Local SEO: What is it and how to do it

When someone searches for a plumber, a dentist, or a coffee shop, they usually want results for a specific neighborhood. Google hands those results to them through the local pack, Google Maps, and AI Overviews. AI search platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity now give location-specific answers, too. Businesses that don’t show up accurately and consistently online risk losing that visibility and the customers that come with it. Below, we’ll cover what local SEO is, why it matters, how it works, and the steps to start earning higher visibility for the searches happening in your area.