The 2026 local SEO checklist: 25 steps to rank in the Google map pack

How local rankings work

Google ranks local results on three broad factors: relevance (how well your profile and site match the search), distance (how close you are to the searcher or the location in the query) and prominence (how well known and trusted you are, from reviews, links, citations and overall web presence). You can't move your building, but you can control nearly everything else.

Google Business Profile (steps 1–9)

1. Claim and verify your profile, and make sure you (not a former vendor) own it.
2. Choose the most specific primary category, plus relevant secondary categories.
3. Use your real business name. Keyword stuffing can get a profile suspended.
4. Add every service and product, with descriptions.
5. Set accurate hours, including holiday hours.
6. Define your service area if you travel to customers.
7. Upload real photos of your team, work, location and vehicles regularly.
8. Post updates, offers and events at least a few times a month.
9. Seed and answer common questions customers ask.

Reviews (steps 10–14)

10. Build a simple review request into your process (email, SMS or QR code at checkout).
11. Ask every customer, not only happy ones. Review gating violates Google's policies.
12. Respond to every review, positive and negative, professionally and quickly.
13. Encourage customers to mention the specific service and location.
14. Never buy reviews or post fake ones. It's against policy and increasingly illegal.

Website & location pages (steps 15–20)

15. Show your name, address and phone (NAP) consistently on every page, matching your profile exactly.
16. Create a dedicated page for each core service.
17. Create a unique page for each location, with real local details, photos, reviews and directions, not just a city name swapped in.
18. Add LocalBusiness schema with your NAP, hours and geo-coordinates.
19. Make sure the site is fast and easy to use on mobile, with click-to-call buttons.
20. Embed a map and link to your Google Business Profile.

Citations, links & AI (steps 21–25)

21. Fix inconsistent listings on major data aggregators and directories (Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yelp, Facebook, industry directories).
22. Earn local links from chambers, associations, suppliers, sponsorships and local news.
23. Get listed on the "best of" and review sites that rank for your main local searches. AI assistants often draw from them.
24. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity for recommendations in your category and city, and see who they cite.
25. Track rankings across a map grid, not from a single point, plus calls, direction requests and form leads.