Local SEO Basics: What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know

If you run a local business — a plumbing company, a dental practice, a landscaping service — then your next customer is probably searching for you on Google right now. The question is whether they're finding you or your competitor.

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of making your business show up when people in your area search for the services you offer. When someone types "plumber near me" or "best dentist in Austin," local SEO is what determines which businesses appear at the top of those results.

Unlike traditional advertising where you push your message out and hope the right people see it, local SEO works by pulling in customers who are already looking for what you sell. They have the problem. They want a solution. They just need to find you.

Why It Matters

Here are the numbers that should get your attention:

46% of all Google searches have local intent. Nearly half of everyone searching is looking for a local business.
76% of people who search for something nearby visit a business within 24 hours.
28% of those searches result in a purchase.

This isn't theoretical. These are customers with credit cards in hand, looking for someone to take their money. If you're not showing up, someone else is.

The Three Pillars of Local SEO

Local SEO comes down to three things:

1. Google Business Profile This is the single most important factor in local search. Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is what shows up in the "map pack" — those three businesses that appear with a map when you search for local services. If yours isn't claimed, complete, and optimized, you're leaving money on the table.

2. Your Website Your website needs to clearly communicate what you do, where you do it, and why someone should choose you. Search engines need to be able to read it easily (that's the "technical SEO" part), and it needs to have content that matches what people are searching for.

3. Online Reputation Reviews matter — a lot. The number of reviews you have, how recent they are, and how you respond to them all factor into where you rank. Directory listings (Yelp, BBB, industry-specific directories) also play a role by confirming your business information across the web.

What You Can Do Today

Claim your Google Business Profile if you haven't already. Go to business.google.com.
Make sure your name, address, and phone number are consistent everywhere online.
Ask your last five happy customers to leave a Google review.
Check if your website loads in under 3 seconds on mobile. If it doesn't, that's a problem.

Or Let Us Handle It

If this feels overwhelming, that's normal. Most business owners didn't get into their trade to become SEO experts. That's where we come in. Slingshot Local handles all of this — and more — starting at $200/mo.