow a physical business or local service provider to appear in Google's local search results. This includes the Local Pack (the 3 results displayed on Google Maps), local organic results, and Google Maps directly. The three pillars of local SEO are relevance (your business matches the query), distance (geographic proximity to the searcher), and prominence (reviews, citations, local backlinks). Local SEO is vital for shops, tradespeople, professionals, and any business serving a defined geographic area.
Key Points
- 46% of Google searches have local intent
- The Local Pack (3 results on Google Maps) captures a major share of clicks
- Three pillars: relevance, distance, and prominence
Practical Examples
Plumber in New York
A plumber optimizes their Google Business Profile, obtains customer reviews, and acquires backlinks from local New York directories. They move from 15th to 2nd position on 'plumber New York' and enter the Local Pack.
Restaurant chain
A chain of 12 restaurants creates a Google listing for each location, optimizes local pages with geolocalized keywords, and implements a review collection strategy. Local organic traffic increases by 60%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regular SEO targets national or generic queries, while local SEO targets geographically qualified queries (e.g., 'bakery Brooklyn'). Local SEO relies on specific levers like Google Business Profile, customer reviews, NAP consistency, and local citations, in addition to classic organic ranking factors.
Yes, link building is important for local SEO. Backlinks from local sites (regional press, local directories, nearby partners) are particularly valued. LemmiLink helps find geographically relevant link building opportunities to strengthen your local authority.
Go Further with LemmiLink
Discover how LemmiLink can help you put these SEO concepts into practice.
Last updated: 2026-02-07