The essentials
- Ten steps ordered by execution, not by importance: each prepares the next.
- Time: one day for the foundations (steps 1 to 4), then 30 minutes a week as a routine.
- Results: first effects in 4 to 8 weeks, the local pack on your main queries in 3 to 6 months depending on the competition.
- Prerequisite: a real business (an address or a service area) and a Google account belonging to the company.
This action plan is for a small business, a shop, a tradesperson or a practice that wants to be found by customers in its area. It doesn't replace understanding the mechanisms (see Local SEO: definition and levers); it puts them in order. Each step gives the time to allow and the expected result. If you are starting from an existing situation, first run the local search audit to find out which steps are already done.
The plan in one table
| # | Step | Time | Expected result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claim and verify the Google Business Profile listing | 1 h + verification time | Control of the listing |
| 2 | Choose the primary category and complete the listing to 100% | 2 h | Relevance, eligibility for the local pack |
| 3 | Set the reference NAP and check it across the web | 2 h | Consistency, trust |
| 4 | Set up review collection | 2 h, then ongoing | Prominence, click-through rate |
| 5 | Create or complete the site's local page | 1 day | Relevance, conversions |
| 6 | Add LocalBusiness structured data | 1 h | Understanding by Google |
| 7 | Earn the reference local citations | 2 h | Prominence |
| 8 | Post and photograph every week | 30 min / week | Engagement, freshness |
| 9 | Produce local content | 2 h / month | Long-tail queries, links |
| 10 | Measure and adjust | 30 min / month | Pilotage |
Steps 1 to 4: the foundations (one day)
1. Claim and verify the listing
Search for your business on Google Maps. Claim the existing listing or create it, with a company Google account. Complete the verification (video, post or phone). The detail is in Google Business Profile: definition and setup.
2. Category and complete information
The most precise primary category, 2 to 5 secondary ones, exact hours, phone, site, description, ten real photos, detailed services. The fifteen optimisations ranked by impact are in optimising your listing.
3. The reference NAP
Write down in a document the official name, address and phone, then check they are identical on the site, on social media and on the directories you already appear in (search your number in quotes). See NAP.
4. Review collection
Create the direct review link, decide the moment and the channel (SMS or email after the job), write the message, and automate it if you can. Set the rule: respond to every review within 48 h. See collecting quality reviews.
Steps 5 to 7: the site and the mentions (one to two days)
5. The site's local page
A page dedicated to the location (or one per location, or per service area): name, address, clickable phone, hours, a map, a description of the business and the area, photos, reviews, the team, a call to action. It is the target of the listing's link (with UTM). Guide: structuring a site's local pages.
6. LocalBusiness structured data
Schema.org markup on the local page (name, address, phone, hours, GPS coordinates, type of business) helps Google connect the site and the listing. See Schema.org for local SEO.
7. Local citations
Register the business, with the reference NAP, on the directories that count: the main national listings, your profession's or federation's directory, the chamber of commerce or trades, Apple Maps, Bing Places, and quality local directories. Ten to fifteen clean citations are enough to start. See local citations and local link building.
Steps 8 to 10: the routine
8. Post and photograph
Thirty minutes a week: one post on the listing (news, an offer, a completed job), two or three photos, responses to reviews and questions. See posting regularly.
9. Local content
Once or twice a month, a piece of content about your area: a job completed for a customer in a given neighbourhood, taking part in a local event, a practical guide tied to the town. This content targets long-tail queries and attracts local links. Ideas in what content to create to strengthen your local presence.
10. Measure
Every month: local pack position on five queries from several points in the area, actions from the listing (calls, directions, clicks), the number and rating of reviews, conversions from local traffic in GA4. See the local SEO KPIs.
What you can expect, and when
- Weeks 2 to 4 : a complete listing and the exact category often produce a first movement in the local pack on the less contested queries.
- Months 2 to 3 : the reviews accumulate, the citations are taken into account, the local page is indexed; calls and directions from the listing increase.
- Months 3 to 6 : positions settle in the local pack on your main queries, within an area whose radius depends on competitive density.
If the results don't come, the usual causes are an unsuitable category, a competitor far ahead on reviews, or an area too dense for your location. An audit confirms it, and using a supplier is covered in choosing a Google Business Profile supplier.
How GreenRed helps
Rather than juggling several tools, GreenRed's Google Business Profile module brings these metrics together in a single dashboard, compares them over time and tells you which actions come first. You can try it free, with no card, from the Pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you start with local SEO?
With the Google Business Profile listing: claim it, verify it, choose the exact primary category and complete it to 100%. It is the asset that decides your presence in the local pack. Consistency of your details across the web and review collection come next.
How much time should you give local SEO each week?
About 30 minutes once the foundations are laid: one post on the listing, a few photos, responses to reviews and questions, a look at the suggested edits. Add two hours a month for local content and tracking the metrics.
Can you do your own local SEO?
Yes, in most cases. The ten steps require no technical skill, except the structured data, which may need occasional help. A supplier becomes useful for a network of several locations, a very competitive area or a lack of time.
How long before you see results?
The first movements in the local pack appear in 2 to 4 weeks on the less contested queries, after updating the category and the listing. Positions settle within 3 to 6 months with a steady flow of reviews and consistent citations. Very competitive areas take longer.