QUESTION: What SEO tasks should local businesses focus on?

ANSWER: There are lots of Local Business SEO tasks to undertake, but three of specific benefit are: getting on the Google Map; focusing on reviews; getting featured on local websites.

Local Businesses Still Need SEO

Even if you use local advertizing

Your business might be local, and it might rely on word of mouth or footfall – you might even still be located somewhere that advertisement in your local newsletter or paper is still effective. I mean, even I just hired a business from an ad in my local newsletter, so I can personally attest to the fact that those strategies still work, and believe it or not, they’re not just reaching the oldest sectors of your audience, in communities where they’re relevant strategies.

But even if those tools are available to you, there are steps you should take for SEO regardless. It’s not something you can ignore, even if you’re doing well on the word of mouth or other traffic generators you have.

SEO for Local Businesses Works WITH Old School Strategies

This is because those strategies I mentioned above? In 2026, they’re unlikely to work in a vacuum. And the example of me hiring a company from our local newsletter? It’s actually a PRIME example, of exactly what I’m talking about! Because yes, I saw their ad in our local newsletter, but the first thing I did wasn’t go to their location, or give them a call. It was, of course, a Google search.

And when I searched for them, I found that they’d done all of the things I’m about to list below – which I know, because not only could I see it when I searched, but they came back easily and straightforwardly. Remember, your business’ name is your most specific term to rank for – and you should ALWAYS aim to rank for it at minimum. More general keywords, are optional. But your name? If you don’t return for that… it’ll be a barrier to your business.

Three SEO Tasks Your Local Business Needs:

So these three tasks, are all aligned with the idea of ranking for your business name, because it’s the MINIMUM ranking task that all local businesses should undertake. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do these though, if you’re ALSO looking to grow! It just means these are minimum viable tasks, outside your website, that will be helpful no matter what your primary advertising strategy is. Old school, state of the art – it doesn’t matter.

1 – Get On The Map

If you’re a local business, you’ll usually have a brick & mortar location, that customers can visit to talk to you or to purchase your products (if you’re a retailer). And that means, you should get on the map! By “the map,” I of course mean the Google map. You should verify your address, and get yourself on there.

It’s long been known that if you have a location you can list on the Google map, it’s a quick way to augment your reach and appear higher in searches that involve a specific locale. That’s not changed, and in fact, has become MORE important in the age of Answer Engine Optimisation, or “AEO”.

2 – Focus on Reviews!

Obviously having reviews listed on your website is a great plan – but reviews ANYWHERE are good! Google reviews, reviews on Yelp, Tripadvisor, any other industry-specific website you use for promotion – those reviews are GOLD. Especially good ones! This has always been the case – we all look at reviews when we’re choosing someone to work with, or somewhere to make a purchase. But now, evaluating the reviews you have listed on various sources online is a part of the process that Answer Engines undertake when they’re responding to user queries like, “Who’s the best electrician near me”? So we want as many of these, in as many places, as humanly possible! Now it’s fair that you might’ve been focusing on social media for the last few years – but… it’s time to shift that focus. Get reviews, they will help with your optimisation no matter what your primary advertising strategy is, just like getting on the map!

3 – Look for Sites to Feature You

This last listing, somewhat like the last listing in a variety of my posts – it’s a great idea, but it’s not going to apply to everyone. Depending on your industry, there may be websites that will feature your services, or that give out awards for certain levels of work, in different local areas! It’s a good idea to take a look at what’s available in your locale, for your industry, and see whether there are companies/websites that will create a listing for you. These listings help expand your holistic presence online, elevate your credibility, and in the case that they give out awards or evaluations of some kind – they can even increase your authority!

These kinds of listings are also regularly used by Answer Engines, so they will also help increase your changes of being cited by Google AI mode, or ChatGPT.

SEO for Local Businesses isn’t just about your website

SEO has never been just about your website – but in this age where social media is everywhere, all the time, it’s easy to forget to put time into your SEO. Now more than ever, whether we like it or not, we’re moving toward a time where SEO and AEO may make the difference between a business that thrives, and a business that doesn’t even survive. I’m not here to fear-monger, by any means – but it IS the reality of our situation at present, with the increase in focus on AEO for the means by which consumers find what they want from businesses.

So, if you have a local business, I highly, highly recommend:

• getting on the map
• focusing on reviews
• and occasionally looking for sites to feature you

It’ll go a long way for your SEO, and AEO, and in the end, will bring you more clients. And that’s what we all want, right?