Source: https://oguzerol.com/en/local-seo/ [ View full size](https://oguzerol.com/gorseller/hizmet-kapaklari/yerel-seo-seri-v1-en.webp) # What Is Local SEO? How to Show Up on Google Maps [Oğuz Erol](https://oguzerol.com/en/about-me/) | 6 min read Local SEO is everything you do so your business shows up in Google Maps and in the business list above search results (the local pack) when someone searches “dental clinic near me” or “electrician in Austin.” The biggest lever is your Google Business Profile; reviews, consistent business details and local content on your site support it. Below I explain how Google ranks local results, what you can do yourself, and when it is worth hiring someone. ## How does Google rank local results? According to Google’s help page ([as of October 2026](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091?hl=en)), local ranking rests on three things: - **Relevance:** how well your profile matches the search. Google recommends complete, detailed information. - **Distance:** how far your business is from the person searching. If they do not share their location, Google uses what it knows. - **Prominence:** how well known your business is. Google ties this to information such as the number of sites that link to your business and your review count. Two things follow. First, **you cannot change distance:** if a competitor is closer to someone two kilometres away, no profile setting closes that gap. It shows up even more in hyperlocal, neighbourhood-level searches. Second, Google says you cannot pay for a better local ranking and that the algorithm details are kept secret, so offers promising a “guaranteed top three” are not credible. ## A checklist you can do yourself In most businesses the problem is not a missing trick; the profile was created years ago and left alone. Check these: 1. **One profile per business.** According to Google’s guidelines ([as of October 2026](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en)), create only one profile for each business. 2. **Your real name.** It must match the name on your signage and documents. Slogans, phone numbers, URLs or service descriptions are not allowed. A keyword-stuffed name like “Cheapest Boiler Service Kadıköy” can get a profile suspended. 3. **A real address.** PO boxes and virtual offices are not eligible. If you travel to customers, you hide your address and set a service area. 4. **As few and as specific categories as possible.** Do not use categories as keywords; they should describe your main business. 5. **Keep hours, phone and website current.** If your hours are wrong, a customer arrives at a closed door. 6. **Reply to reviews.** Google says replies to reviews can help your business stand out. 7. **Write the same details everywhere.** Name, address and phone should match exactly on your site, social profiles and directories (NAP consistency). This is a principle I apply; it is not a separate item on Google’s help page. I also offer profile management as a service: [Google Business Profile management](https://oguzerol.com/en/google-business-profile-management/). If your profile does not appear on the map at all, start with [my business isn’t showing on Google Maps](https://oguzerol.com/en/my-business-isnt-showing-on-google-maps/). ## What should I watch when asking for reviews? Review count and rating can contribute to local ranking (same Google page). But asking for reviews has rules. According to Google’s contribution policy ([as of October 2026](https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114?hl=en)): | Allowed | Not allowed | | --- | --- | | Asking customers to write about their real experience | Giving a discount, free product or payment in return for a review | | Sending satisfied customers the review link | Asking only for positive reviews, or blocking negative ones | | Replying to reviews | Asking for a set number of reviews or for specific content in reviews | | | Purchased reviews, or fake reviews written by the business itself | A practical routine: on the day you deliver the service, send everyone the same message with the review link. Do not choose recipients by how they rated you. ## The website side Google does not describe the website as a separate local ranking factor; your site appears only through “prominence”, via sites that link to your business. Still, the site’s job is to receive the person coming from the map: show your services, the areas you work in and your contact details clearly. If you serve a wide area, a separate page per area can make sense, but only if the page has something truly specific to that area (the neighbourhoods you serve, jobs you did there). The same text with a different district name does not help. That is my opinion, not a Google rule. ## What I do as a service First we talk about what you want and what is realistic. If it fits, I send the scope and price in writing, then we begin. We settle up front which parts stay with you and which with me. Part of the work is one-off (the profile audit), part is ongoing (review routine, keeping details current). You can reach me via the [contact page](https://oguzerol.com/en/contact/).  The main work covered: - Google Business Profile setup and optimization - Yandex Business listing - Apple Maps business listing - Bing Places listing - Setting up local campaigns in Google Ads - Local improvements on your site ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Should I do local SEO alongside regular SEO? For businesses with several locations or a wide service area, the two support each other. For a single-location business serving a narrow area, local SEO is usually the higher priority. I say “usually” because this is my experience, not a measured ratio. ### Can I pay to rank higher on the map? Not for organic local ranking; Google says that is not possible. Advertising is a separate thing and does not change the organic ranking. I cover map ads in [Google Maps ads](https://oguzerol.com/en/google-maps-ads/). ### My Google Business Profile got suspended. What should I do? It is usually a policy violation: a keyword-stuffed name, a virtual-office address, a second profile for the same business. You can appeal, but first fix the profile according to the guidelines above; appealing without fixing the cause rarely works. ### How many reviews should I have? There is no fixed number. Look at the review counts of the competitors who rank above you for the same search. What matters, besides the total, is that reviews keep arriving, which you get with a review routine that follows the rules above. ### I have several branches. Does each need its own profile? Yes, each physical location needs its own profile. Listing several addresses under one profile breaks Google’s rules and raises the risk of suspension. [Back to top ↑](https://oguzerol.com/en/local-seo/#icerik) ## You may also find these useful [My Business Isn't Showing on Google MapsYour business is missing from the map, or competitors outrank you. Verification, category, location and reviews — what drives map ranking and how to fix it.](https://oguzerol.com/en/my-business-isnt-showing-on-google-maps/)[Google Business Profile Management | Stand Out on MapsHow to add a manager to your Google Business Profile, and when outside help makes sense. A monthly service covering hours, posts, reviews and spam flagging.](https://oguzerol.com/en/google-business-profile-management/)[What Is GEO: How It Differs From SEOGEO is the work of getting your content used as a source in ChatGPT and Google AI answers. How it differs from SEO, what Google says, and what to do.](https://oguzerol.com/en/what-is-geo/) [Browse all articles →](https://oguzerol.com/en/articles/) WHAT YOU CAN ASK FOR ## How do I work? Work-hour packages Tell me about your business and what you need on WhatsApp or by phone; we agree on **a work block of somewhere between 5 and 40 hours** and I start doing what is needed. What you get is not a calendar window — it is net working hours spent directly on your business. I can use 40 hours working three days straight, or deliberately spread it out and finish it over a year — whatever the work calls for. I do not spend my time estimating how long something will take, I spend it doing the work; every hour I spend leaves a lasting result in your business. We keep going for as long as you find it useful. WORK BLOCKS ## Why not monthly? Is 40 hours a week? On a fixed monthly fee both sides are watching the wrong thing: you watch a fixed cost, the other side watches how many more contracts like this they can line up. Working by the hour puts us both in front of the same thing — the real value of the work that got done. I know not having an upfront answer to "how much will this cost in total?" is the natural cost of this model. But instead of paying a fixed fee for months to a setup that is not producing results, you only pay for the qualified time spent on your work — and you see exactly where that time went, start to finish. That is why my clients keep coming back. 5hours300€ + VAT60€ per hour[Choose this block](https://wa.me/905496546489?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20info%20about%20the%205-hour%20work%20block.) 10hours500€ + VAT50€ per hour[Choose this block](https://wa.me/905496546489?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20info%20about%20the%2010-hour%20work%20block.) 20hours800€ + VAT40€ per hour[Choose this block](https://wa.me/905496546489?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20info%20about%20the%2020-hour%20work%20block.) 40hours1,400€ + VAT35€ per hour[Choose this block](https://wa.me/905496546489?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20info%20about%20the%2040-hour%20work%20block.)