How Local Search Works

Introduction

Think of how you find a cafe, a plumber or a hairdresser: you search on your phone, often with words like "near me". Local search shows nearby businesses on a map and in a list. If your business appears there, customers can call, get directions or visit within minutes. It costs nothing to take part.

The simple explanation

Local search shows businesses that match what someone wants, close to where they are.

Google says local results are mainly based on three things:

• Relevance: how well your profile matches what the person searched for.
• Distance: how far your business is from the searcher or the place they named.
• Prominence: how well known and trusted your business is, using information such as reviews and what is found around the web.

You cannot change the distance, but you can improve relevance and prominence by keeping honest, complete information and earning genuine reviews.

Free and paid

Appearing in local results through your Business Profile is free. Google also sells adverts, but you do not need them to start. This course uses only free methods.

Does your business qualify?

Google's guidelines say a business can have a profile if it makes in-person contact with customers during stated hours, for example a shop, a restaurant, or a tradesperson who visits customers or a customer who visits you. It is meant for real businesses, and the information must reflect the real world.

Things that are not allowed include:

• Fake or virtual addresses you do not really operate from
• Listings for businesses that do not exist
• Putting extra keywords in your business name

Read the guidelines for your situation. Service-area businesses, such as plumbers who travel to customers, can show an area rather than a public street address.

What customers want to know

When someone is deciding, they look for:

• Are you open now, and when?
• Where exactly are you, and how do I get there?
• Can I call or message you?
• What do you offer, and what does it cost?
• What do other customers say?

Your profile should answer all five quickly.

Try it yourself

Search for a business like yours in your area on your phone. Look at the top three results. What do their profiles show well? What is missing that you could do better, honestly?

Summary

• Local results depend on relevance, distance and prominence.
• A Google Business Profile is free and is the most important local tool.
• Only real businesses that serve customers in person can have one, and the information must be accurate.