Question 1

What are local SEO services?

Accepted Answer

Local SEO services help a business appear on Google when people nearby search for what it offers. That covers the map pack at the top of results, Google Maps itself and the regular results for local searches. The work typically includes optimising your Google Business Profile, building reviews, keeping your details consistent across the web and creating local pages on your website.

Question 2

How does Google rank local results?

Accepted Answer

Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile matches the search, distance is how far you are from the searcher or the place they named, and prominence is how well known you are, based on things like reviews, links and how well your website ranks.

Question 3

How is local SEO different from regular SEO?

Accepted Answer

Regular SEO focuses on ranking a website nationally for topics and services. Local SEO targets customers in a specific area, so your Google Business Profile, reviews and physical location carry far more weight. Most local businesses need both: a strong profile for the map pack, and a well-built site that ranks for service and town searches.

Question 4

Which businesses benefit most from local SEO?

Accepted Answer

Any business whose customers come from a defined area: shops, cafés, restaurants, salons, dental and medical practices, solicitors, accountants, estate agents, garages and trades such as plumbers, electricians and builders. If people search for your service with a town name or “near me”, local SEO is likely to be one of your best channels.

Question 5

How do we get into the map pack at the top of Google?

Accepted Answer

The map pack usually shows only three businesses, so competition is tight. You need a verified, complete Google Business Profile with the right primary category, a steady flow of genuine reviews, consistent business details across the web and a website with clear pages for the services and places you want to rank for.

Question 6

Can we rank locally without a shop or office?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Service-area businesses, such as trades, cleaners and mobile beauticians, can hide their address in Google Business Profile and set the areas they cover instead. Combined with a local page for each area and reviews that mention the job and location, that lets you appear in searches across the places you work.

Question 7

Can we rank in more than one town or city?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but how depends on your setup. If you have staffed premises in several places, each location gets its own Business Profile. If you serve several towns from one base, you use a service area and build a strong local page for each town rather than creating extra profiles, which breaks Google's guidelines.

Question 8

What are NAP consistency and citations?

Accepted Answer

NAP stands for name, address and phone number. Citations are anywhere those details appear online, such as Yell, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Yelp, industry directories and social profiles. When your details match everywhere, Google can trust them more easily. Old addresses and different phone numbers are common problems we tidy up.

Question 9

How long does local SEO take to work?

Accepted Answer

Fixes to your Business Profile, such as correcting the primary category, can show within weeks. Reviews, citations and local pages build your position over several months. How fast you move also depends on how crowded your area is: a dentist in central London faces far tougher competition than one in a small market town.

Question 10

Do you work with businesses across the UK?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Local SEO can be done fully remotely, so we can work with businesses wherever their customers are, from big cities to small market towns. What matters is understanding your local area: the towns you serve, how people there search for your service and which competitors already hold the top spots.

Question 11

What is the Google local pack?

Accepted Answer

The local pack, or map pack, is the box with a map and usually three businesses that Google shows near the top of local searches. It sits above most regular results and attracts many of the clicks for searches with local intent, which is why getting into it is the main goal of most local SEO work.

Question 12

How do “near me” searches work?

Accepted Answer

When someone searches for “plumber near me”, Google uses their location to decide what's near. You don't need to write “near me” on your website. What helps is a complete profile with the right category, an accurate address or service area, good reviews and website content that clearly says which areas you cover.

Question 13

Why isn't our business showing on Google Maps?

Accepted Answer

Common causes are an unverified or suspended profile, a primary category that doesn't match the search, inconsistent details across the web, or competitors with more and better reviews. Sometimes the profile appears but only for your business name. A local SEO check shows exactly what's holding you back and what to fix first.

Question 14

Does our exact location in town matter?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Distance from the searcher is one of Google's three main factors, and it matters most in busy areas with many competitors. You can't change where you are, but you can strengthen relevance and prominence, so you appear across a wider radius than businesses with weaker profiles and fewer reviews.

Question 15

Should we add keywords to our business name on Google?

Accepted Answer

No. Your profile name should match your real-world business name, as it appears on your signage, website and Companies House record. Adding extra keywords, such as “Best Plumber Leeds”, breaks Google's guidelines, can be reported by competitors and may get the profile suspended. Use your categories, services and description instead.

Question 16

Is it legal to ask customers for Google reviews in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Yes, asking genuine customers for honest reviews is fine. What's banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, since April 2025, is posting fake reviews, paying for them, or hiding or distorting genuine ones. The CMA can fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover, so keep requests simple, open to every customer and free of incentives.

Question 17

How do we add our business to Google Maps?

Accepted Answer

Create a Google Business Profile with your business name, category and either your address or service area, then verify it. Once Google confirms the profile, your business can appear in Google Maps and in local search results. If a listing already exists, perhaps created by a customer, you can claim it rather than starting again.

Question 18

How long does Business Profile verification take?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the method Google offers you, which can include phone, text, email or a video recording of your premises. Some methods confirm the profile straight away, while video checks can take several days to be reviewed. We make sure your details are correct before you submit, which helps avoid delays and repeat requests.

Question 19

What are Google Business Profile posts, and do they help?

Accepted Answer

Posts are short updates, offers or news that appear on your profile. They're not a major ranking factor, but they show the business is active, give searchers a reason to choose you and let you highlight seasonal services or events. A post every week or two is usually plenty for most local businesses.

Question 20

Which photos should our profile have?

Accepted Answer

Real photos of your premises inside and out, your team and your work. Customers want to recognise the building when they arrive and see what they're paying for. Current, good-quality photos make the profile more trustworthy and more likely to get clicks. Avoid stock images, and add new photos regularly.

Question 21

Can two businesses share one address?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if they're genuinely separate businesses, each with its own signage and opening hours, for example in a shared office building. What isn't allowed is one business creating several profiles at the same address to take up more space in the results. Virtual offices and co-working addresses without staff are also generally not eligible.

Question 22

Do we need Apple Maps and Bing Places too?

Accepted Answer

Google handles around nine in ten UK searches, so it comes first. But many iPhone users rely on Apple Maps for directions, and Bing accounts for roughly 6% of UK searches. Both listings are free to claim, so we make sure your details are accurate there too as part of the citation work.

Question 23

Is Google My Business the same as Google Business Profile?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Google My Business was the old name for Google's free tool that lets businesses manage how they appear in Google Search and Maps. Google renamed it Google Business Profile, and most editing now happens directly in Search or the Maps app. Many people still search for the old name, but it's the same profile.

Question 24

What does Google Business Profile optimisation involve?

Accepted Answer

We choose the best primary and secondary categories, complete every relevant field, add services or products with clear descriptions, upload good photos, set accurate opening and holiday hours, and add booking links. Then we keep it working: replying to reviews, adding posts and photos, answering questions and tracking calls and clicks each month.

Question 25

Does a Google Business Profile cost anything?

Accepted Answer

No, creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free. The cost is the time it takes to run it well: choosing categories, adding photos and posts, replying to reviews and keeping details accurate. Be wary of anyone who calls claiming you must pay Google to stay listed, as that is a common scam.

Question 26

How do we verify a Google Business Profile?

Accepted Answer

Google decides which verification methods to offer, based on your business type and details. Options can include a code by phone, text or email, or a short video showing your premises, signage and proof of management. We guide you through the steps and check everything matches before you submit, as mismatched details are a common reason for rejection.

Question 27

What makes a good Google Business Profile?

Accepted Answer

The right primary and additional categories, accurate opening hours, a full list of services or products, a clear description, real photos, links to booking or your website, and a steady stream of reviews with replies. The more complete and active the profile, the easier it is for Google to show it for relevant searches.

Question 28

How often should we update our profile?

Accepted Answer

Opening hours should always be right, especially around bank holidays and Christmas, when Google often prompts customers to check. Beyond that, adding new photos and posts a few times a month and replying to reviews within a day or two keeps the profile looking active and gives searchers fresh reasons to choose you.

Question 29

Which primary category should we choose?

Accepted Answer

The primary category is one of the strongest signals for which searches you appear in. Choose the one that best describes your core business, not every service you offer, and add secondary categories for the rest. We check which categories the top-ranking competitors in your area use before recommending a setup.

Question 30

Why has our Business Profile been suspended?

Accepted Answer

Common reasons are keywords stuffed into the business name, an address that can't be verified, a virtual office, or a sudden change of key details. We work out the likely cause, fix what breaks Google's guidelines and help you submit a reinstatement request with the right evidence, such as signage photos or utility bills.

Question 31

Can other people edit our Business Profile?

Accepted Answer

Anyone can suggest edits to a profile, and Google sometimes accepts them automatically, including changes to hours, phone numbers or categories. That's why the profile needs regular checks. We monitor it, reverse incorrect changes quickly and make sure only the right people in your business have owner or manager access.

Question 32

Why do Google reviews matter so much?

Accepted Answer

Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, and reviews are often the first thing a new customer reads. The number of reviews, your average rating, how recent they are and whether you reply all shape both where you appear and whether people choose you over the business next to you on the map.

Question 33

Should we reply to every Google review?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Replies show you care and are read by future customers as much as by the reviewer. For positive reviews, a short, personal thank you is enough; mention the service where it fits naturally. For critical ones, a calm and helpful reply often matters more to the next reader than the original complaint.

Question 34

How should we respond to a negative review?

Accepted Answer

Reply calmly and factually, thank the person for the feedback, apologise where it's fair and offer a way to put it right, ideally by moving the conversation offline. Avoid arguing or sharing private details. Remember you're writing for the next customer reading the exchange as much as for the person who left the review.

Question 35

Can we buy or incentivise Google reviews?

Accepted Answer

No. Fake, paid or incentivised reviews break Google's policies, and in the UK they're banned under the DMCC Act, with CMA fines of up to 10% of global turnover. Google has also agreed with the CMA to show warning alerts on UK profiles that boost ratings with fake reviews. A simple, honest request routine works better and carries no risk.

Question 36

Can we remove a bad Google review?

Accepted Answer

Only if it breaks Google's content policies, for example if it's fake, offensive, a conflict of interest or about a different business. You can report it from your Business Profile and Google will assess it. Genuine negative reviews stay, so the best response is a professional reply and more positive reviews from happy customers.

Question 37

Do Google reviews affect AI recommendations?

Accepted Answer

They appear to. AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews draw on what others say about a business when recommending suppliers, and research by Ahrefs found brand mentions correlate more strongly with AI Overview visibility than backlinks. Strong, genuine reviews therefore help on the map and give AI tools better material to cite.

Question 38

How much do local SEO services cost?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how many locations and areas you want to rank in, and how competitive your market is. A single-location salon needs much less than a firm covering several cities. After the free local SEO check you get a clear proposal, usually as a fixed monthly fee, so you know exactly what's included before you decide.

Question 39

Do we need a website to rank locally?

Accepted Answer

You can appear with only a Google Business Profile, but a website with clear pages for your services and areas makes it much easier to rank well, especially in competitive places. It also gives customers more reason to trust you, and it lets you rank in the regular results below the map pack too.

Question 40

How do you measure local SEO results?

Accepted Answer

We track your map rankings for priority searches across your area, plus calls, direction requests and website clicks from your Business Profile. On the website we track visits, enquiries and bookings from local search. Every month you get a short report showing what changed, what we did and what's next.

Question 41

Can you help a business with several locations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each location gets its own Business Profile and its own local page on your website. We set up shared standards for categories, details, photos and review replies, so every branch is handled consistently, and we report on each location separately so you can see which ones need more attention.

Question 42

Who owns our Google Business Profile?

Accepted Answer

You do, always. We work with manager access that you grant, and you remain the primary owner with full control. If we ever stop working together, you simply remove our access and keep everything: the profile, the reviews, the photos and all the history. We never set up profiles under our own accounts.

Question 43

Can we manage our Google Business Profile ourselves?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and the basics are very doable: keep details accurate, add photos and reply to reviews. What we add is competitor analysis, the right priorities, local pages, citation clean-up and monthly tracking, so the effort turns into more customers.

Question 44

How does local SEO connect to our website?

Accepted Answer

Your website is one of the strongest signals of prominence. Clear pages for each service and area, the same name, address and phone number as your profile, and a fast mobile experience all help you rank higher on the map. More than half of UK web traffic is on mobile, so the mobile version matters most.

Local SEO that puts you on the map

How to rank higher on Google Maps

A complete Google Business Profile

Google reviews that build trust

Local pages and citations

More calls, bookings and visits

Local SEO decides whether nearby customers find you

Relevance

Distance

Prominence

Google reviews that make more people choose you

Rank locally without a shopfront or office

The tools behind our local SEO

Google

Reviews and social media

Local SEO reaches customers who are ready to buy nearby

How our local SEO service works

Local SEO check

Profile & foundations

Reviews & local pages

Monthly review

Everything you need to rank locally

For businesses that rely on local customers

Shops, salons and restaurants

Trades and service businesses

Clinics, practices and chains

Where do you rank on the map today?

More on local SEO and getting found

How AI chooses which companies to recommend

How to appear in ChatGPT: 7 reasons you are not mentioned, and what to do

How long does SEO take? Realistic timelines, and is SEO worth it?

What is hreflang? How to show Google the right language version

Our SEO services beyond local SEO

SEO

Ready to grow?

Local SEO, Google Business Profile and reviews: FAQ