- If Google shows a map of nearby businesses when people search for what you sell.
- If you can serve the people searching for what you sell from where you are.
If either one is false, local SEO is the wrong strategy for your business, and you should focus your SEO efforts in other places.
You can easily find out if you need local SEO from page one of Google. It takes a quick search, costs nothing, and doesn’t need an agency.
How do you know if you need local SEO? Run the Map Pack test
To run the Map Pack test that determines whether your business needs local SEO, simply search for your service on Google the way your customer would.
If Google returns a map with three business listings above the usual results, those searches run on Google’s local algorithm.
Tips for carrying out the Map Pack test
- Think about the top five keywords a new customer might search to find your business. This might be “emergency plumber near me”, “accountants islington”, or “florist near kings cross station.” Don’t add your business name – you want to see which results come up organically.
- Carry out your search in a private browsing tab to ensure your own search history doesn’t skew the results, as businesses you have frequently searched are more likely to appear in your results.
- If searching from outside of your service area, be sure to add the name of your service area to your search results – otherwise Google will automatically present results in the area you’re currently in.
- Under the top three map listings, click “More places” to view the local list and see where your business is ranking, and how far away you are from that top three.
What do the results mean?
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| A map pack on most searches, and you’re in it | You qualify and already have a foothold. The work is holding it and widening it to more services and areas. |
| A map pack on most searches, and you’re missing | You qualify for those searches, but your competitors are way ahead and in prime position to snap up that traffic. |
| A map pack on some searches only | Local search matters to some of what you sell, and it’s a strong place to start. |
| No map pack on any search | Google doesn’t treat these searches as local. Local SEO won’t move much, and your efforts may be better invested in other SEO methods, such as regional or national organic search. |
By Google’s own metrics, local SEO results are ranked on three key factors.
Relevance
This is how closely your Business Profile matches what your potential customer searched for. This is why it is crucial to have a complete and detailed profile that shows Google what your business is, what it is for, and has accurate location and contact information (NAP – Name, Address, Phone Number) .
Distance
This is how far your business is from where the customer is searching – or Google’s best estimation. Again, this is why it is crucial to have accurate location information, and to be clear about the services you’re offering and the areas you serve.
Trustworthiness
The final factor is how well-known your business is, and the factors indicating trustworthiness. This is judged on a number of factors, such as how many trusted websites link back to yours, as well as how many reviews and ratings your business has collected. This is also why it’s important to promote and incentivise customer reviews, as these reviews send signals to Google that your business is trusted, legitimate, and provides quality products or services.
What types of businesses qualify for local SEO?
Ultimately, local SEO is most appropriate for businesses which serve customers in a given local area. Either customers visit you at a local, such as a retail business, hospitality venue, or opticians, or you visit them; for instance, a babysitter.
Does a business without a shopfront need local SEO?
Yes, if you travel to customers within a set area. Google lets service-area businesses set up a Business Profile, hide their street address and list the areas they cover instead [VERIFY: current Google service-area business guidelines, add link]. A roofer in Croydon with no office anyone visits can still appear in the map pack for “roofers Croydon”.
What about B2B, SaaS, or other remote firms with an office that don’t depend on location?
Frankly, this often depends on the individual business.
For some businesses, such as accountancy or law firms, practice may not be restricted to location and you may serve clients across the country. This is where other organic search tools come in useful, as some clients will search by specialism and don’t mind where the firm is based. However, many clients may still prefer to search in their local area.
When it comes to prioritising, this is often a personal decision based on the type of business you normally attract in terms of locality, and what your goals are. An expert SEO agency may also be able to help you determine by reviewing how competitive national and regional keywords are, as well as how much demand there is, to assess which opportunities are worth targeting for.
When is local SEO a waste of money?
For some brands, local SEO may not be the best way to invest in boosting your business online.
This is most applicable when your customers aren’t limited by geography, or when Google doesn’t treat your searches as local. Local SEO may not be the best way to utilise your budget if:
You sell online and ship across the UK
Ecommerce businesses stand little to gain from ranking exclusively in local areas. Category pages and product searches are far more effective ways to target customers in national and international markets.
Your searches don’t trigger a map pack
If local searches don’t yield a map pack result, the likelihood is that Google has deemed this keyword doesn’t require one. You may choose to explore other search terms to determine if there is local opportunity elsewhere, or consider other digital strategies to better boost your brand.
Local demand is too small
A niche service offering with a limited amount of local searches may not yield enough valuable leads to justify pursuing.
In the case that local SEO isn’t the best strategy for your business, there are still a range of other digital marketing strategies for you to choose from. We’ll use an evidence-based approach to suggest the best custom-built campaign for your business, so your efforts are targeting the opportunities that will yield the highest results.
Interested in Local SEO?
Want to know if local SEO is right for you? A Maratopia audit can help identify the most profitable online opportunities for your business and help you put your efforts where they count the most.
Get your free audit today or contact us to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my local SEO isn’t working yet?
Perhaps you’re showing up in Google’s local results, but not in the top three places of the map pack, or you’re in the pack and the enquiries aren’t coming. Both trace back to the same short list of causes.
- You appear further down the “More places” list for your main service, but never in the three-listing pack.
- You rank for your business name and nothing else, so only people who already know you can find you.
- Your Google Business Profile is half-finished, with one category, no services listed and no photos.
- Your business name, address and phone number differ between your website, Google, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect and directories such as Yell.
- Competitors in the pack have more reviews than you, or more recent ones.
- You serve five areas but your website has one contact page and nothing for any of them.
- You’re in the pack, but your Business Profile performance report shows few calls, website clicks or direction requests. People are seeing the listing and choosing someone else.
The reasons these hold you back come down to how Google weighs local signals, set out in our guide to how local SEO works.
Do I need a Google Business Profile if local SEO isn’t for me?
Yes. Even if local SEO isn’t your priority, it is important to have a Google Business Profile (GBP). Your GBP shows vital information about your business to anyone that searches for it, including contact information, service descriptions, and customer reviews.
Can I appear in the map pack for a town where I don’t have an address?
Rarely. Distance is one of Google’s three ranking factors, so a business based in Camden will struggle in the Croydon map pack however strong its profile is.
However, if you wish to target service areas where you don’t have a website, you can still rank in the search results below the map pack.