Definition
Local SEO is optimising a business's online visibility for searches with a geographic intent: 'dentist Haarlem', 'bike repair near me' or 'best coffee Rotterdam centre'. The goal is appearing in Google's local map block (the local pack), in Google Maps, in the regular results for local questions and, increasingly, in AI answers that recommend a business for a place.
Google uses three main factors for local results: relevance (does the business match the query), distance (how far is it from the searcher or the named place) and prominence (how well known and well reviewed is the business). The most important lever is the Google Business Profile: a complete, current profile with the right category, opening hours, photos, services, posts and reviews outweighs anything on the website itself.
The website matters as well: a page per branch or service area with address, phone number, opening hours and LocalBusiness schema; consistent name, address and phone details (NAP) on the site and in all external listings; local content such as projects, cases and frequently asked questions from the region; and mobile speed, because local searches largely happen on the go. Listings in local directories and industry sites (citations, in the local sense) strengthen prominence.
Reviews are the third pillar. The number, the average score, recency and whether you respond count towards ranking and largely determine whether someone clicks. Ask actively for reviews after a completed service, answer all of them and use the questions they contain as input for content.
For local questions ('which physiotherapist in Leiden is good for running injuries'), AI engines give recommendations based on the same signals: the Business Profile, reviews, listings and the content of the website. A branch page that specifically describes what you do and for whom is used as a source more often than a generic contact page. Traze writes branch and service-area pages with local content and LocalBusiness schema and tracks visibility per place in Google and in AI answers.