Local SEO changed more between 2023 and 2026 than in the preceding decade. Here is what still earns map pack placement.
Google Business Profile Is 60% of It
- Primary category chosen precisely — it is the single strongest ranking input
- Secondary categories for genuine additional services only
- Every service listed individually with descriptions
- Products populated where relevant, even for service businesses
- Weekly posts — dormant profiles measurably decay
- Q&A seeded and monitored, since anyone can answer it
- Geo-tagged photos added on an ongoing basis
Reviews: Velocity Over Total
A steady flow of recent reviews outperforms a larger but stale total. Respond to everything within 24 hours. Review text containing service and location keywords contributes as well.
Citations Still Matter, Quietly
Not as a ranking lever any more, but as a consistency check. Conflicting NAP data across directories creates ambiguity that suppresses confidence. Clean the top 40 and monitor for silent edits.
Location Pages, Done Properly
One page per genuine service area with real local content — projects completed, local proof, area-specific detail. Spun templates with the city name swapped get treated as doorway pages and can drag the whole domain down.
Track by Grid, Not by Average
A single city-wide rank figure hides the truth. Geo-grid tracking shows you rank first near your office and eleventh four miles away, which is the information you can actually act on.
What No Longer Works
- Keyword-stuffing the business name — actively penalised now
- Bulk citation blasts to hundreds of low-quality directories
- Fake or incentivised reviews — detection has improved considerably
- Doorway pages for cities you do not actually serve