Before you start with Local Search Engine optimisation make sure you have all your information around your local business ready to go. This will save you time while creating listings & will make sure all the data you fill in is always the same and high in (local) keywords. Therefor Google will understand all these business listings are from one local business! Beside that there are more local SEO ranking factors that play a big role how high you will rank in the local search engines.

How to do Local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Local searches are often given in by location within the search phrase or the search engine knows the location of the user already and tries to give the best possible local results near the person that did the search. Example of local searches are:

• People are looking for a local restaurant; Thai restaurant near me, Best Thai Restaurant <CITY> or <SUBURB>
• People are looking for a local gym; Muay Thai Gym near me, Muay Thai Gym in <CITY> or <SUBURB>
• People are looking for a hotel; Hotel in <City>, Hotel in CBD, Design Hotel <CITY> or <SUBURB>
• People are looking for a stores/ services; nearest supermarket, shoppingmall, gasstation, car repair services <CITY> or <SUBURB>
• Etc

When you write content to show on other websites make sure you add your city/area in combination with your products/services/brandname in that message. This will increase the value for those local search engines on those keywords. But make sure you don’t over do it!

BONUS TIP: Make sure you create a list of all the accounts, websites and directories you sign-up for and leave information. This way when you change information around your local business you can easy change it everywhere.

Create a listing in Google My Business

Absolute must do for your local SEO ranking: Add your business to Google my business and make sure you’re listed as a local business. Make sure all the information is correct and filled in as much as possible AND always up to date as this is another important ranking factor in the local search engines

Local Search Engine OptimisationGoogle My Business Signals (Proximity, categories, keyword in business title, etc.) 25.12%

Read here how to add your Business to My Google Business Listing

Local SEO Social Signals

Create Social Business Pages

• Create a Facebook Business Page
• Create a LinkedIn Business Page
• Create a Twitter business account
• Create a Pinterest Business account
• Create a YouTube Business account
• and other social media that helps your business

Local Search Engine Optimisation: Social Signals (Google engagement, Facebook engagement, Twitter engagement, etc.) 2.82%

Local SEO Link Signals

Get your business on as much high value (local) directories.
You can add you website to a lot of business directories. You can think of:

• Yelp.com
• Tripadvisor.com
• Business.com
• Angie’s List
• Foursquare
• Glassdoor
• Judy’s Book
• Wikivoyage
• Yellowpages

Local Search Engine Optimisation: Link Signals (Inbound anchor text, linking domain authority, linking domain quantity, etc.) 16.53%

For a lot of niches there are extra directories, like for restaurants, hotels & activities. Its often free to signup for a basic account. I would recommend to use a much free profiles as possible. You can discover the paid options but always keep you return on investment (ROI) in mind. Also look for the local directories what will give you more local backlinks links.

Create backlinks, especially local backlinks.
Make sure you get more local links, for example from:

• The local news websites & local blogs.
• Local business directories
• See if you have local influencers/ bloggers around what can help you with lnikbuilding through their platforms by collaborating.

Use press releases
When you’ve something to share about your business make sure you put it out there. Do you’ve a new service, new product, your business exists 10 years or whatever brings news value to you local online newspapers.

Local SEO Review Signals

Gather as many positive customer reviews as you can.
Local Search Engines getting smarter and want to give the best results to their visitors. One of the measurements in the algorithm is quality of the business. How long does the local business exist, how many people visite the website and how many people left a review etc. Therefor reviews are an important part in this quality score for example Google and Facebook pages. Also therefore I recommend to add a review request moment in your sales and support process. If you have a happy client. Don’t hold back to request a review on one of the online directories, social media and Google business listing.

Social Proof
Another very important value of reviews is the social proof. The more people are happy about your product or service the more likely other people will request information or buy your product.

Local Search Engine Optimisation: Review Signals (Review quantity, review velocity, review diversity, etc.) 15.44%

Local SEO Citation Signals

Leave your business’ name, address and phone number citations on other sites.
When you leave you comment somewhere and it could be written from you as a business owner/ salesperson / Support team, leave you business details there so people can see your brand an contact details.

Local Search Engine Optimisation: Citation Signals (IYP/aggregator NAP consistency, citation volume, etc.) 10.82%

Local SEO On-Page Signals

Make sure your business name, address & telephone number is the same everywhere
Said this in the first paragraph but very important to have always the same NAP details on all pages. So also you website. Make sure you use the schema.org listing so it makes it very easy for Google to understand what your NAP details are. Learn more about on page Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) 

Local Search Engine Optimisation: On-Page Signals (Presence of NAP, keywords in titles, domain authority, etc.) 13.82%

Local SEO and languages / Personalisation

Make sure you have the right language for the people you’re targeting in your local business. For example if you’re running a Muay Thai Gym in Thailand and you want to attract foreigners make sure you have content in their language. The browser they will search in will recognise their language settings and will see you website as the best fit as its their language and close to their expectations.

Local Search Engine Optimisation: Personalization 5.88%

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What do the numbers below mean?

Below I added some statistics about factors that influence your ranking position while doing Local Search Engine Optimisation. Per segment you can see how much influence it has on your Local Search Engine Optimisation ranking. This way you can see what you can optimise and hopefully it gives you some new insights how Google is thinking when ranking your website or listings in the search engine while someone is looking for a local business like yours.

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Local Pack/Finder Ranking Factors (Google Business listing pack)

• Google My Business Signals (Proximity, categories, keyword in business title, etc.) 25.12%
• Link Signals (Inbound anchor text, linking domain authority, linking domain quantity, etc.) 16.53%
• Review Signals (Review quantity, review velocity, review diversity, etc.) 15.44%
• On-Page Signals (Presence of NAP, keywords in titles, domain authority, etc.) 13.82%
• Citation Signals (IYP/aggregator NAP consistency, citation volume, etc.) 10.82%
• Behavioural Signals (Click-through rate, mobile clicks to call, check-ins, etc.) 9.56%
• Personalisation 5.88%
• Social Signals (Google engagement, Facebook engagement, Twitter engagement, etc.) 2.82%

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Localised Organic Ranking Factors (Your website)

• Link Signals (Inbound anchor text, linking domain authority, linking domain quantity, etc.) 27.94%
• On-Page Signals (Presence of NAP, keywords in titles, domain authority, etc.) 26.03%
• Behavioural Signals (Click-through rate, mobile clicks to call, check-ins, etc.) 11.5%
• Google My Business Signals (Proximity, categories, keyword in business title, etc.) 8.85%
• Citation Signals (IYP/aggregator NAP consistency, citation volume, etc.) 8.41%
• Personalisations 7.32%
• Review Signals (Review quantity, review velocity, review diversity, etc.) 6.47%
• Social Signals (Google engagement, Facebook engagement, Twitter engagement, etc.) 3.47%

Source, statistics & more about local ranking factors