Local SEO is simpler than agencies make it sound: be findable on Google, be trusted through reviews, and have a page Google can actually read. Here is the no-jargon version for a small business.
1. Claim and complete your Google Business Profile
This is the foundation. Claim your profile, fill in every field — hours, category, phone, photos — and keep it current. It is what puts you on Google Maps. Here is how to claim your business page.
2. Earn reviews, consistently
Reviews are a top local-ranking factor and the thing that actually convinces people. Ask every happy customer — see how to get more Google reviews. Recency and volume both matter, so make it a habit, not a campaign.
3. Use the right category and keywords
Pick the most specific Google category that fits, and use the words real customers use ("wood-fired pizza in San Jose", not "culinary establishment"). Those are the phrases people actually search.
4. Have a real, crawlable page
A Google listing helps people find you, but it is not a website. A page with your reviews, structured data, and a clear address gives Google more to index — and gives customers a reason to choose you. This is the step most small businesses skip.
5. Get consistent across the web
Make sure your name, address, and phone match everywhere they appear. Consistency builds trust with search engines.
The shortcut for steps 3–4
favURL handles the page for you: it reads your Google Reviews and builds a one-page site with LocalBusiness structured data, a clean URL, and your best quotes — the crawlable, conversion-ready page local SEO needs, in about a minute, free.