| name | rank-local |
| description | Build a local SEO strategy covering Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews, and NAP consistency. Use when the user asks about local SEO, Google Business Profile, Google Maps ranking, local pack, NAP consistency, local citations, review strategy, or ranking for "[service] near me" searches.
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| metadata | {"version":"1.0.0"} |
Rank Local
Build a local SEO foundation covering Google Business Profile optimization,
NAP consistency, citation strategy, and review velocity.
Local SEO Ranking Factors
Local search results are determined by three primary factors:
- Relevance — How well your business matches the search query
- Distance — How close you are to the searcher's location
- Prominence — How well-known and trusted your business is online
You can't control distance, but you can maximize relevance and prominence.
Step 1: Google Business Profile Audit
GBP is the single most important local SEO asset. Audit:
Profile Completeness
Visual Content
Active Features
Step 2: NAP Consistency
NAP = Name, Address, Phone. It must be identical everywhere:
- Website (footer, contact page, schema markup)
- Google Business Profile
- All citation directories
- Social media profiles
Common inconsistencies to fix:
- "St" vs "Street" vs "St."
- "Suite 200" vs "#200" vs "Ste 200"
- Different phone numbers (main line vs direct)
- Old addresses from a previous location
- Abbreviated vs full business name
How to check: Search "business name" + "city" and review every listing that appears. Note inconsistencies.
Step 3: Citation Strategy
Citations are mentions of your business NAP on other websites. Key directories:
Foundation Citations (must-have)
- Google Business Profile
- Apple Maps / Apple Business Connect
- Bing Places
- Yelp
- Facebook Business Page
- BBB (Better Business Bureau)
Industry-Specific Citations
Vary by business type:
- Restaurants: TripAdvisor, OpenTable, Zomato
- Medical: Healthgrades, Vitals, WebMD
- Legal: Avvo, FindLaw, Justia
- Home services: HomeAdvisor, Angi, Thumbtack
- Real estate: Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin
Local Citations
- Local chamber of commerce
- City/regional business directories
- Local news sites and publications
- Community event sponsorship pages
Priority: Quality > quantity. 30 accurate citations on authoritative directories beats 200 on low-quality sites.
Step 4: Review Strategy
Reviews directly impact local pack rankings and conversion rates.
Getting More Reviews
- Ask satisfied customers at the point of service
- Send follow-up emails/texts with a direct review link
- Use Google's review link generator:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=[PLACE_ID]
- Train staff to ask — make it part of the customer service flow
- Never incentivize reviews (violates Google guidelines)
Responding to Reviews
Response templates (customize — never copy verbatim):
Positive review response:
"Thank you, [Name]! We're glad [specific thing they mentioned] went well. [Brief personal touch]. We look forward to [future interaction]."
Key: Reference something specific from their review. Generic "Thanks for the review!" signals you don't read them.
Negative review response:
"[Name], thank you for sharing this feedback. We're sorry [acknowledge specific issue]. This isn't the experience we aim for. Please reach out to [contact method] so we can make this right."
Key: Respond within 24 hours. Acknowledge the specific concern. Move resolution offline. Never argue publicly.
Fake review response:
"We don't have a record of this interaction. If you are a customer, please contact [email/phone] so we can look into this."
Key: Report via GBP dashboard first. Respond factually without being defensive. Don't accuse — state facts.
Review Velocity
- Aim for steady, ongoing reviews — not bursts
- A sudden spike of reviews looks unnatural
- 2-5 new reviews per month is healthy for most small businesses
- Track review velocity month-over-month
Step 5: Local Content
Create location-relevant content for your website:
- Location pages (if multi-location): unique content per location, not duplicated templates
- Local service pages: "[service] in [city]" pages with genuine local relevance
- Local blog content: Community involvement, local events, local case studies
- FAQ page: Answer location-specific questions
Avoid: Doorway pages (thin, templated pages targeting every neighborhood/zip code).
Step 6: Local Schema Markup
Add structured data to your website:
LocalBusiness Schema
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Business Name",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "City",
"addressRegion": "State",
"postalCode": "12345"
},
"telephone": "+1-555-555-5555",
"openingHoursSpecification": [...],
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": "40.7128",
"longitude": "-74.0060"
}
}
Use the most specific business type available: Restaurant, DentalClinic, LawFirm, etc. rather than generic LocalBusiness.
Output Format
Local SEO Strategy: [business name / domain]
GBP Audit Results
- Profile completeness: [x]%
- Categories: [current categories — any missing?]
- Review count: [count] | Average rating: [stars]
- Photo count: [count]
NAP Consistency
- Inconsistencies found: [count]
- Directories checked: [count]
- Fixes needed: [list]
Citation Plan
| Directory | Status | Action | Priority |
|---|
| Google Business | Active | Update hours | High |
| Yelp | Claimed | Fix address format | Medium |
| [industry-specific] | Not listed | Create listing | High |
Review Strategy
- Current velocity: [reviews/month]
- Target velocity: [reviews/month]
- Reviews needing response: [count]
- Action items for getting more reviews
Content Recommendations
- Location pages to create
- Local content topics
- Schema to implement
Pro Tip: Use the free SEO Audit to check
local schema markup and the Schema Markup Generator
to build LocalBusiness JSON-LD. SEOJuice MCP users can run /seojuice:gbp-overview to
see all GBP locations, reviews needing attention, sentiment breakdown, and reply to
reviews directly from Claude.
