Imagine that you need to find a new dentist in your town. What would your first action be?

If you’re like 99% of people today, it’s to conduct a local search on an engine like Google or Bing. 

This is because local searches are quick and convenient, and often lead to a user making a purchase. 

Research shows that:

  • ‘Near me’ searches have increased by 900% in recent years. 
  • 4 out of 5 users conduct searches with local intent.
  • 78% of users who conduct local searches will end up making a purchase either online or in-store. 

These statistics reinforce the effectiveness of local SEO as a marketing channel.

As a result, local SEO has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, as local business owners have realized how crucial it is.

So, if you want to grow your local business, launching a local SEO strategy is a great way to do it. 

You can think of local SEO as having two core components:

  1. Influencing Local Pack and Google Maps rankings 
  2. Influencing the organic rankings 

In this ultimate guide, we’ll teach you how to develop an all-inclusive local SEO strategy to outrank your competitors and generate more business, so stay tuned! 

P.S. This is part of an ongoing series of guides focused on local SEO. Click here to take a look at the other chapters.

Local SEO Pack/Map Rankings Factors

First, let’s dive into the most important local SEO ranking factors.

What are those?

A ranking factor is something that Google’s algorithm has deemed worthy of influencing its search rankings. There are hundreds of ranking factors that Google uses, as its algorithm is complex and always evolving. 

General SEO ranking factors are things like content quality, backlinks, page speed, and a whole host of other things.  

Local SEO ranking factors specifically refer to the elements that help you rank higher in Local Pack and Google Maps searches. 

Also, whenever we refer to the Local Pack, we’re talking about this type of feature:

As you can see, the Local Pack highlights three businesses in your area. It also highlights their location on Google Maps and provides additional information like each business’s address and an average rating out of 5 stars. 

You’ve likely seen the Local Pack in action whenever searching for businesses near your location. 

Why did these specific pizza restaurants appear in the Pack?

They did because they optimized their websites in order to rank high in the Local Pack. Besides their local SEO efforts, their restaurants’ average rating also played a role, as Google only features businesses with an average of 4 stars or higher.

Appearing in the Local Pack is a HUGE advantage, so it’s an extremely sought-after position in the local SEO world. 

Local Pack listings receive the majority of clicks (44%) from local searches, so it’s no wonder why everyone wants to appear in them. 

It’s also advantageous to appear in Google Maps searches since it’s a popular platform for finding local businesses. 

What are some of the most important local SEO ranking factors?

Here are some general local SEO ranking factors:

  • Signals from your Google Business Profile (GBP) 
  • Negative and positive reviews on Google, Yelp, or Bing
  • High-quality backlinks from relevant websites
  • Number of “Check-Ins” at location
  • Directory listings for your local business
  • Relevant citations
  • Consistent search engine NAP information 
  • An optimized landing page

Setting up and optimizing your GBP is one of the most important ranking factors for local SEO. Without a GBP listing, you won’t be able to appear in the Local Pack and Google Maps searches, so it’s an absolute must. 

In fact, 75% of businesses that appear in the top 3 organic search results will have filled out the description section of their GBP accounts. This is a testament to how important it is to optimize your GBP listing for local SEO. 

Besides your GBP, local reviews are also massively important. 

Positive reviews will not only make it easier to rank higher, but they’ll also build trust among potential customers. Studies suggest that people trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations, so make sure that you’re encouraging happy customers to leave reviews. 

Backlinks are another major local SEO ranking factor. A backlink is a link on another website that directs back to one of your web pages. 

Google wants to see links coming from respected websites so that it knows that your content is also trustworthy. The idea is that if reputable local news sites and blogs link to your content, you must be doing something right. 

Believe it or not, the number of “check-ins” at your location lets Google know if your location is an established business. 

So, if you’re a restaurant, you would want people to take pictures of your food and tag your brand on social media.

Here’s an example:

Getting tagged like this will make your business seem more appealing to potential customers, and it will help your local search rankings.

Participating in directory listings that include a physical address, such as Yelp, Google Business Profile, and Yellow Pages, will also boost your potential to rank higher.

Having relevant citations and up-to-date NAP (name, address, and phone number) information such as phone numbers and addresses will show Google that your business is trustworthy enough to send its users to your landing pages. 

Lastly, you need an optimized website that loads quickly and displays properly on mobile devices. 63% of all searches occur on mobile devices, so it’s imperative that your site is optimized for desktop AND mobile. 

Top local SEO ranking factors: A study 

Check out this local SEO study by Moz:

Topping the list is the signals coming from your GBP profile, which is why optimizing it is essential. We’ll cover more on optimizing your GBP listing in a bit.  

Going down the list, you can see that links, on-page signals, citations, and reviews are very important, just as we said earlier.

Previously, Google Maps results were less influenced by your website’s ranking signals, but now the two are intertwined. If you’re not ranking in Maps searches, it may be because you need stronger signals to your website.

Local SEO Ranking Factors Explained 

Next, let’s explore the local SEO ranking factors that will matter most in 2025. 

Optimizing these signals is the best way to improve your local rankings, so let’s dive in. 

What are link signals?

Link signals are critical for getting your business to rank at the top of local Google searches, and they comprise about 29% of the key ranking factors for local SEO. 

But, what exactly are link signals?

In simple terms, link signals refer to the strength of your backlinks. A strong backlink will come from a reputable site with a high domain authority score.  

These backlinks act as votes of confidence, showing Google that your website is high-quality and relevant to users in your niche. 

When trusted sites link to your business, it signals to search engines that your content is valuable and credible. 

The more high-quality backlinks your website has, the more likely you are to rank higher in the local search results.

Search engines, especially Google, prioritize websites with strong link signals because it indicates that other sites find your content helpful and relevant to the search query. 

Essentially, backlinks help Google determine how authoritative and trustworthy your business is in the eyes of the online community.

What are on-page signals?

On-page optimization signals occupy 24% of the top local SEO ranking factors. On-page signals are important for local SEO, and they’re one of the major ways businesses get on Google’s front page. 

So, what is on-page SEO? 

As the name implies, on-page SEO refers to optimizing all the SEO factors that appear on web pages. 

In other words, you’re dealing with the front end of your website, as technical SEO takes care of back-end factors like site speed and architecture. 

The main aspects of on-page SEO include:

  1. Optimizing metadata (title and description) 
  2. Properly using keywords in your content 
  3. Creating readable content that uses headers and subheadings 
  4. Adding keywords to image alt text 
  5. Using internal links to spread link equity and drive more traffic to key pages 

Here’s a look at some on-page signals in one of our recent blogs:

By optimizing these factors, you help search engines understand the relevance and quality of your web pages, which is a big deal!

What are behavioral signals in SEO?

According to Moz, behavioral signals account for approximately 11% of local SEO ranking factors. 

They’re based on the idea that increased engagement with your website or directory listings in search results will lead to increased visibility for similar searches in the future.

Put simply, the more users interact with your brand, the more likely you are to appear in related search results. 

In essence, behavioral signals are like a popularity contest for websites. They include actions such as:  

➡️Click-through rates (how often people click on your site)

➡️Time spent on the page

➡️ Bounce rate (how quickly users leave your site)

➡️ Mobile clicks to call 

➡️ Social shares

These patterns let search engines know how users interact with your content, indicating its relevance and usefulness.

What does personalization mean for local SEO?

As a concept, personalization accounts for 9% of local SEO ranking factors. 

What kind of personalization are we talking about? 

It involves optimizing your website, content, and business presence to serve a specific target audience.

Think about it like this: Instead of creating generic content that can suit anyone, you’re creating content for your audience that speaks to them. That means you write in their tone, use their lingo, and appeal to the things they like. 

However, personalization isn’t just about tailoring your content to appeal to specific customers—it’s also about signaling to search engines that your product or service is valuable to a certain demographic. 

This helps Google serve your content to users who are most likely to find it relevant and useful.

In SEO, personalization is driven by data. Every time a person uses a search engine like Google or Bing, their browsing behavior, device information, and location are shared with the search engine. 

This data allows Google to provide a more personalized search experience, delivering results tailored to each individual’s preferences and location. 

What are citation signals?

Local citations are important when establishing domain authority, and they comprise 8% of local SEO ranking factors. 

In the local SEO world, a citation occurs whenever another website lists your business name, address, and phone number. 

The most important thing with citations is ensuring they all have correct and up-to-date contact information for your business. 

Otherwise, potential customers may show up at an incorrect address or try to call an old phone number. Not only will this cause you to lose business, but it may also harm your reputation due to the frustration it can cause. 

Listing your business’s contact information on directories isn’t just important for sales; it also tells Google that your company is a real business and will help you get ranked on Google’s top local pages.

What are Good Google Business Profile Signals?

Google Business Profile (GBP) signals account for about 7% of local SEO ranking factors. 

These signals include searches like “near me” keywords, which are extremely important for local SEO.

A fully optimized GBP profile is essential for improving your local rankings. 

This includes completing and ensuring accurate information for your business name, address, phone number (NAP), hours of operation, and selecting the right business category. In addition, reviews, photos, and posts all contribute to boosting your visibility in local searches.

Here’s a glimpse at our GBP:

As you can see, we have reviews (mainly positive), our address, website, directions, phone number, and hours of operation included in our profile. 

There are also high-resolution photos of our campus, team, and facilities – including our exact location on Google Maps. Our GBP appears whenever someone searches for our brand name, and it gives us the chance to generate web traffic and phone consultations straight from Google. 

What are review signals?

Google review signals account for 4% of local SEO ranking factors. They’re also extremely important when trying to rank for Google Maps searches.

Google knows if people like your business or not! 

Google checks the reviews on your business pages as a signal of relevance and conditional leads. Customers use reviews to decide whether or not they want to use your service. Also, research by BrightLocal shows that 48% of customers trust reviews just as much as personal recommendations.

If Google notices that your business doesn’t have many reviews or is littered with false positive reviews, that can make your company look fake or harmful to its users. 

In that case, your website and contact information may be lower on the ranking list or be removed from Google’s listings altogether. 

It’s important to make sure that your reviews are real and that your business responds to each and every review in a professional and helpful way.

“Normal” SEO Still Matters, Too! 

While these local factors play a significant role in Google’s ranking algorithm, traditional SEO practices are still vital for your website’s success. 

Local SEO tactics may help you rank better in geographically relevant searches, but it’s traditional SEO that ensures your site is fully optimized for overall search engine performance.

Here’s why you also need to master the basics of regular SEO:

Keywords still play a major role

Even though RankBrain helps Google understand search intent, keyword optimization remains fundamental to how search engines index and rank content. 

Ensuring your pages include relevant keywords in titles, headings, and meta descriptions helps search engines better understand your content. Well-researched keywords ensure your business shows up in a wide range of searches, not just local ones.

Your SEO strategy lives and dies by the quality of your content 

High-quality, relevant content continues to be a major ranking factor in SEO. 

Creating engaging, valuable content not only improves your site’s relevance in search engines but also enhances the user experience, increasing the chances of earning backlinks and positive user engagement. 

This combination of factors significantly boosts both traditional and local SEO efforts.

There’s no substitute for authoritative backlinks 

Backlinks, or links to your site from other reputable websites, remain one of the most critical factors in building domain authority. Search engines still view backlinks as votes of confidence, signaling to Google that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. 

Earning quality backlinks from industry-relevant websites improves your site’s overall SEO and can boost your rankings in both local and non-local searches.

Technical SEO is a must 

Elements like site speed, mobile optimization, URL structure, and schema markup are crucial for how search engines crawl and index your site. 

A well-structured website with fast load times and clean code helps search engines understand your content and rank it appropriately. Technical SEO also enhances user experience, which indirectly influences RankBrain’s evaluation of your site’s relevance.

User Experience (UX) Complements Traditional SEO

The better your website performs for users, the better it will perform in search rankings. Factors like easy navigation, clean design, and mobile responsiveness not only improve UX but also contribute to SEO rankings. 

Google continues to prioritize websites that deliver a positive user experience, rewarding those that offer fast, accessible, and intuitive experiences with higher rankings.

Additional Resources:

Local SEO ranking factors can be a little difficult to understand; however, the information and methods used are vital to creating a digital marketing strategy that will allow your business to grow online and offline. 

It takes some understanding of Google’s algorithm, what factors matter, and what the best ways you can boost your rankings are. 

Here are some really great resources to help you get started:

If you’re overwhelmed or need a little help, you can schedule a call with one of our SEO specialists to put your mind at ease and find solutions to all your problems.

Also, our local SEO service will fully manage your GBP listing, so don’t wait to try it out if you want to put your local SEO on autopilot!