Knowledge base

Every confusing term, explained simply.

Local SEO is full of jargon. Here's what it all actually means — and, more importantly, why each piece matters for your business's visibility, rankings and reputation.

Local search basics

The foundations of getting found nearby

Local SEO

The practice of improving how your business appears in local search results — Google Maps, "near me" searches and the map pack — so nearby customers find you first.

Why it matters: This is the whole game for a local business: it's how customers looking for what you do, right now, near you, end up choosing you.

Local intent

When a search implies the person wants a nearby result — like "dentist near me" or "plumber in Leeds" — even without saying "near me".

Why it matters: Local-intent searches are high-value because the person is usually ready to call, book or visit today.

Service area

The geographic area a business serves. Some businesses serve customers at a storefront; others (like plumbers) travel to the customer.

Why it matters: How you set this up in Google changes where and how you can rank — storefront vs service-area businesses are treated differently.

"Near me" search

A search where someone looks for a nearby option, e.g. "coffee near me". Google uses the searcher's location to return local results.

Why it matters: These searches almost always trigger the map pack, so being optimised for local is how you win them.

Google Business Profile

Your most valuable piece of local real estate

Google Business Profile

GBP

Your free business listing on Google that appears in Maps and local search, showing your name, hours, photos, reviews and a call/directions button. Formerly "Google My Business".

Why it matters: For local searches it's often the first — and only — thing a customer sees. Full guide →

Primary category

The single most important classification of your business on your profile (e.g. "Cosmetic dentist"). You can add secondary categories too.

Why it matters: It's one of the strongest ranking levers you have — it heavily shapes which searches you show up for.

Google Posts

Short updates, offers or announcements you publish directly on your Business Profile.

Why it matters: Regular posts signal an active, maintained business and keep offers in front of searchers.

Verification

The process of proving to Google you own or manage the business, usually by postcard, phone or video.

Why it matters: Until you're verified you can't fully control your listing — and an unclaimed profile can carry wrong information.

Rankings & the map pack

How Google decides who shows up

Map pack

3-pack

The box of three business listings shown with a map at the top of local search results. Also called the local pack, 3-pack or snack pack.

Why it matters: It captures the majority of clicks on local searches. Being in it is the difference between seen and scrolled past. Full guide →

Relevance, distance, prominence

The three factors Google weighs for local ranking: how well you match the search, how close you are, and how well-known/trusted you are.

Why it matters: You can't move your building (distance), but relevance and prominence are entirely in your control.

Organic results

The standard "blue link" web results below the map pack, ranked by Google's main search algorithm.

Why it matters: They still matter, but for local searches the map pack sits above them and wins attention first.

SERP

Search Engine Results Page — everything Google shows for a query: ads, map pack, organic links and other features.

Why it matters: Understanding what appears where helps you target the spot that actually drives calls: usually the map pack.

Citations, NAP & reviews

The trust signals that lift you

Citation

Any online mention of your business's name, address and phone number — a directory, review site or listing.

Why it matters: Consistent citations across the web build the trust Google places in your business. Full guide →

NAP

Name, Address, Phone — the core business details that should be identical everywhere they appear online.

Why it matters: Even small mismatches ("St" vs "Street", an old number) erode trust and send customers to a dead end.

Data aggregator

Large data companies that feed business information to many directories and platforms at once.

Why it matters: Fix your details at the aggregator level and correct data flows out across the web automatically.

Review velocity

The pace and recency of new reviews — a steady flow rather than an old burst.

Why it matters: Recency is a signal Google reads: ten reviews this month look more alive than fifty from years ago. Full guide →

AI search & GEO

The new way customers find businesses

GEO

Generative Engine Optimization — making sure AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity know your business, understand it, and recommend it.

Why it matters: A growing share of customers ask AI for recommendations instead of scrolling Google — and AI names only a few businesses. Full guide →

AI recommendation

When an AI assistant names your business in answer to a question like "recommend a good electrician near me".

Why it matters: Unlike Google there's no page two — if you're not named, you're invisible to that customer entirely.

LLM

Large Language Model — the technology behind assistants like ChatGPT. It generates answers from patterns in vast amounts of text.

Why it matters: LLMs don't crawl your site like Google; they rely on what's written about you across trusted sources.

Structured data (Schema)

Code added to your website that describes your business to machines in a clear, standard format.

Why it matters: It helps both Google and AI read your details unambiguously — hours, location, services — so they can surface you confidently.

Website security & trust

The signals that protect your rankings

SSL / HTTPS

SSL

Technology that encrypts the connection between your visitor and your website, shown as a padlock in the address bar.

Why it matters: Without it, browsers label you "Not secure" and it lightly hurts rankings. Security guide →

Security headers

Hidden instructions your site sends browsers to behave safely, such as HSTS and Content-Security-Policy (CSP).

Why it matters: They protect your visitors and are checked by Chrome and scanners. Full guide →

SPF, DKIM, DMARC

DNS

Three DNS records that prove your emails genuinely come from your domain and haven't been tampered with.

Why it matters: Get them wrong and confirmations land in spam and scammers can spoof you. Full guide →

Blacklisting

When Google or security services flag your site as unsafe (usually due to malware), warning visitors away.

Why it matters: A hacked, blacklisted site can vanish from search overnight. Full guide →

Malware

Malicious code injected into a website, often invisible to the owner, that can harm visitors or hijack your site.

Why it matters: It frequently hides from logged-in owners while Google penalises you — monitoring is the only reliable defence.

CMS

Content Management System — the software your website runs on, such as WordPress, Squarespace or Wix.

Why it matters: Outdated CMS plugins and themes are the #1 way small sites get hacked. Full guide →

Measuring performance

The numbers worth watching

Impressions

How many times your business or listing appeared in search results.

Why it matters: They tell you how visible you are — the top of the funnel before any clicks or calls.

Click-through rate

CTR

The percentage of people who clicked after seeing your listing.

Why it matters: A strong listing (good reviews, photos, category) lifts CTR — turning visibility into actual visits.

Conversion

A desired action taken by a visitor — a call, a booking, a direction request or a form submission.

Why it matters: This is what actually grows the business; rankings only matter insofar as they drive conversions.

Local rank tracking

Measuring where you appear in local results across a grid of points around your area, not just one spot.

Why it matters: Your rank changes with the searcher's location — a grid shows the true picture, not a lucky single check.

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