Digital Strategies That Help Small Businesses Get Discovered Online

Amit Kumar Pathak/ Updated: Jan 27, 2026

6 min read

Want to rank higher in local search so your customers can find your business?

Every day, millions of customers search for your business online.

They type queries like “coffee shop near me” or “best vegan restaurant in Houston, TX” and expect Google to send them to the right place.

Here’s the problem:

If your business doesn’t show up for these searches…

These customers go somewhere else. You can thank your competitors for taking your customers right now.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

You can start appearing in local search with the right SEO strategy. And the best part? It’s not too difficult.

In fact, in this article you’re about to learn:

Local SEO Explained
Why Local SEO is Important for Small Businesses
5 Local SEO Tips That Will Drive Customers to Your Business
How to Track Your Local SEO Results

Let’s get started.

Local SEO Explained

Local SEO refers to the methods you use to rank higher in local searches.

When someone looks up something near them, Google decides who shows up in the results by looking at different local SEO factors.

If you’ve optimized your business for local SEO, you’ll appear. If you haven’t… well, that falls under “optional”.

See, 46% of all Google searches have local intent. Which means almost HALF of Google searches are looking for a local business.

Not only that, but those searches are looking to take action.

They could be looking for the “nearest” location, looking for a store to purchase from locally, or just looking for the best option. When customers type in a “near me” query, they’re shopping around.

So it’s critical that your business shows up.

With a solid local SEO strategy, your business will appear in Google’s local pack, Google Maps, and organically in search results.

Why Is Local SEO Important For Small Businesses?

If you own a local business, your customers come from your surrounding area. Which means your competition is likely the person who owns the business next door.

Here’s the thing about local SEO:

It’s not always about who has the biggest budget. Sure, bigger companies can often outspend smaller businesses on advertising.

But smaller companies can outrank bigger businesses in local search.

All you have to do is properly optimize your business.

According to Google’s research, 76% of people who search for something nearby visit a business within 24 hours.

And customer reviews can make (or break) your rankings. Which is why gathering reviews is one of the best local SEO tips you can follow.

When you optimize for local SEO, you’re able to compete with local businesses all over your market area.

Some benefits of local SEO include:

Ranking higher in Google Search
Appearing in Google Maps
Getting more qualified leads
Increasing your conversion rate

5 Local SEO Tips To Attract More Customers To Your Business

Now it’s time to dive into the local SEO tips you can use to get more customers.

Here are five proven tips that will work for your business.

Claim Your Google My Business Listing

This is literally step number one of local SEO.

You cannot start ranking without claiming your Google Business Profile.

Google My Business is where customers go to find information about your business prior to visiting or purchasing.

If you don’t claim your listing, you could show up incorrectly on Google Search or Maps. Or worse, not at all.

When you claim your GMB, make sure you fill out as much information as possible.

Include:

Business name
Address
Phone number
Hours of operation (and keep these updated)
Photos
Business description

Add Local Citations

Next up are local citations.

Think of citations as Google’s way of knowing you’re a real business.

These are your business name, address, and phone number listed on other websites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and more.

Just make sure your NAP is consistent across every citation. Otherwise, you could hurt your rankings.

Start by claiming your citations on major directories. Then, you can work on local business directories and industry-specific websites.

The more authoritative citations you have, the better.

Start Earning Reviews

Customer reviews are another HUGE local SEO ranking factor used by Google.

This is why you should regularly be asking for reviews.

If you provide a good product or service, your customers will love you. But they aren’t going to leave you a review without being asked.

Make sure you have a process in place to encourage your customers to leave you reviews. Send a follow-up email with a direct link to your Google Business Profile.

Then, respond to each review you receive. Both positive and negative.

On-Site SEO

Now it’s time to look at on-page factors.

Your website plays a big role in local SEO.

Optimize your title tags and meta descriptions with your city and the service area you offer. You should also consider creating location pages if you serve more than one area.

Also, make sure your name, address, and phone number are visible on every page of your website. You can typically get away with placing this information in the footer.

Create Local Content

Lastly, you should focus on creating content that matters to your local customers.

This could be blog posts that focus on recent events, blogs that help your customer better your community, or even posts that focus on your service area.

Do what works best for your business and niche.

Local content will help you rank for localized keywords and start appearing to a more local audience.

How To Track Your Local SEO

Don’t just implement these SEO strategies and hope for the best. Follow up with your data.

Here are a few things to monitor so you know if your local SEO is working.

How many people view your profile and take action on Google Business Profiles
What keywords you’re ranking for
Traffic coming from local searches
Calls and direction requests to your business
Customer reviews and ratings

Google offers free access to your data through Google Business Profile Insights. Learn how your customers are finding you and what actions they take after finding you on Google.