Google's own local-ranking guidance identifies three main factors: relevance (how well a business profile matches the search), distance (proximity to the searcher), and prominence (a composite of review signals, citation consistency, and overall web authority). Core local SEO tactics build directly on these factors: a fully completed and actively managed Google Business Profile, consistent NAP (name, address, phone) data across citations and directories, a genuine, steady flow of customer reviews with thoughtful responses, and locally relevant content (city or neighborhood-specific pages, local link building from community and industry sources) that reinforces geographic relevance beyond the profile alone. Local SEO differs from broader SEO in that a business with a physical location or defined service area competes primarily against nearby businesses, not the entire web, which changes both the competitive landscape and the tactics that matter most.
Example
A multi-location HVAC company builds a dedicated, locally-written landing page for each service area (not a templated city-swap page) and standardizes NAP data across 30 directories, moving into the local pack for its three highest-value cities within four months.
Related terms
Related terms
Related Reading
404 Error
A 404 error is the standard HTTP status code returned when a requested page doesn't exist on the server — the classic 'page not found' response.
A/B Testing (SEO)
A/B testing in SEO is the practice of showing two versions of a page element — usually a title tag, meta description, or on-page element — to see which one earns a better click-through rate or ranking outcome.
AI Citation
An AI citation happens when an AI assistant like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or Gemini references or links to a specific page as the source for part of its answer.
