How Local SEO Actually Works

Local SEO is getting your business into the map pack — the three businesses with a map that show up when someone searches "[your service] near me." Everything I do comes down to getting you one of those three spots.

Here's the process I run, start to finish.

Week 1: Foundation

I fix what Google checks first: your Google Business Profile (categories, services, photos, posts, Q&A), your website's keyword targeting, heading structure, image compression, and I add a Google Maps embed. This is the groundwork everything else gets built on. Most businesses I audit are missing half of it before I ever touch anything.

Week 2: Index & Monitor

I let Google index the changes and watch how rankings move. Not much happens on the surface this week, and that's on purpose. Google needs time to recrawl and recalculate. Anyone who tells you they can skip this step is either lying to you or cutting corners that catch up with you later.

Week 3: Authority Building

Citations and backlinks. I get your business listed consistently across the directories Google actually trusts, and build links that back up that you're a real, established business. Most small businesses never get around to this on their own. It's tedious, unglamorous work, and it's where a lot of rankings are actually won.

Week 4: Assess & Compound

I check where you actually rank, keep the weekly Google Business Profile posts going, and we figure out what's next. Then it repeats. Every month you climb a little, and it gets harder for whoever's above you to hold their spot.

How long does it take?

90 days in most markets. If yours is more competitive (roofing in a big metro, dental in a saturated zip code) it can run up to 120 days. I tell you which one applies to you before you pay me anything, not after.

What happens if you don't hit the guarantee?

I keep working for free until you do. No extra charge, no new contract to sign.

Most SEO guys hide behind reports and excuses. I put my name on a guarantee instead.

Want to see what this looks like for your business specifically? Get a free video audit →