ONPAGE · SEO GLOSSARY
Local SEO
SEO optimisation for location-based search queries — ensuring a business appears in Google's local pack and map results for "near me" and city-specific searches.
Definition
Local SEO is the practice of optimising a business's online presence to rank in location-specific search results. The two main surfaces are: (1) the Google Local Pack (the map + 3 business listings that appear at the top of SERP for local queries like "coffee shop near me" or "dentist in Boston"), and (2) organic results for location + keyword queries like "best plumber Chicago". Key local SEO signals: Google Business Profile (verified and complete listing), NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone — must be identical across all online mentions), `LocalBusiness` Schema.org markup, local citation building (directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages), and location-specific page content for multi-location businesses.
Why it matters for SEO
For businesses with physical locations or service areas, local SEO is often more impactful than traditional organic SEO. The local pack appears above organic results and attracts a large share of clicks for local intent queries. Missing or incomplete Google Business Profiles, NAP inconsistencies across directories, and missing `LocalBusiness` schema are the fastest wins. For multi-location businesses, having a unique, indexed page per location (not generic duplicate pages) is the foundation of local SEO at scale.
How DeepSEOAnalysis checks this
The audit checks for `LocalBusiness` (or its subtypes: `Restaurant`, `MedicalBusiness`, `LegalService`, etc.) JSON-LD on appropriate pages, verifying required fields: `name`, `address` (`PostalAddress`), `telephone`, `url`, and `openingHours`. NAP consistency is checked across the page content vs. the schema vs. other indexed mentions on the domain. Missing or incomplete `LocalBusiness` schema on pages targeting local queries is flagged as a structured data gap.
Useful tools and resources
GLOSSARY
Related terms
structured data
Structured Data
Machine-readable annotations added to HTML — usually JSON-LD — that explicitly describe what a page is about to search engines and AI systems.
Read definition →structured data
Schema Validation
The process of checking that structured data (JSON-LD) on a page is correctly formatted and contains all required properties for its schema type.
Read definition →onpage
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Google's quality framework for evaluating content — especially important for YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) topics like health, finance, and legal.
Read definition →structured data
Rich Result
An enhanced SERP listing that shows additional content — star ratings, FAQ dropdowns, sitelinks, How-To steps — generated from valid structured data on the page.
Read definition →See how your site scores on Local SEO.
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