Local SEO basics

Become discoverable in local search. This lesson applies the same principle to three distinct stages of business.

Why it matters: Illustrative example: a food business updates Sunday hours on Leonix but leaves an outdated schedule on a map. A visitor may travel at the wrong time; accuracy comes before buying ads.

Why listings matter: Google explains local results primarily in terms of relevance, distance and prominence; there is no way to pay for better organic local ranking. Accurate complete information can help customers, but top placement is never guaranteed. Only eligible businesses should claim a local profile; entirely online-only businesses generally are not eligible.

Practical example: María runs a mobile service but does not welcome customers at home. Before displaying a residential address she must review service-area and privacy rules. She searches for existing records to avoid duplicates, claims the legitimate profile and updates special hours. Distinguish a free listing, paid advertising and a D-U-N-S business identifier; none guarantees customers.

Twenty-minute audit: check Google, Bing and Apple if eligible, then consider Yelp, Nextdoor, BBB and Yellow Pages based on actual relevance. Record the accurate name, phone, hours, site and profile owner. Confirm costs and terms on each service's own official pages. Additional official Google guidance: https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091 and https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177 .

Practical steps: 1. IDEA: determine whether you serve customers in person or within a service area and check each platform's eligibility. 2. STARTING: prepare one verified business information sheet. Search for existing profiles before creating duplicates; claim and verify them through official channels. 3. ESTABLISHED: audit names, hours, links, photos and duplicate listings on Google, Bing, Apple and other relevant directories before paying for advertising. 4. PRACTICE — Compare two directories against your own information sheet; record three discrepancies, who can edit each and the date you will review them. 5. REFLECT — What decision would you change today, and what real information do you still need before spending money?