--- title: "How to Get Started with Local SEO | Liftoff Local" url: https://liftofflocal.co/resources/guides/local-seo-basics description: "The basics of showing up when people search for your business in your area. No technical jargon — just actionable steps you can take today." lang: en --- Visibility 5 min read # How to Get Started with Local SEO The basics of showing up when people search for your business in your area. No technical jargon — just actionable steps you can take today. Google Business Profile Keywords Citations Reviews When someone in your town searches for what you do, you want to be the business they find. Local SEO is how you make that happen — and it's more straightforward than most marketing agencies would have you believe. ## What is Local SEO, Really? Local SEO is simply the practice of making your business visible when people search for services in your area. When someone types "plumber near me" or "best coffee shop in Bellefontaine," the businesses that show up have done some form of local SEO — whether they knew it or not. - Google prioritizes businesses that are relevant, close, and prominent - Your Google Business Profile is the foundation of local SEO - Consistency across the web matters more than you'd think ## Start with Google Business Profile Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the single most important thing you can do for local SEO. It's free, it's powerful, and most small businesses don't use it to its full potential. Claim your profile, fill out every field completely, add high-quality photos, and keep your hours accurate. - Add your business to all relevant categories - Upload at least 10 photos of your business, team, and work - Post updates weekly — Google rewards active profiles - Respond to every review, positive or negative ## Get Your NAP Consistent NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. This information needs to be exactly the same everywhere your business appears online — your website, Facebook, Yelp, industry directories, everywhere. Even small differences (like "Street" vs "St.") can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings. - Create a master document with your exact NAP format - Audit your existing listings for inconsistencies - Focus on the major directories first: Google, Facebook, Yelp, Apple Maps ## Reviews Are Your Secret Weapon Reviews do double duty: they help you rank higher AND they convince people to choose you. Google uses review quantity and quality as a ranking factor. But more importantly, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. Make getting reviews a regular part of your business process. - Ask for reviews at the point of maximum satisfaction - Make it easy — send a direct link to your Google review page - Respond to reviews within 24-48 hours - Never buy fake reviews — Google will penalize you ## The Bottom Line Local SEO isn't about tricks or gaming the system. It's about showing Google (and potential customers) that you're a real, active, reputable business in your community. Start with your Google Business Profile, get consistent, and ask for reviews. Everything else is refinement. ### Your Next Steps - 1 Claim or verify your Google Business Profile today - 2 Audit your NAP across the top 5 directories - 3 Create a simple system for asking customers for reviews - 4 Check back in 30 days to see your progress Find Your Perfect Plan: https://liftofflocal.co/pricing Up next ### Social Media for Small Businesses: What Works 7 min read https://liftofflocal.co/resources/guides/social-media-small-business Explore More ## Put this into action ### Locations Columbus, Ohio: https://liftofflocal.co/locations/columbus Dayton, Ohio: https://liftofflocal.co/locations/dayton Cincinnati, Ohio: https://liftofflocal.co/locations/cincinnati Bellefontaine, Ohio: https://liftofflocal.co/locations/bellefontaine View all locations: https://liftofflocal.co/locations ## Related Resources Tech & AI News ### AI Overviews Are Replacing Page 1 — What to Do Now 12 min read https://liftofflocal.co/resources/news/google-ai-overviews-replacing-page-1 Marketing Playbook ### HVAC Marketing Playbook https://liftofflocal.co/resources/playbooks/hvac-marketing ## Want personalized guidance? These guides cover the basics, but every business is different. Let's talk about what would actually help yours. ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://liftofflocal.co/#organization", "name": "Liftoff Local LLC", "alternateName": "Liftoff Local", "url": "https://liftofflocal.co", "description": "Marketing infrastructure for local businesses. 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