Local search is a different game from national SEO. The signals that move the needle — NAP consistency, Google Business Profile, local landing pages — are specific, actionable, and often ignored by generic SEO agencies focused on domain authority and link building.
Start with your Google Business Profile
If you're a local business and your Google Business Profile is incomplete, that's your highest-ROI fix. Make sure:
- Business name, address, and phone are exact and consistent everywhere online
- Categories are specific (not just "Contractor" — "Plumber" or "Electrician")
- Opening hours are correct and kept up to date
- You have at least 10 real reviews with responses
- Photos are recent and show actual work
Create suburb-specific pages
If you serve multiple areas, a single "Sydney plumber" page won't rank everywhere. Create individual pages for each suburb you serve — each with unique content, local landmarks, and testimonials from customers in that area.
This isn't about stuffing location names into a template. It's about writing a genuinely useful page for someone in Parramatta who needs a plumber and wants to know you actually work there.
Technical foundations matter
- Your site must load in under 2.5 seconds on mobile
- Core Web Vitals should be in the green
- Use
LocalBusinessschema markup on your homepage and contact page - Internal links should connect your suburb pages to your services pages
Content that compounds
Blog posts, guides, and FAQ pages that answer real questions from your target customers build authority over time. A single article that ranks for "how to choose a plumber in Sydney" can drive dozens of enquiries per month for years.
The investment is upfront. The returns compound.