Local SEO is essential for SMBs hoping to improve visibility and drive sales in their regional market. In 2025, optimizing for local search is more critical than ever. Take a look at these statistics:

• 80% of US consumers search for local businesses weekly, and 32% search for local businesses daily (BrightLocal)
• 42% of searchers with local queries interact with the Google map pack (Backlinko)
• 81% of consumers use Google to find reviews for local businesses (BrightLocal)

For small businesses, this represents a huge opportunity to capture local customers who are actively searching for their products or services. However, many businesses don’t know how to get started. PassionFruit Studios is here to help.

Let’s dive into the basics of local SEO, how it works, and the key strategies you need to know for success in 2025. We will also walk you through some of the trends shaping the future of local SEO and provide actionable tips to help you get started. With a little research and time, you can take all of these actions yourself without investing in an expensive partner.

What Is Local SEO?

First we’ll start with the basics: what is local SEO? Local SEO is a digital marketing strategy that helps businesses promote their services to local customers. It focuses on optimizing a business’s online presence to appear in local search results, such as “restaurants near me” or “grocery store in [city name].”

By leveraging local SEO, businesses can improve their visibility on Google’s local search results, Google Maps, and other location-based search platforms. It’s particularly effective for brick-and-mortar businesses or service providers who rely on local clientele. But here’s what’s really valuable: unlike most forms of digital marketing, local SEO targets high-intent customers who know what they want and are actively looking for your service/product.

How Does Local SEO Work?

Local SEO is different from traditional SEO because it focuses on geographic relevance and visibility in specific regions. Google uses a unique set of ranking factors to determine the placement of businesses in local search results, including:

• The location of the person conducting the search
• Name, address, and phone (NAP) citations
• The presence and optimization of a Google Business Profile listing
• The sentiment and keywords found in online reviews
• The number of check-ins or visits to the business location
• Prevalence and accuracy of local directory listings (Yelp, Foursquare, etc)
• The star rating and reviews on Google Maps

Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on broader search intent and website authority, local SEO is about proximity and relevance to a specific audience. Optimizing for these factors helps businesses rank in the highly coveted Google’s “Map Pack” and other local search results.

Local SEO Trends in 2025

As SEO and digital marketing evolves, staying on top of emerging trends is vital. In 2025, several key trends are shaping the future of local SEO:

• User-Generated Content (UGC): Reviews, photos, and social posts from customers play a more significant role in building trust and credibility in your community than ever before.
• Local Link Building: Building local, highly useful links is critical; over the past few years, Google and other engines have cracked down on low-quality backlinks and “unhelpful content.” Your backlinks need to be as engaging as your blog and other resource pages.
• Engaging Location/Areas Served Pages: Google’s helpful content update also impacted location-specific landing pages. Reused, surface-level content just won’t cut it. Location pages need to cater to the audience in the target area.
• Hyper-local SEO: You’ll find a variety of opinions on the efficacy of hyper-local SEO. It involves optimizing a business’s online presence to target customers in a small area, like a neighborhood or street. In 2025, you’ll see more businesses using this strategy.

Pillars of Local SEO You Need to Know

1. Google Business Profile

A well-optimized Google Business Profile (GBP) is the cornerstone of local SEO. Ensure your GBP includes accurate NAP information, high-quality images, business hours, and relevant keywords. Don’t know where to start? Follow these 5 steps:

• Sign into/create a Google Business Profile
• Add your business information
• Verify your business (This is crucial! Do not skip this step)
• Engage with customer reviews and update media regularly
• Monitor performance and make updates as needed

Neil Patel has a great breakdown of how to set up your GBP if you need more guidance.

2. Google’s Map Pack

Google’s “Map Pack” is a prominent feature in local search results, showcasing the top three businesses for a specific query. To secure a spot here, focus on maintaining a well-optimized Google Business Profile, earning positive reviews, and using location-specific keywords. There is no easy way to get listed in the map pack. It will take time to optimize your profile and earn reviews, so start today and get ahead of the competition. Check out the image below for an example of the map pack for the search “digital marketing agency in los angeles.”

3. On-Page Optimizations

On-page SEO remains essential for local search. Include location-specific keywords in your meta titles, headers, and content. But always remember not to just stuff keywords in your content. You should strive for helpful content that is specific to your location. Start by optimizing your web pages for your primary location (this is usually the city your business is located), then create dedicated location pages for surrounding areas that you also serve.

4. Local Keyword Research

Conduct keyword research to identify terms and phrases that local customers search. A local keyword has geographical indicators (like city or neighborhood names) that target specific locations. A general keyword is broader and doesn’t specify a location. We know that keyword research tools like Semrush or Ahrefs can be expensive, so start with free tools like Google Keyword Planner.

5. Directory Listings

Accurate and consistent directory listings are vital for local SEO. Submit your business information to local directories, such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, and industry-specific platforms. It’s critical that NAP info matches across all directories. It may seem nitpicky, but your NAP info should be exactly the same as what’s listed on your GBP.

6. Local Link Building

Building links from local websites, organizations, and news outlets boosts your authority and visibility. As previously stated, a trend we are seeing is that Google and other engines are devaluing spammy or low-quality backlinks. Make sure the content in your backlinks is helpful and can actually generate organic traffic. Here are a few strategies for building local links:

• Sponsor community events: By sponsoring community events, you can have the organization build a link from their website to yours.
• Partner with local businesses: Reach out to local businesses that are relevant to your industry. Offer to share your expertise with their audience in exchange for a backlink to your site.
• Create locally relevant content: Start a blog with high-quality content that other local organizations naturally want to reference. On this page, for example, I’ve included plenty of links to other websites. Nobody asked us to do this; we created these links because it’s helpful and adds context or information.

Grow Your Business with Local SEO

Local SEO is an indispensable strategy for businesses looking to reach high-intent, local customers. And unlike other digital marketing channels, local SEO is fairly easy to implement yourself with a little time and research. Don’t wait for users to stumble on your website and GBP. Boot up your laptop or computer, take the actions outlined in this post, and position your business to be seen by purchase-ready customers. If you have any questions along the way, the experts at PassionFruit Studios are happy to help.