You do not need 27 new things to do. You need three that you will finish. This guide lists 27 ways to grow your local business, sorts them by effort, and then shows you how to pick the first three.
The short answer
Start with your Google Business Profile, your reviews and one clear call to action on your website. Those three cover being found, being trusted and being contacted. Add the rest one at a time.
In this guide
- How to pick your first three
- Part 1: Get found (tactics 1 to 9)
- Part 2: Turn visits into calls (tactics 10 to 15)
- Part 3: Earn trust (tactics 16 to 20)
- Part 4: Keep customers and earn referrals (tactics 21 to 24)
- Part 5: Be known in your community (tactics 25 to 27)
- Score your list in ten minutes
- What to skip for now
- A weekly rhythm that keeps this going
- A 90-day plan to grow your local business
- Common mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
- Next steps
How to pick your first three
Every local business needs three things: people can find you, people trust you, and people can contact you easily. Score each tactic below against those three, and against how much time it takes.
| If your problem is… | Start with these tactics |
|---|---|
| Nobody finds us | 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 |
| People find us but do not call | 10, 11, 12, 15 |
| People call, then pick someone else | 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 |
| We get jobs but few repeat or referral customers | 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| We are new in town or unknown | 25, 26, 27 plus 1 and 2 |
Part 1: Get found (tactics 1 to 9)
1. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile
Your profile is the card that appears on the map and in search. Google says verification tells it you are authorized to represent the business, and verified profiles are more likely to show in search results (Google Business Profile Help). Effort: low.
2. Fill out every part of it
Add the right categories, services, service area, photos and hours. Google says to keep hours current, including special hours. Google also explains that local ranking comes from relevance, distance and prominence, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking (same source). Use our Google Business Profile checklist. Effort: low.
3. Give each main service its own page
A page called “Services” that lists everything ranks for little. Make one page per service, with plain words and your towns. See our service page template. Effort: medium.
4. Name your towns in a natural way
If you serve Carlisle, Mechanicsburg and Shippensburg, say so on the pages that matter. Do not copy the same page for ten towns. Our guide to SEO for service area businesses explains how to do it without thin pages. Effort: medium.
5. Keep your name, address and phone the same everywhere
Mismatched details confuse customers and make listings harder to trust. Follow our citations and NAP guide. Effort: low to medium.
6. Check your categories on every listing
You do not want to be listed as a babysitter when you are a plumber. Confirm the category on Google, Yelp and the other places you appear. Effort: low.
7. Join the directories your trade actually uses
Skip random directories. Use the main ones plus the sites your customers use in your trade, such as a trade association or a chamber of commerce. Effort: low.
8. Make your site work well on a phone
Google uses the mobile version of a site for indexing and ranking. Google also publishes targets for a good page experience: main content loads within 2.5 seconds, interaction responds in 200 milliseconds or less, and layout shift stays at 0.1 or below (web.dev). Check your pages in PageSpeed Insights and fix the biggest items first. Effort: medium.
9. Answer real questions on your site
Write down the questions customers ask on the phone. Turn each into a short page or a section. This helps visitors and gives search engines more to match. See how to write website content. Effort: medium.
Part 2: Turn visits into calls (tactics 10 to 15)
10. Make the phone number tap-to-call
On a phone, a number should be a link. Test it yourself. Effort: low.
11. Show one clear action on every page
Decide what you want: call, quote request or booking. Put that button in the first screen and again lower down. Our post on seven ways to raise your conversion rate shows more. Effort: low.
12. Build a page for each ad campaign
If you run ads, send them to a page that matches the ad and asks for one thing. See our landing page guide. Effort: medium.
13. Use your town name in your ad copy
People want a nearby business. Put the town or area in the headline if it fits. Effort: low.
14. Add call options to your ads
Show your phone number so mobile users can tap to call. Track those calls, or you will not know what worked. See call tracking for Google Ads. Effort: medium.
15. Try remarketing, but only after the basics
Remarketing shows ads to people who already visited your site. It can help when you get traffic but few leads. It adds cost and setup, so fix your page first. Effort: medium to high.
Part 3: Earn trust (tactics 16 to 20)
16. Ask every happy customer for a review
Google says you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code (Google Business Profile Help). Follow the rules. Google does not allow payment, discounts or free goods or services for reviews, and does not allow you to selectively ask only for positive ones (Google review policy). See how to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules. Effort: low.
17. Reply to every review
Thank people. For a bad review, stay calm, say sorry for what went wrong and offer to fix it offline. Future customers read your replies. Effort: low.
18. Show real reviews on your site
Put a few near your call button. Keep them real. The FTC rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, effective October 21, 2024, bars fake reviews and buying reviews that must express a set opinion (FTC). Effort: low.
19. Use real photos of your team and work
Stock photos say nothing. A photo of your truck, your crew or a finished job says a lot. See how to get good photos without stock. Effort: low to medium.
20. Show your licenses, insurance and warranty terms
If you hold them, show them. Customers worry about hiring a stranger. Facts calm that worry. Effort: low.
Part 4: Keep customers and earn referrals (tactics 21 to 24)
21. Collect email addresses
Offer something useful, such as a seasonal checklist, in return. Effort: low.
22. Send a useful email every month
Keep it short and helpful. Follow the CAN-SPAM rules, which include no deceptive subject lines, telling people where you are located and honoring opt-outs promptly (FTC CAN-SPAM guide). See email marketing to grow your business. Effort: medium.
23. Follow up after every job
A quick call or text a few days later catches problems and earns reviews. Use a simple CRM or a spreadsheet to remember. Effort: low.
24. Start a simple referral habit
Ask each happy customer, “Who else do you know who needs this?” You can add a thank-you gift for referrals, but never tie any incentive to a review. Effort: low.
Part 5: Be known in your community (tactics 25 to 27)
25. Show up at local events
Chamber meetings, school fairs and trade shows put you in front of neighbors. The more people who know you, the more think of you when they need your service. Effort: medium.
26. Partner with businesses that share your customers
A realtor and a painter, or a plumber and an electrician, can refer to each other. Make the partnership simple and fair. Effort: low.
27. Sponsor something that fits your brand
Sponsor a team, a bake-off or a clean-up day that your customers care about. Ask for a link to your site from the event page. Effort: medium.
Score your list in ten minutes
Copy this simple worksheet. Write the tactic numbers you like, then score each from 1 to 3.
| Question | Score 1 | Score 3 |
|---|---|---|
| How much time does it take? | Many hours a week | Under two hours a week |
| Does it fix my biggest gap? | Not really | Directly |
| Can I finish it in 30 days? | No | Yes |
| Do I already have the pieces? | No | Yes |
Add up the scores. Pick the three highest. If two tie, pick the one that is closer to a phone call from a customer. That is usually the profile, the review ask or the call button.
What to skip for now
- Any tactic that needs a big budget before your website and profile are ready.
- Any promise of a fast ranking from a stranger who emails you. No honest person can promise one.
- Posting on every social channel. Pick the one or two where your customers already are.
- Copying a competitor without knowing if it works for them.
A weekly rhythm that keeps this going
Growth comes from small habits. Block one hour a week at the same time. In the first ten minutes, check new calls, forms and reviews. Spend the next forty on one tactic from your list. Use the last ten to write down what you did and what you saw. After a month, you will have a record. After three, you will know what is worth more time.
A 90-day plan to grow your local business
| Month | Do this | Tactics |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1: be findable and contactable | Claim and fill out your profile, make the phone number tappable, ask five happy customers for reviews | 1, 2, 10, 16 |
| Month 2: be trusted | Reply to every review, add real photos and reviews to your site, check your site speed | 17, 18, 19, 8 |
| Month 3: build repeat business | Start an email list and a follow-up habit, pick one community event to join | 21, 22, 23, 25 |
Do not start month two until month one is done. Track three numbers: calls, form requests and new reviews. Our post on 15 ways to market your business covers more channels once these are in place.
Common mistakes
- Trying ten tactics and finishing none.
- Buying ads before the website and profile are ready. See Google Ads vs SEO for a local business.
- Buying or faking reviews.
- Copying one page for every town.
- Never measuring. Count calls and forms every month.
- Forgetting follow-up. A lead you do not answer is a lead you paid for.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to grow a local business?
Your Google Business Profile, asking for reviews, and following up after jobs cost mostly time. Start there.
How long does it take to see results?
Calls and reviews can start moving within weeks. Search rankings take longer. Google notes that changes can take hours to months to show up. See how long SEO takes.
Do I need a website if I have a Google profile?
Yes. The profile gets you found. The website is where people check your services, proof and contact options. It also gives you something you control.
Should I run ads or do SEO first?
If you need calls right away, ads can help and cost money each click. SEO builds over time. Many local businesses use both. Our post on SEO vs Google Ads compares them.
How do I know which tactic worked?
Change one thing at a time and track calls, forms and reviews. Ask new customers how they found you.
What if I only have an hour a week?
Pick tactics 1, 2 and 16. Spend a few weeks on them. Then add one more.
Next steps
Pick your three. Put dates on them. If you would like a second set of eyes on your plan, Book your strategy call. You can also check your site with our website teardown or see how we think about local SEO for small business.
Want help with this in Carlisle or Central PA?
Webfactory Media is a Carlisle, PA agency. See our Carlisle SEO and search engine optimization pages, or call (888) 849-2397 and we will look at your site for free.
Next step: use our Google Business Profile checklist.
More on local SEO
This post is part of our local SEO series. Start with the plain guide to local SEO, or see how our SEO services work.
