5 Steps: Local SEO for Service Area Businesses

Patrick McFadden

For CEOs and owners of a small business service business, such as plumbers, lawyers, dentists, roofing companies, medical professionals, orthodontists, therapists, and accountants, to go from non existent to being found when someone nearby is searching for keywords that are relevant to your business there is one marketing channel that will help you every time: Local SEO.

However, SEO for service based business is underutilized when it comes to increasing website traffic, which can lead to increased brand awareness and higher sales and profits.

SEO (search engine optimization) can be classified as either “Local” (Richmond VA) or “Traditional” (SEO Marketing Company). They differ vastly when it comes to what your SEO goals are.

With local SEO:	With traditional SEO:
Your goal is to rank at the top of search results in your local market	Your goal is to rank well based on keyword phrases, so location doesn’t matter
Location should be your focus	Ongoing content is the core focus
People searching locally are usually looking for a business like yours	Searchers are usually looking to find a solution
There are many off-site tactics you can use	It’s harder to rank

If you’re looking to show up on the first page of search results in local areas of town your service area business SEO is where you want to put your resources of time, energy, attention, and money. The best news is you don’t have to be a marketing expert in order to show up on the first page of search results on Google, Bing or Yahoo. All you need is our Indispensable Marketing 5 step local SEO guide to the direction and results your marketing is going in.

Step 1: Create and Optimize a Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile is a free tool through Google that helps you improve your online presence when people are searching for an service business or provider. If someone searches your company’s name, a profile, called a knowledge panel, will pop up with your company’s information like address, phone number, and website URL.

With a Google Business Profile, a searcher could type “plumber near me” "accountant near me" lawyer near me" or "dentist near me" and three choices, known as the Google 3-Pack, will appear. Optimizing your Google Business Profile means you have photos of your company positive reviews, and posts to announce information you want the public to know. A well-optimized Google Business Profile means your firm should be part of that 3-Pack.

While Google is always updating Google Business Profile, some features are effortless to optimize:

Pictures of your business – We are a visual species, and pictures catch the attention of people quicker than just about anything. Give your audience pictures of the vehicles, equipment, tradeshows attended, interior and exterior of your business. Also include photos of employees and any service in action.
Reviews – A good reputation will get you far today, and establishing a reputation has never been easier than it is now with online reviews. You will want to showcase these reviews as part of your Google Business Profile. More information on how reviews can create a powerful message!
Posts – Google Business Profile has a post function that allows you to feature recent content posts you’ve made such as blog posts, new service announcements, operation updates, and more. Take advantage of this post feature!

Taking advantage of the robust features of Google Business Profile will help potential clients find you and learn more about what you have to offer.

Step 2: Build Your Local Citations

An online citation is a mention of your service business and its information (address, phone number, etc.) online. It’s important to build your local citations because the more times your company is mentioned online with correct contact information, the better your local rankings will be.

Areas to build your local citations include:

Chamber of Commerce
Facebook
Yahoo Local
Google Business Profile
Apple Maps
Bing

Citations are so important because the majority of research that’s done before buying something is done online. If your service business information (NAP name, address, and phone number) across the web, your local rankings will be boosted.

While just a piece of the small business SEO puzzle, citations are an important piece. The more your business appears online, the better off you’ll be. Be sure to make citations a part of your overall SEO strategy.

Step 3: Get Online Reviews

Never underestimate the power of word of mouth. In today’s world, that means online reviews from (hopefully) happy clients who had a positive experience with your business.

How important are online reviews for your service business? Consumers also read an average of 10 online reviews before deciding that an organization is trustworthy enough to get their business.

What does that mean for you? That means stepping up your customer service and encouraging clients to leave online reviews helps immensely when it comes to local SEO for service businesses. Positive and negative reviews are just one of the metrics used to determine your ranking on search engine results pages.

What can online reviews do for your business? Here are just a few things:

Build trust – BrightLocal reports that when it comes to what businesses a customer trusts, an online review is taken as seriously as a personal recommendation.
Generates more sales – If your business gets 4 and 5-star reviews, statistics show that it will greatly impact your click-through rates. That means that the more stars you’re given, the better the chance that a potential customer will click on the link to your business, taking them one step closer to buying.
Higher Rankings – Search engines consider online reviews when creating rankings on a search results page. This is particularly true for local searches.

Step 4: Create Content Optimized for “local” SEO

A lot of small service businesses get intimidated by the idea of writing any kind of content, much less local content. After all, what is there to write about when it comes to a field like plumbing, roofing, accounting, business law, and dentistry?

Well, a lot actually. And what you find to write about that has a focus on the community around you is going to help you with your service-area SEO. The best news is that it isn’t as hard to write local content as you may think it is.

First, create a plan for your content. What problems are you going to solve for your ideal client? What information about your service business, in general, do you think your ideal client will find useful? How can you incorporate content that features things in your community in between all of the other content?

If you’re looking for ideas on how to focus on local, how about:

Demystify local requirements or best practices for your audience.
Write about local companies who specialize in specific areas of expertise.
Feature the people in your own service business and how their specialization can help clients.

While thinking local, write about what you know. Write about what your local clients would like to know. Focus on problems that are specific to clients in your area and how the services you offer can help them.

5. Master On-Page Local SEO Basics

You’ve probably put a lot of time, effort, energy, attention and money into your website. However, no matter how cool or visually pleasing it is, if it isn’t performing just like your services and solutions, it isn’t a good website. In this case, that means making it perform in terms of SEO basics. After all, if you don’t end up at the top of the SEO mountain, no one will even see your website no matter how great it is.

When we’re talking about on-page SEO, we’re talking about:

Coding
Copy
Content Structure

Some of the easy-to-optimize SEO basics include:

a. Optimize Your Homepage

Your homepage is probably the most important page on your website. After all, first impressions are important. To keep the focus local, incorporate location-based keywords into your content. A key strategy for service businesses to follow is incorporating location-based keywords in the copy. Local keywords help search engines locate a service and serve it up to the local prospects looking for a provider.

Your homepage should also contain a few client reviews. As mentioned above, potential consumers take reviews very seriously when considering hiring someone for the services they offer. If they’re on the homepage, they’re sure not to be missed.

b. Optimize All Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

Titles are not just the first thing most visitors to your website see, but they also count for you when it comes to where you land on a search results page. Make sure your titles contain where you are and what your company does so that people searching for either will come across your site easily.

The same goes for when it’s time to write your meta description. A meta description is the little description of a webpage that appears with the page link in an internet search. Meta descriptions don’t have much influence on your ranking, but if you use the right keywords that someone is looking for, you are more likely to get a hit. A meta description that includes the area you service and the services you’re offering helps busy searchers narrow down the websites they visit and the websites they ignore.

c. Optimize the Footer

A website’s footer is the section of content found at the very bottom of a webpage. Optimizing your footer for local SEO means making sure your business name, address, and phone number are there. Your information in the footer is one way that search engines identify your location and help people looking for services in your area.

This information should be on every page on your website starting with your footer, and it should look identical everywhere you put it. Especially make sure that it looks identical to the information you’ve listed on your Google Business Profile. This helps the search engine identify that you are one firm and not multiple.

d. Embed a Google Map Right on Your Webpage

Don’t just tell your potential clients where you service. Show them.

An embedded Google Map can give them a service area so that your more directionally-impaired clients can physically see where your services are rendered.

To embed a Google Map, follow these simple steps:

Go to Google Maps.
Find the directions, map, or Street View image you’d like to embed.
In the top left of your screen, click Menu.
Click Share or embed map.
Click Embed a map.
To the left of the text box, select the size you want by clicking the Down arrow.
Copy the text in the box and paste it into the HTML of your website or blog.

e. Add an Alt Tag to Your Images

The trick to good SEO is to get as many local keywords on the page as possible. One of the secrets, though, is that not all of those keywords need to be visible.

To help bump your ranking, try adding Alt attributes to images on your website. These are descriptions of the picture that is included in the code that helps viewers with visual impairments know what the picture depicts. It’s also a great way to include more local keywords. Give the images on your site descriptions that include your service area or location and what services your company offers.

f. Create a Unique Page for Each Service You Offer

Your service business offers more than one kind of service, and your website needs to reflect that. While a unique page for every service gives each service a spotlight, it will also help your local SEO efforts.

When all of your services are listed on one page, Google has a harder time identifying that you’re an expert in your specific area. You know what that means: a serious decrease in your ranking potential.

A different page for every service has other benefits, too. It gives you more room to include location-based keywords that potential clients are searching for online. Make sure each page has a minimum of 350 words including keywords that not only describe your service but also where you’re located and the areas you serve.

g. Create Unique Pages for Specific Geographical Areas

If your service business has multiple locations or areas served, your website should contain a page for every location or area with specific keywords that pertain to that specific location. This lets Google associate your service with multiple service areas when a potential client is looking for services nearby.

Avoid the urge to get too spammy with your location, though. For example, if your company is in Richmond VA, don’t include the word “Richmond VA” 30 times on your service area or location page. Instead, find ways to naturally incorporate your area or location in a way that will let potential clients know where you are without overdoing it.

Contact your marketing consultant at Indispensable Marketing

If you’re a small service based business that needs help with showing up on the first page of search results on Google, Bing or Yahoo at Indispensable Marketing we can help. We offer marketing strategy consulting, marketing audits, monthly marketing packages, consultations, exploratory calls or monthly local SEO services. Contact us for more information.

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Big News: Google LSA Ads Update Opens New Opportunities for Remodeling Contractor Marketing

By Patrick McFadden • January 13, 2025

Discover how Google’s LSA update impacts kitchen & bathroom remodeling marketing. Learn SEO tips to attract leads and boost visibility in Richmond VA & beyond.

The Future of Marketing and Selling May Not Be To Humans But AI Agents

By Patrick McFadden • January 9, 2025

For years, the focus of marketing and sales has been to appeal directly to human customers—to connect emotionally, build trust, and ultimately close the deal. But the rules are changing, and small businesses need to be aware of a massive shift on the horizon: the rise of AI agents as decision-makers. At first, this may sound like science fiction. After all, aren’t people the ones making purchases? But the reality is that artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming the gatekeeper for consumer and business decisions. Understanding this shift is critical for small businesses, as it offers both challenges and opportunities. Let’s dive into what’s happening, why it’s happening, and how your small business can prepare. What Are AI Agents? AI agents are advanced technologies designed to handle complex tasks for consumers. They don’t just provide recommendations—they make decisions. Think of an AI agent as a virtual assistant that interprets your needs, evaluates options, and executes the best solution on your behalf. Here’s a simple example: You might tell your AI assistant, “Find me a hotel near Central Park for two nights within a $1,000 budget.” In response, your AI: Searches available hotels. Compares prices, reviews, and amenities. Books the best option without you needing to lift a finger. For the consumer, it’s all about convenience. For businesses, however, it changes the game: your target audience is no longer just the human buyer—it’s the AI agent. Why Is This Happening? Convenience for Consumers Consumers want faster, easier, and more reliable decision-making. With so much information available, the process of comparing options can be overwhelming. AI agents streamline this process by narrowing down choices and delivering results that align with the consumer's preferences. AI’s Superior Decision-Making AI can process far more data than a human ever could. It evaluates everything from price and reviews to proximity and availability, all in seconds. This allows it to make decisions that are more informed and objective. Consumer Trust in AI As AI becomes more sophisticated, people are increasingly comfortable delegating decisions to their virtual assistants. Trust is shifting from brands directly to the AI agents that curate and recommend those brands. Simple Examples of AI in Action Small businesses are already seeing AI at work in various industries. Here are a few scenarios to illustrate what’s happening: Travel and Hospitality A traveler asks their AI assistant to book a flight and hotel for a weekend getaway. The AI evaluates options, finds the best deals, and books everything. The business that optimizes its data for AI discovery wins the booking. Retail A customer needs a pair of running shoes. Their AI searches for shoes with great reviews, the right size, and quick delivery. It bypasses generic search results and goes straight to businesses with clear, accessible product data. Healthcare A health app uses AI to evaluate symptoms and recommend over-the-counter solutions. Pharmacies with optimized digital listings and relevant information are prioritized by the AI. Home Services A homeowner asks their AI, “Find me a plumber near me with 5-star reviews who can come today.” The AI scans local listings and books the business with the most reliable and visible online presence. What This Means for Small Businesses The shift to AI-driven decision-making has huge implications for small businesses. Here’s what you need to know: 1. Your Audience is Changing You’re no longer marketing solely to human buyers—you’re marketing to the AI agents making decisions on their behalf. These agents prioritize structured data, transparent pricing, and measurable value over emotional branding. 2. Local SEO Becomes More Critical AI agents rely heavily on local search data. If your business isn’t optimized for local SEO —clear location details, accurate business hours, and positive reviews—you’ll be invisible to AI. Need help with your local SEO? Get in Touch. 3. Quality Data Wins AI thrives on structured, high-quality data. If your service descriptions, product descriptions, pricing, and availability aren’t clear and accessible, AI will skip over your business in favor of competitors who have optimized their data. Check out this article so AI doesn't skip over your business. "5 Must Have Elements of Service Area Pages" 4. Proximity Matters For many services, AI prioritizes businesses that are physically closer to the consumer. This is especially true for industries like home services, healthcare, and retail. Small businesses can capitalize on this by focusing on hyper-local SEO strategies. 4a. For Service Area Businesses, Precision is Key For service area businesses (SABs)—those that don't operate from a fixed location but serve customers within specific geographic regions—AI's prioritization mechanisms work differently compared to location-based businesses like retail stores or offices. Instead of prioritizing physical proximity alone, AI evaluates the clarity and accuracy of your defined service area. This is especially critical for industries like commercial cleaning, plumbing, pest control, HVAC, or mobile health services. Learn more about - 5 Steps: Local SEO for Service Area Businesses AI agents rely on several key factors, including: Accurate and detailed information about your service area. Keywords that highlight your services and locations. Social proof, such as reviews, ratings, and testimonials. Content that directly connects to your service area, like localized blog posts or FAQs. The accuracy and consistency of your listings on platforms like Google Business Profile. Quick response times to inquiries. A well-optimized website with clear navigation and mobile responsiveness. Integration of AI-friendly tools like chatbots to provide instant information to users and demonstrate efficiency. An active presence on local social media channels to further enhance visibility and engagement within your service area. By optimizing these elements, service area businesses can enhance their visibility and ensure AI agents prioritize them for local searches. 5. The Playing Field is Leveling While it may seem daunting, this shift levels the playing field for small businesses. Unlike traditional advertising, where big budgets dominated, AI prioritizes data quality and relevance—areas where small businesses can shine. How to Prepare Your Service Based Business for an AI-Driven World Here’s how you can start positioning your business to succeed in an AI-driven world: 1. Optimize for Local Search This step is even more critical for service-based businesses, especially those operating in specific geographic areas (like commercial cleaning, plumbers, HVAC companies, and remodel services). Focus on hyper-local SEO by including business districts, neighborhoods, zip codes, and cities you serve in your website content and Google Business Profile. Add a "service areas" page to your website to clarify where you operate. Encourage reviews that mention specific services and locations to boost credibility in local searches. Use geo-targeted keywords like “emergency cleaning services in Dallas” or “24-hour plumbing in Brooklyn.” 2. Provide High-Quality Data For service-based businesses, this means being very clear about what you offer and where : Use structured data to outline services , pricing estimates, and FAQs. Include service-specific keywords in descriptions, such as "drain cleaning" or "roof repair." Add before-and-after photos , case studies, or examples of completed projects to help AI and potential customers understand your expertise. Create mobile-friendly booking forms for easy service requests. 3. Focus on Trust and Transparency Service-based businesses rely heavily on customer trust because most services are provided on-site or involve direct customer interaction. Highlight safety measures , certifications, and background-checked employees to build confidence. Share detailed testimonials or video case studies that walk through successful projects. Be transparent about response times , pricing structures, and warranties for services. Add "Meet the Team" pages to introduce key staff or technicians, humanizing your business and building rapport. 4. Target AI-Specific Needs AI-driven search is increasingly intent-based , meaning it focuses on what customers are looking to achieve (e.g., “find a reliable roofer near me”). Service-based businesses can target this effectively by: Optimizing for voice search (e.g., "Who fixes water heaters in Austin?"). Using conversational language and FAQs that match natural language queries. Structuring content to answer specific questions like "How much does roof repair cost?" or "How long does an AC repair take?" 5. Embrace AI Tools Service-based businesses can benefit greatly from AI to improve operational efficiency: Use AI-powered scheduling tools to let customers book appointments automatically. Implement chatbots to handle inquiries about availability, pricing, and service areas. Leverage AI analytics to predict seasonal demand spike s (e.g., higher calls for HVAC repairs in summer). Adopt AI-enabled CRMs to track customer preferences and improve follow-up communication. The Opportunity Ahead While the rise of AI agents might seem like a challenge, it’s also a massive opportunity for small businesses. By optimizing your digital presence, focusing on transparency, and understanding how AI evaluates options, you can position your business to thrive in this new era. Remember: AI agents aren’t just replacing human decision-making—they’re enhancing it. By meeting AI on its terms, you’re not just staying relevant—you’re setting yourself up to win in the future of business. So, take a look at your business today. Is your data accessible? Is your local SEO in place? Are you ready to meet the needs of AI agents? The future is coming fast, and the time to prepare is now. Need Help? My marketing firm, Indispensable Marketing, provides a step-by-step strategy and implementation process tailored for service-based businesses with revenues between $750,000 and $7 million. We help optimize local SEO, craft trust-building content, and create scalable marketing processes that deliver measurable results . From foundational setup to growth-focused tactics and amplification strategies, our approach ensures clarity, confidence, and long-term success in your marketing efforts. Get in Touch

The Missing Ingredient for Small Business Marketing in 2025: Leadership, Not Tactics

By Patrick McFadden • January 9, 2025

As we approach 2025, the changes in the business landscape are going to be significant, and many companies are already feeling the pinch. If you’re one of those business owners who’s noticing a decline in leads or a drop in website traffic, you’re not alone. Something is happening in the market, and businesses are beginning to see the winners and losers emerge. But here's the critical thing : the reason many businesses fall behind is not because they lack tactics—it’s because they lack marketing leadership. Why Marketing Leadership Matters I’ve worked with many small businesses over the years, and one thing is crystal clear: most marketing failures stem from a lack of leadership. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest marketing tactics or rush into hiring a marketing agency, but without a clear leadership strategy guiding your efforts, you’re just throwing darts at the wall. Your marketing activities might be disconnected, ineffective, and lack the cohesion that makes them truly impactful. Marketing leadership is the key to taking a business from spinning its wheels to driving real, measurable growth. Whether you have internal marketing hires, work with an agency, or manage things yourself, someone needs to own the strategy and ensure marketing activities aligns with the company’s overall growth goals. This is what I call the missing ingredient in many businesses—marketing leadership. The Three Pillars of Marketing Leadership Strategy Thinking First: It’s not just about tactics; it’s about understanding where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. This means developing a clear marketing strategy that aligns with your brand’s core identity, including who you are promising to help (ideal customers) , what problems you are promising solve for them, and how your images, metaphors, colors, words, look and feel, dress, attitude, networks, consistency represents its promises. Once the strategy is defined, you’ll know exactly where to invest your resources and which marketing channels will move the needle. Fixing the Foundations: Before you get fancy with campaigns, you need to fix the fundamentals. This means ensuring your website is a trust-building workhorse , your messaging is aligned with your ideal customer’s needs , and your content is educational and building credibility . When you have a strong foundation, every marketing effort you put forth will be more effective. Building a Repeatable Process: A solid marketing process isn’t just about running ads or posting on social media; it’s about creating a machine that works long term. This process needs to generate consistent leads, build your brand, and retain customers. A marketing leader will help you build this process, ensuring it’s repeatable, scalable, and aligned with your business’s growth objectives. Marketing Leadership as a Service: The Future of Small Business Marketing What I’m seeing—and what I believe is the future—is that agencies need to step up and offer something beyond just execution. Instead of acting as subcontractors who only perform tasks, they need to take on the role of general contractors overseeing and managing the entire marketing process. Marketing leadership as a service is about providing that strategic oversight and ensuring everything aligns with the business’s long-term goals. Think of it this way: AI may be taking over certain tactical tasks, but it’s not going to provide leadership. That human touch—the ability to analyze, strategize, and lead—is what will differentiate the winners from the losers in the coming years. Businesses will need marketing support who can step in, assess the situation, create a roadmap, and then help execute that vision. The First Step: Are You Ready? In 2025, marketing leadership will be the key to success for small businesses. It’s not about doing more; it’s about doing the right things in the right order. If you haven’t embraced marketing leadership yet, now’s the time to make that shift and set your business up for long-term success. Final Thoughts It’s easy to get distracted by the shiny new marketing tactic of the week, but without a clear strategy and leadership in place, it’s hard to see real, lasting results. This year, make it a priority to focus on marketing leadership as the core of your growth strategy. The businesses that do this will be the ones that rise above the competition in 2025 and beyond.