SEO-Guidelines-Smartcrawl/seo-strategy/local-seo.md

# Local SEO

For small businesses with physical locations or defined service areas, local SEO often has the highest ROI of any optimization effort. This is critical for Alaska, Nashville, and other location-specific client sites.

## Google Business Profile (GBP)

The single most important local ranking factor.

### Setup Checklist

- [ ] **Business name:** Exact legal name (no keyword stuffing)
- [ ] **Address:** Full street address (or service area if no storefront)
- [ ] **Phone:** Local number (not toll-free if possible)
- [ ] **Hours:** Complete and accurate, including holidays
- [ ] **Website URL:** Link to homepage
- [ ] **Business description:** 750 characters max, include primary keywords naturally
- [ ] **Primary category:** Choose carefully — strongest ranking signal
- [ ] **Secondary categories:** Add all that apply (less weight but still help)
- [ ] **Services/Products:** List all offerings with descriptions
- [ ] **Attributes:** Check all applicable attributes (wheelchair accessible, etc.)
- [ ] **Photos:** Add 10+ photos at setup, then monthly updates

### Ongoing GBP Activities

| Activity | Frequency | Impact |
|----------|-----------|--------|
| Google Posts | Weekly | Shows activity, appears in knowledge panel |
| Photos | Monthly | 100+ photos = 520% more calls (BrightLocal data) |
| Review responses | Within 24-48 hours | Directly impacts ranking + trust |
| Q&A | Seed with common questions | Prevents random/incorrect answers |
| Hours updates | As needed | Especially holidays and seasonal changes |

### Getting Reviews

- Ask satisfied customers directly (in person or follow-up email)
- Share a direct review link: `search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=[YOUR_PLACE_ID]`
- Respond to **every** review (positive and negative) professionally
- Never buy or incentivize reviews — Google penalizes this

## NAP Consistency

**NAP = Name, Address, Phone number.** Must be identical everywhere.

### The Rule

Pick ONE format and use it everywhere:
- "123 Main Street" vs "123 Main St." vs "123 Main St" — choose one
- Include or exclude suite numbers consistently
- Phone format: `(907) 555-0123` or `907-555-0123` — pick one

### Where NAP Must Appear

- Website (header, footer, contact page)
- Google Business Profile
- Yelp, Facebook, Instagram
- Industry-specific directories
- Chamber of Commerce, BBB
- Apple Maps, Bing Places
- Any citation or directory listing

### Auditing Citations

- Search your business name and manually check the top 20 results
- Use Moz Local checker (free) for a broader scan
- Fix inconsistencies immediately — they confuse Google

## Local Schema Markup

Add `LocalBusiness` schema to your website. See [Schema Markup](../smartcrawl/schema-markup.md) for SmartCrawl-specific implementation.

### Minimum Required

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Business Name",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
    "addressLocality": "Anchorage",
    "addressRegion": "AK",
    "postalCode": "99501",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "telephone": "+1-907-555-0123",
  "url": "https://example.com"
}
```

### Recommended Additional

- `openingHoursSpecification`
- `geo` (latitude/longitude)
- `areaServed`
- `priceRange`
- `image` (logo)
- `sameAs` (social profiles, directory listings)

Choose the most specific `@type` subtype that applies (e.g., `EducationalOrganization`, `ProfessionalService`).

## Location-Based Keywords

### Keyword Patterns

| Pattern | Example |
|---------|---------|
| `[service] + [city]` | "motorcycle course Anchorage" |
| `[service] + [state]` | "motorcycle safety training Alaska" |
| `[service] + near me` | Handled by Google via GBP/location signals |
| `[service] + [neighborhood]` | "riding lessons Eagle River" |
| `[service] + [qualifier] + [location]` | "affordable motorcycle course Anchorage AK" |

### Keyword Matrix

List all services down one side and all locations across the top. Each intersection is a potential target:

| | Anchorage | Fairbanks | Wasilla |
|---|-----------|-----------|---------|
| Basic Rider Course | Primary | Secondary | Assess |
| Advanced Course | Primary | -- | -- |
| Safety Clinic | Primary | Secondary | -- |

### "Near Me" Optimization

You do **NOT** optimize for "near me" by putting "near me" on your page. Google determines "near me" results based on:
- Searcher's physical location
- Your GBP location
- Local relevance signals (NAP, citations, reviews, local content)

**Optimize for `[service] + [city/state]` instead** — this covers both explicit geo-queries and implicit "near me" intent.

## Location Pages

### When to Create Them

Only if you have genuinely unique content for each location:
- Local landmarks, directions
- Area-specific service details
- Local testimonials
- Unique offerings per location

### When NOT to Create Them

**Do not create thin location pages** that only swap city names. Google penalizes doorway pages. A page that says the same thing as another page but with "Fairbanks" instead of "Anchorage" is a doorway page.

### Template for Good Location Pages

```
# [Service] in [City], [State]

[2-3 paragraphs about the service specific to this location]

## What to Expect
[Location-specific details]

## Getting Here
[Directions, parking, landmarks]

## Local Testimonials
[Reviews from customers in this area]

## Schedule & Pricing
[Location-specific schedule if different]

[CTA to register/contact]
```

## Local Content Ideas

Content that signals local relevance to Google:

- Event coverage (local events you participate in or sponsor)
- Local partnerships and community involvement
- Area guides related to your industry
- Seasonal content specific to your region
- Local news or industry updates
- Customer success stories from the area

## Mobile Optimization

Most "near me" and local searches happen on mobile:

- Font size minimum 16px
- Tap targets minimum 48x48px
- Click-to-call phone numbers
- Embedded Google Map on contact page
- Fast load times (especially on mobile networks)

## Local SEO Checklist

- [ ] Google Business Profile fully completed and verified
- [ ] NAP consistent across all platforms
- [ ] LocalBusiness schema on website (validated)
- [ ] Location keywords in title tags and meta descriptions of key pages
- [ ] Contact page has full NAP + Google Map
- [ ] Collecting and responding to reviews
- [ ] Listed in relevant local directories
- [ ] Mobile-friendly and fast-loading
- [ ] Google Posts published weekly
- [ ] Photos updated monthly on GBP