Why Local SEO matters for small businesses

You know how it is. Something breaks and you need to call in the trades to fix it. So what's the first thing someone does? Google it.

They'll use the same search terms anyone in this position would:

"Plumber near me"

"Builder in Swansea"

"Electrician Swindon"

And Google will show them businesses that match their terms. It's called the map pack, and it's a list of businesses. But nobody is going to scroll through 20+ businesses, in fact they'll barely go past the top five, especially if it's time-sensitive. So the top 3-5 early birds get the worm.

This is where local SEO comes in. You may have a website, you may have a Google Business Profile, but just having those things doesn't mean you're done with SEO, local or otherwise.

You need to make sure that customers can find you, know what you offer, and trust you enough to click on your email address.

So what is local SEO exactly?

Short answer: The process of improving your online visibility in a specific area.

Local SEO focuses on reaching people who are already looking for a service in their local area. You're not going to contact a roofer from Edinburgh when you live in Cardiff.

Since it's so hyper-local, businesses should look at what the information out there says about them. Look at your Google Business Profile. Does it have:

• A service area

• A contact number

• An address

• Customer reviews

Look at your website, does that have:

• A description of your services on the homepage

• A list of areas you work in (and do they match what your GBP says?)

• A list of past jobs

If none of those things are linked to you, Google doesn't know what you do or who to show you to. It's not omniscient, not yet anyway. You need to be telling Google who you are and where you are so that customers can find you.

Why does local SEO matter for trades and small businesses?

Keeping up with changing growth methods is important. Traditionally trades businesses would grow through word of mouth or repeat customers alongside a strong reputation locally.

These still help, but they don't make decisions like they used to. Most potential customers now will Google you before they make a decision. Yes, even if their nan recommends you.

They're not doing it out of mistrust, they're doing it so your time and theirs isn't wasted. Let's say Brenda from Llanelli sees that her grandson needs someone to come in and sort out the garden. She recommends the gardener she's been using for the last ten years.

The grandson then checks the business on Google. Great reviews, it exists, professional photos...ah, they don't cover Swansea. So he clicks off and chooses someone else who does cover his area.

Or maybe Jack from Gloucester recommends a builder he used five years ago to a friend. The friend checks and the business is nowhere to be found, it simply doesn't exist.

Having an online presence and making sure you do appear when someone is searching "gardener Swansea" or "builder near me" is the most important thing you can do.

Your Google Business Profile

This usually appears before any websites so these are the important things:

• Accurate contact details. Keep this updated whenever your number changes

• Opening hours. Unless you want calls at 3am, these need to be set.

• Relevant services. Include what you do.

• Recent photos. Not just your logo or the van, actual customer jobs.

• Reviews. This is tricky because generally speaking people only ever review amazing or terrible work. You want a good spread of honest reviews.

• Updates. Whenever you post something on Facebook or TikTok, post it here too.

If things are missing, the business looks dead.

Your website

This is in addition to a Google Business Profile, not instead of it. They need to work together.

It doesn't need to be complicated, just a one page is often enough. As long as it has:

• What type of work you do. It wastes time if someone calls you to do a driveway when that's not a service you offer.

• What areas you cover. Just a small list is enough.

• Examples of previous work.

• Contact information. A phone and email work best.

Local SEO isn't just rankings

Yes, ranking highly means you're more visible but that's not the actual goal. What matters, and what local SEO aims to do, is to convert those searches into customers.

The thing is, most small business have everything they need. They've got a good reputation, happy customers, and they do good work. All local SEO does is make those strengths more visible.

For any small business it's not about competing with the big names. Local SEO just helps you show up when customers are looking for you.