When someone searches for “electrician near me” or “accountant in Hull”, Google usually shows a map with three businesses listed beneath it before any normal results appear. This block is known as the Map Pack, or Local Pack, and for businesses that serve a particular area it is some of the most valuable space on the internet, which is why local SEO matters so much.
As a web agency based in Hull, we help local businesses across East Yorkshire with this all the time. The good news is that local SEO rewards effort and accuracy more than budget, so a well-run small business can genuinely compete.
How Google decides who appears
Google has said that local results are based mainly on three factors:
- Relevance: how well your business matches what the person searched for.
- Distance: how far your business is from the searcher, or from the location in their search.
- Prominence: how well known and well regarded your business is, judged from reviews, links, mentions and your overall web presence.
You cannot change where a searcher is standing, but you have a lot of control over relevance and prominence.
Step one: get your Google Business Profile right
Your Google Business Profile is the listing that appears in the Map Pack and on Google Maps. It is free, and it is the single most important part of local SEO.
- Choose the most accurate primary category. This has a big influence on which searches you appear for. Add secondary categories only where they genuinely apply.
- If you visit customers rather than having them visit you, set a service area (for example Hull, Beverley, Cottingham, Hessle and Withernsea) and hide your address if it is a home address.
- Write a clear description of what you do and where, in normal language.
- Add your services, opening hours, including bank holidays, and a link to the most relevant page on your website.
- Upload real photos of your work, team and premises, and keep adding them over time.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
Step two: be consistent everywhere
Your business name, address and phone number, often shortened to NAP, should be identical on your website, your Google profile, social media and directories such as Yell, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect and relevant trade directories. Inconsistencies, such as an old address or a different phone number, make it harder for Google to be confident about who you are.
Put your NAP in the footer of your website as plain text, not inside an image, so it can be read by search engines.
Step three: build a steady flow of reviews
Reviews feed directly into prominence and are one of the first things searchers look at. Ask every happy customer, make it easy with a direct review link, and reply to every review you receive. A steady stream of recent reviews is more useful than a burst of activity followed by silence. Never buy reviews or offer incentives for positive ones; it breaks Google’s policies and can get your profile suspended.
Step four: create location pages that deserve to rank
If you serve several towns, a dedicated page for each main area can help, but only if each page is genuinely useful. Copying the same text and swapping “Hull” for “Beverley” creates thin, near-duplicate content that is unlikely to rank. Instead, include local projects you have completed, testimonials from customers in that area, specific travel or service details and photos taken locally.
Step five: earn local mentions
Links and mentions from local organisations tell Google you are part of the community. Sponsoring a local sports team, joining a business network or chamber of commerce, contributing to local news stories or partnering with complementary businesses can all lead to relevant local links.
Be patient and keep going
Local SEO is not a one-off task. The businesses that do best keep their profile updated, post occasional news, add photos and gather reviews month after month. If you would like help setting things up properly, or want your website to support your local rankings, talk to our Hull-based team.
