Local SEO: how to show up when people search for your service nearby
When someone searches 'yoga studio near me' or 'dentist in Galway', Google decides who to show based partly on distance and partly on how well each site answers the question. You can't change your distance — but you can change everything else.
The basics that decide local results
A clear business name, address and phone number on the site (and consistent everywhere else), a page that says what you do and where, and a title that names your service and your town. Most local sites miss at least one of these.
Why your site — not just your Google profile — matters
Your Google Business Profile gets you into the map pack, but your website decides whether you win the click and the call. If your pages are thin or your titles say 'Home' instead of 'Counselling in Cork', you lose to a site that answers better.
Common mistakes that hide local businesses
Missing location in titles, no contact path on the page, duplicated content across service pages, and accidental noindex tags. These are exactly the issues a crawl flags — and they're quick to fix once you can see them.
What to check first
Search for your own service the way a customer would. If you're not there, or the wrong page comes up, that's your to-do list. A free crawl of your site shows the technical reasons why, in plain English.
More on choosing an audit
Why isn't my website showing up on Google? · How much does an SEO audit cost? · What does an SEO audit actually check? · Free vs paid SEO audit — what's the real difference? · Does my small business really need SEO? · SEO vs Google Ads — which is right for a small business? · What's a page title — and why should you care? · A simple website check-up for small-business owners · How long does SEO take to work? · Your customers are asking AI. Is your website part of the answer? · A website audit that tells you what's wrong — and how to fix it · Check your website — see the grade and the top issues