An easy introduction to Local SEO for SMEs

SEO

Running a small business means your to-do list is never short, and Local SEO can feel like just one more thing you don’t have time to figure out. 

But here’s the truth: showing up in local search results is one of the most time-effective ways to get in front of the people who need what you offer. 

In this article, we’ll cut through the jargon and show you a handful of key activities that actually move the needle; no SEO degree required!

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is all about helping your business appear in online searches made by people in your local area.

Think of someone typing into Google:

• “HR consultant Birmingham”
• “Yoga classes near Harborne”
• “Best coffee shop in Digbeth for remote working”

If you serve a specific location or have customers who search by location, local SEO helps you show up in those results. It’s about visibility, relevance, and trust. But more importantly, it’s about real people finding you when they need what you offer.

Why it matters more than ever

A staggering 99% of consumers have used the internet to find out about local businesses in the last year. That’s according to one recent study, and at the moment, 72% of these consumers use Google as their platform of choice for local search.  

People want local solutions. And they often make decisions fast. In fact, 76% of people who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a related business within a day.

That’s a huge opportunity for small businesses.

Not only that, but 46% of all Google searches have local intent. That means almost half of all Google searches are looking for local information, which highlights the scale of opportunity for SMEs. 

Local SEO puts you in front of these ready-to-act customers.

How to do some basic Local SEO

Local SEO isn’t just one thing; it’s a combination of small steps that make a big difference over time. To get you started, here are the basics that you can do to get started quickly. 

Claim & optimise your Google Business Profile

This is a must if you want to appear in the Map Pack (those top 3 listings on Google Maps). It’s free to set up, and it signals to Google where you are, what you do, and when you’re open. 

But, if you don’t serve clients/customers at your location, make sure you click the button to hide your address – otherwise, Google may penalise you and suspend your account. 

Instead, make sure you optimise your profile for the locations that you serve. There’s an option to do this within the “locations” area on your profile. You can add in towns, cities, regions and counties. 

Encourage (and respond to) reviews

Once you have your Google Business Profile up and running, you can use it to collect reviews of your service. Your profile will include a handy link that you can send to your clients to point them in the right direction. 

Once you get a review, make sure you respond to it. Getting and responding to reviews is incredibly important, not just for your local SEO, but also for building trust and turning potential customers into loyal ones. Here’s why:

Why are reviews important?

1. Reviews build trust with potential customers. People trust people. Before they decide to buy from you, they often check what others have said. 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, especially for service-based businesses. When they see a pattern of positive feedback (and thoughtful responses), it reassures them that you’re credible, professional, and care about your clients.
2. Reviews improve your local SEO. Google uses reviews as a ranking signal in local search. Responding to reviews — both positive and negative — shows Google your business is active and engaged, which helps too. Having more (and better) reviews can help you:

• Show up in the Google Map Pack (the top 3 local listings)
• Appear higher in local search results
• Stand out from your competitors

3. Responding shows professionalism and care. People notice how you engage. A kind, helpful reply can tip someone into choosing you over a competitor who never responds at all. Make asking for reviews part of your workflow. You could send a follow-up email, a QR code on a business card, or a quick message after a successful job. People are often happy to leave a review; they just need a reminder. When you reply to reviews:
   • You show appreciation to happy clients.
   • You demonstrate how you handle feedback.
   • You can even turn a negative review into a positive impression if handled gracefully.

Create location pages

A location page is a good way of explaining to search engines the geographical areas that you serve. For example, a recruitment agency might build some location pages like this:

• Healthcare Recruitment Agency Birmingham
• Healthcare Recruitment Agency Solihull
• Healthcare Recruitment Agency Coventry

Make sure each location page is “optimised” around one particular keyword. To “optimise” a webpage, you need to add your chosen keyword to certain areas on your webpage. This is known as “on-page (or on-site) SEO”. 

Start by adding it at the beginning of the meta title and somewhere within the meta description. 

Not too sure what “meta title” and “meta description” mean? 

They’re the little bit of information that appears on each webpage when you see them listed on the results page of a search engine. Here’s what they look like:

You can change your meta title and meta description by installing an SEO plugin on your website (e.g. Yoast or Rankmath). 

Then, with the alt text of one of the images on your webpage. 

Alt text is a piece of information that is attached to one of your images. It normally describes what an image shows for screen readers and is an important part of website accessibility. It is vital for those who are blind or partially sighted, enabling them to access the content of your website, so don’t overlook it. 

On a Wordpress website, you can normally add your alt text to an image when you upload your image to your media library. You’ll see it on the right-hand side of the media library – a white box labelled “alt text”. This is what it looks like:

Next, aim to include your keyword as part of the URL (webpage address). So, for example: 

• https://your-domain.co.uk/location/independent-coffee-shop-solihull

Then, include the keyword

• Within the first 100 words of your webpage copy.
• Three times throughout the copy. 
• In one of the subheadings on the page 

Ensure that your subheadings are set as H2 tags. This is a bit of code you can add to your website that signals to Google that they’re subheadings; it helps search engines understand the content on your webpages more easily. Ask your web developer if you’re not sure. 

Build local citations and backlinks

So far, we’ve focused on on-page SEO. Now, let’s dive into some off-page SEO work that can help. Off-page SEO (or off-site SEO) refers to all the actions taken outside of your own website that help improve your search engine rankings. 

It’s about building authority, trust, and credibility in the eyes of Google (and other search engines) by showing that others value your website and brand.

It includes backlinks, brand mentions, citations, reviews and content sharing. 

What are backlinks?

Backlinks are hyperlinks from third-party websites to your website. Search engines view them as little signals of trust (the theory is that people will only link to websites that they trust).

What are citations?

Citations are online mentions of your business’s name, address, and phone number (often abbreviated as NAP), even if there’s no link back to your website. 

Why are backlinks important?

Backlinks are important for SEO because they act like votes of confidence from other websites. When another site links to yours, it’s essentially saying, “Hey, this content is useful and trustworthy.” Here’s why they matter:

1. They help search engines trust your site. Search engines like Google use backlinks to measure authority. If lots of high-quality, relevant websites link to you, Google sees your site as more credible, and that can push you higher in the search results.
2. They drive referral traffic. Backlinks don’t just help with SEO, they also send actual visitors your way. If someone reads a blog post on another site and clicks a link to yours, that’s targeted traffic you didn’t have to pay for.
3. They build authority in your niche. If industry websites, local directories, or respected publications are linking to you, it helps establish your business as a trusted name in your field. This builds brand reputation as well as search visibility.
4. They support long-term visibility. High-quality backlinks are one of the strongest, most long-lasting SEO signals. Unlike paid ads, which disappear when the budget runs out, backlinks continue to benefit your site over time.

Not all backlinks are good quality backlinks

Not all backlinks are equal. 

A link from a relevant, high-authority site (like a respected local news outlet or industry publication) is much more valuable than one from a spammy directory.

Because it’s quite easy to bulk-buy backlinks if you really want to – there’s a whole link-building industry out there if you know where to look – Google checks out the quality of your backlinks and the signals that these backlinks are sending about your website. 

We always recommend that you create backlinks as honestly as possible. Resist the temptation to buy links from “link farms” or other means that Google disapproves of. 

Where to start

If you’re a small or local business, starting with backlinks from directories, partnerships, local press, or guest blogs can be a great way to build your site’s authority step by step.

Here’s a list of directories that are great to get you started: 

• Bing Places for Business. The equivalent of Google Business Profile, but for Bing. Often overlooked and underused. 
• Yell.com.  One of the UK’s most established directories.
• Thomson Local.  A trusted local listing platform in the UK with good authority. Just make sure you pay for the website backlink when you create your profile. It’s a low one-off fee and well worth it. 
• Scoot. Feeds data to other directories – great for citation building.
• 192.com. A well-used directory that pulls business info from public records.
• Hotfrog. Free to use and helpful for SEO signal-building.
• Cylex Business Directory UK. Allows reviews and business details; helps with credibility.
• FreeIndex.  Let’s customers leave reviews and boost local SEO authority.
• Business Magnet. Well-indexed in Google, particularly good for B2B service businesses.

Intermediate Local SEO techniques for those who want to go a bit further.

So, that’s some of the basics. But if you want to go a little bit further and send some stronger signals, you can incorporate Local SEO into your marketing campaigns. Here are some ideas:

Create content for local audiences

This is where you can get really creative! 

Consider what your brand’s distinctive features are. Then, ideate.

What can you add to your local area along these themes? What value can you add to your local community that also has brand relevance? 

The relevance is important – don’t just blog about anything! Google likes websites that stay within their niche (in fact, in extreme cases, Google has heavily penalised large websites that have gone against this). 

For example, if you’re a local commercial cleaning company, you may write an article that helps local businesses clean up after a localised flood. Or, maybe as a fitness centre, you may write a piece that explains the best park runs in the local area. 

Create BOFU content for local searches. 

Another idea might be to create service pages for different areas you cover. 

So, you may offer a collection of services all over the UK, but consumers need your service in a specific area, and so may be searching for a local company (or a company that services a specific area). 

For example, a company might be setting up new premises in a new city. They need a crane hire company that’s local to the location of the construction project, so search for “crane hire [location]”. As you serve this area, you have a legitimate reason to create a location page for this search. When they search, your page pops up and bob’s your uncle!

Any content that has strong commercial intent has the potential to convert into an enquiry, and we call this type of content “Bottom of the Funnel” or BOFU for short. Creating BOFU content for each service/location combo that you have is a fantastic way to raise your local profile. These pages don’t have to be visible from the homepage, just make sure they’re linked to from other pages on your website. 

Why Local SEO is perfect for SMEs

Whether you run a commercial cleaning company in Selly Oak, a recruitment agency in the city centre, or a financial adviser in King’s Heath, your audience is nearby, and they’re searching.

Local SEO helps level the playing field. You don’t need to compete with national giants. You just need to be the best choice for people here.

And if you’re a small business juggling all the hats? Good news: local SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies you can invest in. Small steps, done consistently, go a long way.

Need some help with your Local SEO? 

At Twogether Digital, we help businesses like yours get visible in Birmingham and beyond.

We offer a 6-month local SEO campaign that includes:

• Google Business Profile optimisation
• Location-based service pages
• Blog content targeting local search terms
• Citation building
• Review strategy setup
• On-page SEO fixes
• Monthly performance reporting

And if you’re not ready for a full campaign yet? No problem. We can start small, with a one-off audit or some SEO consultancy time to guide your in-house efforts.

Local SEO isn’t just about Google

Although I’ve talked a lot about the giant that is the Big-G, Local SEO is actually about something else. 

It’s about people. 

People who live or work near you, looking for something you offer, at the exact moment they need it.

Local SEO helps you show up, build trust, and grow sustainably.