✅ Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is the foundation of local SEO. It controls your map pack listing and feeds data into Google's local knowledge graph.
- Claim and verify your Google Business Profile
- Choose the most accurate primary business category
- Add all relevant secondary categories
- Write a compelling, keyword-rich business description (750 character limit)
- Add complete address details — consistent with your website and all directories
- Add your phone number and website URL
- Set accurate opening hours (including special/bank holiday hours)
- Upload at least 10 high-quality photos — interior, exterior, team, work examples
- Add all relevant products and services with descriptions
- Enable messaging and booking if applicable
- Publish at least 2 Google posts per month
- Add Q&A entries for common customer questions
✅ On-Page Local SEO
Your website pages need to signal clearly where you are and what you do to both Google and your potential customers.
- Include your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) in the footer of every page
- Create a dedicated contact page with your full address, phone, map embed, and opening hours
- Use location-specific keywords in title tags (e.g. "Plumber Manchester | Your Business Name")
- Include location keywords naturally in H1 headings and page content
- Embed a Google Map on your contact page
- Create dedicated service area pages for each area you serve (e.g. /seo-salford/)
- Implement LocalBusiness schema markup with complete NAP details
- Ensure your address details are identical across your website and all external listings
✅ Citations and NAP Consistency
Citations are online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number — on directories, review sites, and other websites. Consistent NAP data builds trust with Google.
- Audit existing citations for NAP inconsistencies — wrong address, old phone number, variations in business name
- Claim and complete your listing on all major UK directories: Yell, Thomson Local, Bing Places, Apple Maps
- List on relevant industry directories (e.g. Checkatrade, Rated People for trades; Treatwell for beauty)
- Add your business to local Manchester directories and Chamber of Commerce listings
- Ensure your NAP on all directories exactly matches your GBP and website
- Remove duplicate listings where they exist
✅ Reviews and Reputation
Reviews are one of the strongest signals for local map pack rankings — and they directly influence whether a potential customer contacts you.
- Establish a process for asking every satisfied customer for a Google review
- Make it easy — send a direct review link via email or SMS
- Respond to every Google review — positive and negative — within 48 hours
- Aim for a consistent flow of new reviews (2–4 per month is good for most businesses)
- List on relevant review platforms for your sector: Trustpilot, Facebook, Checkatrade
- Never use fake reviews — they can result in your GBP listing being suspended
✅ Local Link Building
Backlinks from local and relevant websites send strong geographic signals to Google and build domain authority.
- Get listed in the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce directory
- Seek links from local Manchester news sites and blogs
- Join and get listed on relevant trade associations (Gas Safe, NAPIT, FMB for builders, etc.)
- Ask suppliers, partners, and clients to link to your site from their websites
- Contribute guest articles or expert commentary to local business publications
- Sponsor local events or charities and ensure they link back to you
✅ Technical Foundations
Local SEO sits on top of technical SEO. If Google cannot crawl and index your site properly, nothing else matters.
- Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and passes Google's Mobile-Friendly Test
- Check and fix Core Web Vitals — LCP, CLS, INP — using Google Search Console
- Submit an XML sitemap in Google Search Console
- Ensure HTTPS is correctly implemented across your entire site
- Fix broken links (404 errors) and implement 301 redirects where needed
- Check Google Search Console's Coverage report for indexing issues
✅ Local Content
Local content helps you rank for a wider range of searches and builds topical relevance for your service area.
- Create dedicated pages for each major service (not just a single "services" page)
- Create location-specific pages for each area you serve
- Write blog content answering questions your local customers search for
- Include local case studies and project examples with location mentions
- Mention local landmarks, areas, and neighbourhoods naturally in your content
✅ Tracking and Measurement
Without tracking, you cannot measure progress or identify what is working.
- Set up Google Search Console and verify ownership
- Set up Google Analytics 4 with key conversion events (calls, form submissions)
- Set up call tracking to attribute phone calls to organic search
- Monitor your GBP insights monthly — calls, direction requests, website clicks
- Track your map pack rankings for your most important local searches
If you have worked through this checklist and want professional help with any of these areas, MancSEO provides local SEO services for Manchester businesses — including Google Business Profile optimisation, citation building, and ongoing local SEO management. Get in touch for a free consultation.
