When someone searches for “plumber near me” or “accountant in Croydon”, Google shows a map with three businesses underneath it. That block, usually called the map pack or local pack, is where a large share of local clicks and calls happen. If you're not in it, most searchers never see you.
The good news is that local rankings are far more controllable than most business owners think. Google has been open about the three factors it uses: relevance, distance and prominence. You can't move your office closer to every customer, but you can make a big difference to the other two.
1. Get your Google Business Profile right
Your Google Business Profile is the single most important local ranking asset you own. Treat it like a second homepage, not a directory listing you set up once and forget.
- Choose the most accurate primary category. This is one of the strongest relevance signals. “Emergency plumber” and “Plumber” are different categories, so pick the one that matches what you want to be found for.
- Add secondary categories and services that genuinely reflect your work.
- Write a clear description of what you do and where, in natural language.
- Set accurate hours, including holiday hours. Profiles shown as closed lose clicks fast.
- Upload real photos regularly: your team, vans, premises and finished work.
Service-area businesses
If you visit customers rather than having them visit you, you can hide your address and list the towns or postcodes you cover. Be realistic: listing half the country won't help you rank in places you're not close to.
2. Build a steady stream of reviews
Reviews influence both rankings and whether people click. What matters is not just the total number, but how recent and consistent they are. Twenty reviews in the last six months usually beats fifty reviews from three years ago.
- Ask every happy customer, at the moment they're happiest (usually straight after the job).
- Send a short link by text or email so it takes them seconds.
- Reply to every review, positive or negative, politely and professionally.
Never buy reviews or offer incentives for them. It breaks Google's policies and, in the UK, fake reviews are now explicitly unlawful under consumer protection rules.
3. Make your details consistent everywhere
Google cross-checks your business name, address and phone number (often called NAP) across the web. Inconsistent details on directories, old websites and social profiles create doubt. Audit the main UK directories and fix anything outdated, especially after a move or a change of phone number.
4. Create genuinely useful location pages
If you serve several towns, a dedicated page for each area can help you rank there. The key word is genuinely. Copy-and-paste pages that only swap the town name rarely perform. Include local projects, specific services, travel times, parking information or anything that proves you actually work there.
5. Earn local links and mentions
Prominence grows when other local websites talk about you. Sponsoring a local sports team, joining a business association, featuring in local news or partnering with complementary businesses all create links and mentions that Google notices.
6. Track what actually matters
Rankings are a means to an end. Track the calls, direction requests and website visits your profile generates, and connect them to real enquiries. If you rank first but the phone doesn't ring, the problem is usually the profile itself: photos, reviews or the offer.
How long does it take?
Fixing your profile and citations can show results within a few weeks. Competitive city-centre searches often take three to six months of consistent work. Local SEO compounds, so the businesses that keep going are the ones that end up owning the map.
Want a hand? Our local SEO service covers everything above, and pairs well with 24/7 call answering so every new enquiry is picked up. Book a free consultation and we'll review your profile for you.
Written by
Abbas · Signature Marketing & Tech
Abbas works with UK businesses on digital growth, from search visibility and paid media to the systems and support teams that turn enquiries into customers.
