Before you start
What your business needs in place before local SEO.
Local SEO and AI search optimisation build on a few foundations: a verified Google Business Profile you own, accurate contact details on your website, and clear signals about who you are and where you work. This guide explains each one, how to check it, and what we will ask for when you start.
The checklist
Everything in one place
The essentials need to be in place, or sorted in the first few weeks. The helpful extras make the work faster and the results stronger.
Essential
Must be in place
- A verified Google Business Profile that your business owns
- An eligible location or service area — no virtual offices or PO boxes
- Your real business name, without added keywords or locations
- A website on a domain you own, secure (https) and mobile-friendly
- Your name, address and phone number on your website, matching your profile exactly
- LocalBusiness schema on your website, matching those details
- Access to your website, or a developer who can make changes
- A genuine way to ask customers for reviews
Helpful
Strongly recommended
- Google Search Console and Google Analytics set up on accounts you own
- A page for each main service, and clear information about the areas you cover
- Recent photos of your work, team and premises
- Bing Places and Apple Business listings claimed
- A privacy policy and, for companies, your legal company details on the website
- A phone number that is answered, or goes to voicemail, during your listed hours
In detail
The requirements, explained
What each one means, why it matters, and how to check it in a few minutes.
01
A verified Google Business Profile that you own
Your Google Business Profile is the foundation of local SEO. It is what appears in the map results, and it is one of the main sources of business information Google draws on across Search and Maps. It needs to be verified, and it needs to belong to your business — not a former employee, web designer or marketing company.
If your profile is not yet verified, Google will ask you to verify it (for example by video, phone, text or email — Google chooses which options to offer). If someone else owns it, you can request ownership through Google. If your profile is suspended, it needs to be reinstated before any optimisation work can help. Duplicate profiles for the same business should be removed or merged.
We never need your Google password. We ask you to add us as a Manager on the profile, which you can remove at any time.
How to check
- Search for your business name on Google while signed in: you should see the option to edit your profile.
- In your profile settings, check who the owners and managers are.
- Search Google Maps for your business name and phone number to spot duplicates.
02
An eligible location or service area
Google only allows profiles for businesses that meet customers in person — at a location they can visit, or by travelling to them. A virtual office you do not actually work from (one not staffed during business hours), a PO box or a remote mailbox is not eligible, and using one risks suspension.
If customers come to you, your address should be a real location, staffed during your stated hours, with permanent signage showing your business name. If you travel to customers (most trades and mobile services), you should hide your address and set the towns or areas you serve instead. Working from home is fine: hide the address and use service areas.
How to check
- Your address is where you actually meet customers, or it is hidden.
- Your service areas list the real towns and districts you cover.
03
Your real business name
Your profile name should be exactly the name you use in the real world — on your signage, vans, invoices and website. Adding keywords or locations (for example “Smith Plumbing — Emergency Plumber Manchester”) breaks Google’s guidelines and is one of the most common reasons profiles are suspended.
How to check
- The name on your profile matches your signage, website and invoices.
04
A website you own and control
A website is not strictly required to appear on Google Maps, but it makes a large difference. It gives Google and AI assistants the detail they need about your services and areas, it is where customers check you out before calling, and it is where most of the content work happens.
The domain should be registered in your name or your company’s name, so you never lose it. The site should use https, work well on a phone, load quickly and be visible to search engines. Ideally it has a page for each main service and a contact page.
How to check
- Your domain registrar account is in your name.
- Your site address starts with https:// and shows a padlock in the browser.
- Your pages appear when you search Google for site:yourdomain.co.uk.
05
Contact details on your website, matching your profile exactly
Search engines and AI tools cross-check your business name, address and phone number (often called NAP) across your profile, your website and directories. When they match, it builds confidence that your information is accurate. When they differ — an old address, a different phone number, a slightly different name — it creates doubt.
Your website should show your business name, phone number (as a tap-to-call link), email or contact form, opening hours and — if customers visit you — your full address. Put them on your contact page and in the footer of every page, as normal text rather than an image, written exactly as they appear on your Google profile.
How to check
- Your name, address and phone number are identical on your website and Google profile.
- They appear in your website footer and on a contact page, as text.
- Your phone number can be tapped to call on a mobile.
06
LocalBusiness schema on your website
Schema markup is a small piece of structured code, invisible to visitors, that states your business details in a standard format search engines and AI systems can read reliably. For a local business, that means LocalBusiness schema — ideally the most specific type for what you do, such as Plumber, Dentist or LegalService — with your name, address, phone number, website, opening hours and areas served. The details must match what is visible on your site.
Most WordPress SEO plugins can add it from a settings screen, or a developer can add it in a few minutes. A simplified example for a plumber looks like this:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Plumber",
"name": "Your Business Name",
"url": "https://www.yourbusiness.co.uk/",
"telephone": "+44 161 000 0000",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "1 High Street",
"addressLocality": "Manchester",
"postalCode": "M1 1AA",
"addressCountry": "GB"
},
"openingHours": "Mo-Fr 08:00-18:00",
"areaServed": ["Manchester", "Salford", "Stockport"],
"sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/yourbusiness"]
}You can check your schema with Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator (validator.schema.org). If it is missing or out of date, it is one of the first things we look at.
07
Access, so the work can be done
Most of the work happens on your Google profile, your website and your listings, so we need access to them — through accounts that belong to you. That means Manager access to your Business Profile, a login to your website (or contact with your developer), and access to Google Search Console and Google Analytics if you use them, so we can measure progress.
How to check
- You can log in to your website yourself, or know who can.
- Search Console and Analytics are set up on your own Google account.
08
A genuine way to collect reviews
Reviews are one of the strongest local ranking signals and one of the first things customers and AI assistants look at. You need a simple, honest way to ask customers for them: your Google review link, ready to send by text or email after a job, and a habit of asking. Buying reviews, writing them yourself or only asking customers you expect to be happy (which Google calls review gating) breaks Google’s policies, and fake reviews are banned under UK consumer law.
How to check
- You have your Google review link (from your Business Profile).
- You can contact recent customers by text or email.
09
The legal basics on your website
If your website collects personal data — through a contact form, booking system or analytics — it needs a privacy policy. Non-essential cookies generally need consent — since 5 February 2026, changes made by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 allow some analytics cookies, and some cookies that remember a visitor’s preferences for how the site looks or works, to be used without consent if visitors are told clearly and given a simple way to opt out. Advertising and tracking cookies still need consent, so check the ICO’s current guidance. Limited companies must show their registered name, company number, registered office address and where they are registered (for example England and Wales) on their website. Some professions have their own rules, such as the SRA digital badge for solicitors or regulatory disclosures for financial advisers.
These are not ranking factors in themselves, but they are part of a trustworthy, professional website — and they matter more as your site starts attracting more visitors.
How to check
- Your site has a privacy policy and a cookie notice that matches the cookies you use.
- If you are a limited company, your company details are in the footer or on your contact page.
Getting started
What we will ask for when you start
Setup takes most businesses less than an hour, and we guide you through every step.
01
Profile access
Add us as a Manager on your Google Business Profile. We will send simple instructions.
02
Website access
A login for your website, or an introduction to your developer.
03
Tracking access
Access to Google Search Console and Analytics, if you have them, so we can report progress.
04
About your business
A short questionnaire on your services, areas, ideal customers and what makes you different, plus any photos.
Missing something?
That is normal — most businesses have a gap or two.
Very few businesses tick every box on day one. We check all of these foundations in your first weeks and tell you exactly what needs fixing, in plain English and in order of importance.
Much of it is part of the work in your plan — optimising your profile, correcting your listings and refining your website content. A few things only you can do, such as verifying your profile or giving us access, and we will walk you through those step by step. If something needs to be sorted before we can start — a suspended profile, for example — we will tell you honestly before you pay for anything.
Profile not verified yet?
Start verification now. We can begin the rest of the setup while Google completes it.
Details different across the web?
That is exactly what citation work fixes. We find and correct old and inconsistent listings.
No website yet?
Your profile can still rank, but a simple website makes a big difference. Talk to us about the options.
Requirements: your questions
Can you start if my Google Business Profile is not verified yet?
Yes, as long as verification is under way. Profile optimisation needs a verified profile, but we can start on your listings, website content and schema while Google completes verification. If your profile is suspended, that needs to be resolved first, and we will tell you before you sign up.
Do you need my Google password?
No. You add us as a Manager on your Business Profile, and give us user access to Search Console and Analytics. You stay the owner, and you can remove our access at any time. We never ask for passwords to your Google account.
I do not have a website. Can I still do local SEO?
Your Google Business Profile can rank without a website, so you can still benefit from profile optimisation, listings and reviews.
However, a website makes a big difference to both rankings and AI search, because it is where search engines and AI assistants find the detail about your services and areas. A simple, well-built site with a page for each main service is usually enough.
My web designer or a previous agency owns my profile or domain. What should I do?
Ask them to transfer ownership to you — it is your business asset. For a Google Business Profile, you can also request ownership through Google if the current owner does not respond. For a domain, ask for it to be moved to a registrar account in your name. We can help you with the wording if needed.
I work from home. Should my address be on my profile and website?
If customers do not visit you, no. Hide the address on your Google profile and set service areas instead. On your website, list the areas you cover and your phone number and email. Keep your business name and phone number identical everywhere.
Do I need schema if I already appear on Google Maps?
It is not required to appear on Maps, but it helps search engines and AI systems read your business details reliably and connect your website to your profile. It is a small, one-off job that supports everything else.
How long does setup take?
For most businesses, giving us access and completing the questionnaire takes less than an hour. Profile and listing improvements can help within weeks. Stronger map rankings and AI visibility usually build over three to six months.
Is there a contract?
No. Plans are rolling monthly and you can cancel before your next billing date. Your profile, listings and links stay in place.
Ready when you are.
If your foundations are in place — or nearly — choose a plan and we will take it from there. Not sure? Ask us and we will check for you.