Local SEO terms

Google Business Profile, the map pack, citations, reviews and geo-grids. 18 terms, each with what it means, why it matters for SEO and what to do about it.

Apple Business Connect

Apple Business Connect is Apple’s free tool for businesses to claim and manage how their place appears in Apple Maps and other Apple apps.

Bing Places

Bing Places for Business is Microsoft’s free tool for managing how a business appears in Bing search and Bing Maps.

Fake reviewsBlack hat

Fake reviews are reviews by people who were not real customers, or that misrepresent their experience. They break Google’s policies and US FTC rules.

Geo-grid rank tracking

Geo-grid rank tracking checks your Google Maps ranking from many points in a grid around an area, showing how your local visibility changes by location.

Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile is Google’s free listing for local businesses, shown in Maps and the local pack with hours, reviews, photos and directions.

Google Business Profile categories

Google Business Profile categories describe what a business is, such as “Plumber”. The primary category is a key signal for local rankings.

Google Maps SEO

Google Maps SEO is optimising your business so it ranks higher in Google Maps searches, mainly through your Google Business Profile and reviews.

Local citations

A local citation is any online mention of a business’s name, address and phone number, such as a directory listing or a review site profile.

Local landing pages

Local landing pages are pages on your site for a specific location or service area, giving local details customers and search engines need.

Local pack (map pack)

The local pack is the block of map and business listings Google shows for local searches, usually three businesses from Google Maps.

Local ranking factors

Local ranking factors decide which businesses Google shows in Maps and the local pack. Google names three: relevance, distance and prominence.

LocalBusiness schema

LocalBusiness schema is structured data that describes a business’s name, address, phone, hours and more in a format search engines can read.

NAP (name, address, phone)

NAP stands for name, address and phone number. Keeping your NAP consistent across your site, profiles and directories supports local SEO.

"Near me" searches

“Near me” searches are queries such as “pharmacy near me”, where Google uses the searcher’s location to show nearby businesses.

Online reviews

Online reviews are customer ratings and comments on platforms such as Google, Yelp and Trustpilot. They shape local rankings and buying decisions.

Review gatingBlack hat

Review gating is asking customers how they feel first and only sending happy ones to leave public reviews. It breaks Google’s review policies.

Review response rate

Review response rate is the share of customer reviews a business has replied to. Replies show customers you listen and help manage your reputation.

Service area business

A service area business visits or delivers to customers rather than serving them at its address, such as a plumber, cleaner or mobile mechanic.