Local SEO for Publishers: A Step-by-Step Plan to Get Found
What is local SEO? Local SEO helps businesses become more visible to people in their area who are searching for what they offer. It’s most useful for helping local, brick-and-mortar businesses appear in local search results when nearby customers need them most.
Why do publishers need local SEO?
Publishers need local SEO to reach regional or city-specific audiences. For example, local news sites, blogs about community events, or business directories rely on local SEO to grow. As a publisher, it helps you drive traffic from readers seeking relevant, localized content rather than broad, general information.
On top of attracting targeted, local traffic, local SEO benefits publishers by helping them build a following in a particular community, and by attracting advertisers interested in specific regions.
What is local SEO marketing?
Local SEO marketing is the process of using localized search engine optimization to target audiences in specific areas with highly relevant content.
Done correctly, your website or business will appear in search results for users nearby or in your area.
Think of it as a way to show up in the right place at the right time, like when someone types “Best events in London this weekend.”
Google Business, Keyword Planner, and Google Maps are the main tools used by every local SEO marketer (don’t worry, we’ll explain more about them later!). In general, local businesses and publishers use these tools to generate visibility where it counts—when people search for news, services, or events that match their location.
What’s the difference between local and organic SEO?
Local SEO and organic SEO might sound similar, but they serve different purposes. Let’s take a look at each of them:
Organic SEO
Organic SEO refers to the strategies and tactics used to rank websites higher in search results without paid ads.
The main focus of organic SEO is to make your website more attractive to search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Any type of website can use organic SEO––businesses, blogs news sites, or e-commerce stores. The primary goal is always to optimize on-page content and site structure so search engines can understand and trust the information you publish.
In short, organic SEO makes sure that search engines recognize the relevance and quality of your site and its content, regardless of location.
Local SEO
Local SEO builds on organic SEO but with a geographic focus. It’s specifically designed to help local businesses show up in search results for users in specific areas.
For example, when someone searches for a service “near me” or in a certain city, local SEO helps relevant websites appear higher in those results.
Therefore, local SEO is most relevant for businesses with physical locations and websites tied to specific regions because it increases their visibility on local search results, including Maps.
In contrast, broader sites like general blogs or national e-commerce stores won’t see the same benefit from local SEO.
| Example: Buzzfeed publishes pop culture and English-language content regardless of region. Organic SEO is important for ranking its content for pop culture search terms.
On the flip side, a site like Brooklyn News 12 publishes content specifically about Brooklyn. Local SEO is more important for this website, so it ranks for specific terms associated with the Brooklyn community. |
The main difference is focus: local SEO optimizes for location, while organic SEO optimizes for content relevance. Both involve fine-tuning your website and online presence to match specific search criteria, but they each target distinct ranking factors and result placements.
How to do local SEO
Local SEO involves optimizing your online presence to attract more traffic from nearby customers.
It includes strategies to improve visibility in both the “local pack” and traditional organic search results.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started with local SEO:
1. Get a Google Business profile
Start by creating a Google Business Profile—a free local listing where you can provide information about your business. This profile helps your business appear in Google’s map pack and on Google Maps, making it easier for nearby searchers to find you.
Google reports that businesses with a complete profile are 70% more likely to attract visits and 50% more likely to gain new customers. So, taking the time to fully optimize your profile is definitely worth it!
2. Get more reviews
Customer reviews play a significant role in local SEO. Positive reviews improve your ranking in search results and build trust with potential customers. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews, and be sure to respond to feedback—both positive and negative.
3. Get listed in directories (for more NAP citations)
A NAP citation (Name, Address, Phone number) is a listing of your business’s contact details on directories and social media profiles. These citations increase your online presence, as directories often rank well in search results, allowing users to discover your business through different sources.
Best practices include listing your business on directories relevant to your industry, submitting to data aggregators, and ensuring your information is consistent across all platforms.
4. Do local keyword research
Local keyword research helps you understand what terms nearby customers use to search for services like yours. Focus on service-based keywords specific to your offerings, and use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest to identify high-potential local keywords.
Look for keywords with local intent and check if there’s a map pack or local results in Google for those terms—this signals a good local SEO opportunity.
5. Get more backlinks
Backlinks from other websites signal to Google that your site is trustworthy. In fact, Google considers backlinks one of its top ranking factors. To build backlinks, connect with other businesses, seek local citations, reclaim unlinked mentions, or update old URLs to retain link value.
Local SEO strategies and tips
Creating a successful local SEO campaign involves a few foundational strategies. Here’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re covering the essentials:
1. Optimize your Google Business profile:
Make sure it’s fully updated with accurate information like your address, business hours, and categories. Verified, complete profiles are far more likely to attract local customers.
Pro tip: Add photos and post regular updates to keep your profile active and engaging.
2. Encourage and respond to customer reviews:
Reviews build trust and can boost your rankings. Engage with all reviews—even less favorable ones—to demonstrate responsiveness.
Example: Offer customers a gentle nudge to leave a review after a positive experience, and remember to thank them for their feedback.
3. Focus on high-quality local backlinks:
Building local links can increase your authority in your area. Reach out to local blogs, directories, and partner businesses.
4. Use location–specific keywords:
Optimize your website content by naturally incorporating local keywords on key pages.
Example: For a website about exam results in Lagos, keywords like “exam results in Lagos” or “Lagos exam results” can increase your visibility to nearby searchers.
Local SEO tools
Here are some essential tools that can help keep your business visible to the right local audience:
BrightLocal
BrightLocal is a comprehensive local SEO toolset designed specifically for businesses that want to boost their presence in local search. It offers features like citation building, review monitoring, and local rank tracking. With BrightLocal, you can manage your online reputation, audit your business listings, and track your performance across multiple locations—all in one platform.
Semrush’s Listing Management
Semrush’s Listing Management tool allows you to manage and distribute your business information across multiple directories. You can update your business’s NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information in one place, submit it to directories, and monitor customer reviews—all from a single dashboard.
Semrush’s Position Tracking
With Position Tracking , you can monitor your keyword rankings on a ZIP code level, making it ideal for tracking local search performance. This tool helps you stay updated on any changes in your rankings and provides insights into what your competitors are doing in local search.
Google Search Console
Search Console is a free tool from Google that allows you to monitor and optimize your site’s performance in search results. It provides insights into how Google views your pages, helps you troubleshoot indexing issues, and ensures your site is crawlable.
Get started with local SEO
With the right tools and strategies, your business or content can show up where it matters most—right in front of the people nearby who are looking for what you offer. So take these tips, put them into action, and watch your local audience grow.
