{"id":1938,"date":"2026-09-28T14:16:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T18:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shooga.ca\/blog\/local-seo-for-small-business\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T12:22:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T16:22:03","slug":"local-seo-for-small-business","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/shooga.ca\/en\/blog\/local-seo-for-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"The local SEO guide for small businesses in Quebec"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.shg-article{--shg-h2:30px;--shg-h4:20px}\n.shg-article .shg-h2{font-size:var(--shg-h2);line-height:1.15;font-weight:700;color:#111;\n margin:0;padding-top:34px;border-top:1px solid #ebebeb;text-wrap:pretty}\n.shg-article .shg-h2+*{margin-top:16px}\n.shg-article>.shg-h2:first-child{padding-top:0;border-top:0}\n.shg-article .shg-h4{font-size:var(--shg-h4);line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;color:#111;\n margin:34px 0 0;text-wrap:pretty}\n.shg-article .shg-h4+*{margin-top:8px}\n.shg-article>p{margin:18px 0 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#ebebeb;border-radius:16px;overflow:hidden}\n.shg-step{display:flex;gap:16px;align-items:flex-start;padding:16px 18px;background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ebebeb;border-top:1px solid #ebebeb}\n.shg-step:first-child{border-top:0}\n.shg-step--key{background:#fff6f1;border-left-color:#ff3100}\n.shg-step b{display:flex;flex:0 0 32px;height:32px;align-items:center;justify-content:center;border-radius:50%;background:#111;color:#fff;font-size:14px;font-weight:700}\n.shg-step--key b{background:#ff3100}\n.shg-step div{min-width:0}\n.shg-step strong{display:block;font-size:16px;color:#111;margin:4px 0 4px}\n.shg-step p{margin:0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;color:#444}\n.shg-pair{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:12px;align-items:stretch}\n.shg-pair>div{flex:1 1 240px;min-width:0;border:1px solid #ebebeb;border-radius:16px;padding:18px;background:#fff}\n.shg-pair .shg-lang{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.09em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#ff3100;margin:0 0 8px}\n.shg-pair 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a.shg-btn{text-decoration:none}\n.shg-btn{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;gap:7px;height:40px;padding:0 16px;border-radius:8px;font-size:14px;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none;line-height:1;text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;transition:background-color .16s cubic-bezier(.25,.46,.45,.94),color .16s cubic-bezier(.25,.46,.45,.94)}\n.shg-btn svg{flex:0 0 auto;transition:transform .3s cubic-bezier(.215,.61,.355,1)}\n.shg-btn:hover svg{transform:translate(3px)}\n.shg-cta--dark .shg-btn{background:#ff3100;color:#fff}\n.shg-cta--dark .shg-btn:hover{background:#fff;color:#111}\n.shg-cta--brand .shg-btn{background:#fff;color:#c92700}\n.shg-cta--brand .shg-btn:hover{background:#111;color:#fff}\n@media (max-width:639px){\n  .shg-arrow{display:none}\n  .shg-row{padding:14px 16px}\n}\n@media (min-width:680px){\n  .shg-cta{padding:36px 40px;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:32px}\n  .shg-cta .shg-copy{flex:1 1 auto;min-width:0}\n  .shg-cta .shg-sub{margin:0}\n  .shg-cta .shg-btn{flex:0 0 auto}\n  .shg-cta .shg-title{font-size:26px}\n}<\/p>\n<p>.shg-mx{width:100%;border:1px solid #ebebeb;border-radius:16px;overflow:hidden;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;table-layout:fixed}\n.shg-mx th,.shg-mx td{padding:14px 12px;border-top:1px solid #ebebeb;border-left:1px solid #ebebeb;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;word-break:break-word}\n.shg-mx tr:first-child th,.shg-mx tr:first-child td{border-top:0}\n.shg-mx th:first-child,.shg-mx td:first-child{border-left:0}\n.shg-mx thead th{background:#fafafa;font-size:12px;letter-spacing:.09em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#888;font-weight:600}\n.shg-mx tbody th{background:#fafafa;color:#111;font-weight:700}\n.shg-mx td{color:#333;background:#fff}\n.shg-mx td span{display:none;color:#888;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:2px}\n.shg-note{font-size:14px;color:#333}\n.shg-pair code{word-break:normal;overflow-wrap:anywhere}\n@media (max-width:639px){.shg-mx,.shg-mx tbody,.shg-mx tr,.shg-mx th,.shg-mx td{display:block;width:auto}.shg-mx thead{display:none}.shg-mx tr{border-top:1px solid #ebebeb}.shg-mx tr:first-child{border-top:0}.shg-mx th,.shg-mx td{border-left:0;border-top:0;padding:10px 16px}.shg-mx tbody th{padding-top:14px}.shg-mx td{padding-top:6px;padding-bottom:6px}.shg-mx td:last-child{padding-bottom:14px}.shg-mx td span{display:block}}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"shg-article\">\n<p>Local SEO covers everything that makes a business show up when a client searches for a product or service near them. It involves the Google Business Profile, the pages on your website, online directories and reviews. This guide explains how each of them weighs in the ranking, in the order worth tackling them.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">What local SEO covers<\/h2>\n<p>A local search shows two kinds of results on the same page. At the top, a map block usually shows three businesses, with their rating, their hours and a button to call. Below it come the organic results, which are web pages.<\/p>\n<p>The two areas are not won the same way. The map ranks Google Business Profiles. The organic results rank website pages. Local SEO works on both, because a business that appears on the map and in the results below takes up far more of the client&#8217;s field of view.<\/p>\n<p>A search becomes local as soon as Google detects an intent of proximity. A city name is enough, and so is &#8220;near me&#8221;. Many searches with no place in them trigger the map too: someone who types &#8220;emergency plumber&#8221; wants a plumber who can come to them, and Google understands that.<\/p>\n<p>AI search assistants, such as Google&#8217;s AI Overviews, also rely on this information when asked to recommend a business. A complete profile and contact details that match from one site to the next are part of what they check.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Google&#8217;s three local ranking criteria<\/h2>\n<p>Google itself explains how it ranks local results. Three criteria come up: proximity, relevance and prominence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\">\n<p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Local ranking<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-grid\">\n<div class=\"shg-card\">\n<h5>Proximity<\/h5>\n<p>The distance between the person searching and your address, or the place named in the search.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-card\">\n<h5>Relevance<\/h5>\n<p>How closely your profile and your site match what the person is looking for.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-card\">\n<h5>Prominence<\/h5>\n<p>What the web says about your business: reviews, mentions, links and the quality of your site.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"shg-cap\">The three criteria Google describes in its documentation on how local results are ranked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Proximity is the one you have little control over, since it depends on where the person searching is. That is why a business well established in one neighbourhood often dominates the map around its address and disappears a few kilometres further on.<\/p>\n<p>Relevance and prominence can be worked on. A complete profile, accurate categories and website pages that describe your services precisely improve relevance. Reviews, mentions of your business elsewhere on the web and the quality of your site build prominence.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Optimizing your Google Business Profile<\/h2>\n<p>The Google Business Profile, formerly called Google My Business, is the starting point. It is what appears on the map and in Google Maps, and it is often what a client looks at before even visiting your site.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\">\n<p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Google Business Profile<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-rows\">\n<div class=\"shg-row shg-row--head\"><span class=\"shg-url\">Element<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\">Priority<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">A precise primary category<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--ok\" style=\"margin:0\">Essential<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">The business&#8217;s real name<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--ok\" style=\"margin:0\">Essential<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Address or service area<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--ok\" style=\"margin:0\">Essential<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Up-to-date hours<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--ok\" style=\"margin:0\">Essential<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Secondary categories<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Services with a short description<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Real photos<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Website link with a tracking parameter<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Posts<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"shg-cap\">The essentials come before everything else. The rest helps the profile stand out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4 class=\"shg-h4\">The primary category matters more than anything else<\/h4>\n<p>The primary category tells Google which searches your profile is relevant for. Pick the most precise one that describes your main activity, then add secondary categories for your other services. A category that is too broad puts you up against everyone. One that is too narrow makes you miss searches. To decide, look at the categories used by the profiles that rank ahead of you on your main searches: they show what Google associates with those queries.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"shg-h4\">A profile name that matches your sign<\/h4>\n<p>Adding keywords to the profile name, as in &#8220;Tremblay Garage Auto Repair Laval&#8221;, breaks Google&#8217;s rules and puts the profile at risk of suspension. The name shown should be the one your clients see on your sign and your invoices.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"shg-h4\">Address or service area<\/h4>\n<p>A business that welcomes clients shows its address. A business that travels to them hides its address and declares a service area. In both cases Google requires a real address where the business can be reached: virtual offices and PO boxes are not accepted.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"shg-h4\">Real photos and detailed services<\/h4>\n<p>Real photos of your premises, your team and your work reassure clients and show Google the profile is active. A list of services, each with a short description, helps the profile appear for more specific searches. Posts are for announcing something new, a promotion or an event.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Finding your local SEO keywords<\/h2>\n<p>A local keyword almost always combines a service and a place. The simplest method is to cross the list of your services with the list of cities and areas you serve, then check which of those combinations people actually search for.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\">\n<p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Sample keyword grid<\/p>\n<table class=\"shg-mx\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Service<\/th>\n<th>Laval<\/th>\n<th>Longueuil<\/th>\n<th>Near me<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Kitchen renovation<\/th>\n<td><span>Laval<\/span>kitchen renovation Laval<\/td>\n<td><span>Longueuil<\/span>kitchen renovation Longueuil<\/td>\n<td><span>Near me<\/span>kitchen renovation near me<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Bathroom renovation<\/th>\n<td><span>Laval<\/span>bathroom renovation Laval<\/td>\n<td><span>Longueuil<\/span>bathroom renovation Longueuil<\/td>\n<td><span>Near me<\/span>bathroom renovation near me<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p class=\"shg-cap\">For a renovation company. Each cell is a search to check, then assign to a page on the site or to the profile.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Pay attention to your clients&#8217; vocabulary. They do not always search with the terms of your trade: a client with a leak searches for &#8220;roof leaking&#8221; and often has no idea what the repair is technically called. The questions clients ask you on the phone are an excellent source of keywords.<\/p>\n<p>Each keyword you keep then needs a home: in the services on your profile, in the title and content of a page on your site, or in both.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Local pages that earn their ranking<\/h2>\n<p>The Google profile ranks you mostly around your address. To be visible in neighbouring cities, your site needs pages dedicated to each market you genuinely serve.<\/p>\n<p>It is tempting to create one page per city and change only the name. Google spots these cloned pages and ranks them poorly, and clients find them unconvincing. A useful local page talks about the market it targets: the clientele, the projects completed in the area, what is specific to the territory, how you get there.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\">\n<p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Local pages<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-pair\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"shg-lang\">Cloned page<\/p>\n<p><code>Renovation in Laval<br \/>Renovation in Longueuil<\/code><small>The same text from one city to the next, only the name changes. Nothing sets one page apart from another.<\/small><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"shg-lang\">Market page<\/p>\n<p><code>Renovation in Laval<\/code><small>Projects completed in Laval, the neighbourhoods served, what is specific to the area and reviews from clients in the city.<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"shg-cap\">A useful local page talks about the market it targets. A cloned page says nothing the previous one did not.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>A good local page also connects to the rest of the site. It links to your service pages and your service pages link back to it. This structure helps Google understand which services you offer in which cities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-cta shg-cta--dark\">\n<div class=\"shg-copy\">\n<p class=\"shg-kicker\">Local SEO<\/p>\n<p class=\"shg-title\">Put your profile and your local pages to work together<\/p>\n<p class=\"shg-sub\">ShooGa takes care of your Google profile, your market pages, your directory listings and your reviews.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"shg-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/shooga.ca\/en\/services\/digital-marketing\/seo\/local-seo\/\">See our local SEO offer<svg width=\"15\" height=\"15\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M5 12h13M13 6l6 6-6 6\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Getting client reviews and replying to them<\/h2>\n<p>Reviews play a double role. They affect your place on the map and they weigh heavily in the decision of a client comparing three profiles side by side. How many you have matters, how recent they are too, and so does what they say: a review that mentions the service and the city helps the profile on those searches.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\">\n<p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">The review cycle<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-steps\">\n<div class=\"shg-step shg-step--key\"><b>1<\/b><\/p>\n<div><strong>Ask<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Right after a successful job, with a direct link to the profile.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-step\"><b>2<\/b><\/p>\n<div><strong>Receive<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A review that mentions the service and the city.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-step shg-step--key\"><b>3<\/b><\/p>\n<div><strong>Reply<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To every review, positive or negative, in a calm tone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-step\"><b>4<\/b><\/p>\n<div><strong>Reuse<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The best reviews earn a place on your local pages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"shg-cap\">Asking and replying are the two steps that depend entirely on you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The best time to ask for a review is right after a successful job, when the client is satisfied and remembers it. A direct link to your profile, sent by email or text, removes almost every obstacle.<\/p>\n<p>Google forbids two practices: offering a reward in exchange for a review, and asking only the clients you are sure will be positive. Both put the profile at risk of penalties.<\/p>\n<p>Reply to every review, positive or negative. A calm reply to criticism shows future clients how you handle a problem, and they often read the reply before the review itself.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Directories and consistent contact details<\/h2>\n<p>Your business is probably already listed in several online directories, sometimes without you asking. Google compares these listings with your profile. When the name, address and phone number match everywhere, it puts more trust in the information it shows.<\/p>\n<p>In Quebec, the listings that matter most are Yellow Pages, 411.ca, Bing Places and Apple Business Connect, which feeds Maps on the iPhone. Add the directories specific to your field: professional order, industry association, chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n<p>A move, a new phone number or a former business name often leave contradictory traces. The work is to find those listings, correct the ones that can be corrected and merge the duplicates.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Local SEO in Quebec in English and French<\/h2>\n<p>The Quebec market adds a dimension specific to the province. In Montreal, part of the clientele searches in English and part in French, often for the same service. Those searches use different words and do not always bring up the same competitors on the map.<\/p>\n<p>A business that works only in English misses out on part of those searches. And the Charter of the French Language requires commercial content aimed at Quebec, websites included, to be available in French.<\/p>\n<p>So both languages need work. The site offers a French and an English version of its important pages, each written for its own audience. The Google profile, its posts and the replies to reviews take both clienteles into account.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Local SEO for B2B companies<\/h2>\n<p>Local SEO is not only for retail. A manufacturer, a distributor or a business-to-business service provider is also searched for by region: &#8220;CNC machining Laval&#8221;, &#8220;warehouse South Shore&#8221;, &#8220;accountant for small business Montreal&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>For those searches the map does not always appear, or it appears below the organic results. The site&#8217;s <a href=\"\/en\/services\/digital-marketing\/seo\/\">search engine optimization<\/a> then carries more of the work. <a href=\"https:\/\/shooga.ca\/en\/blog\/small-business-seo\/\">Service pages<\/a> should name the regions served, and a page for each important market is still useful.<\/p>\n<p>The Google profile keeps its role, even in B2B. A buyer who found your site often checks the profile before calling: the address, photos of the plant or offices and reviews from other companies confirm you are an established supplier.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Local SEO on a WordPress site<\/h2>\n<p>WordPress works well for local SEO, as long as it is used properly. Common SEO plugins handle the title and description of each page, and some offer a local module that adds your business&#8217;s structured data: name, address, opening hours and service area.<\/p>\n<p>Structured data is code the visitor never sees that describes your business to search engines. It helps Google connect your site and your profile as one and the same business.<\/p>\n<p>For local pages, a shared page template helps keep a consistent structure, but the content of each page has to stay specific to its market. A site that is fast on mobile matters too: a large share of local searches happen on a phone.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">What to measure<\/h2>\n<p>Local SEO is measured first in the enquiries it brings. Three free tools cover the essentials.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\">\n<p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Measuring local SEO<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-rows\">\n<div class=\"shg-row shg-row--head\"><span class=\"shg-url\" style=\"flex:0 1 220px\">Tool<\/span><span class=\"shg-url\">What it shows<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url\" style=\"flex:0 1 220px\"><strong style=\"color:#111\">Google profile, Performance tab<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"shg-url\">Calls, direction requests, website clicks and the searches that showed the profile.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url\" style=\"flex:0 1 220px\"><strong style=\"color:#111\">Google Search Console<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"shg-url\">The queries and positions of your local pages in the organic results.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url\" style=\"flex:0 1 220px\"><strong style=\"color:#111\">Google Analytics<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"shg-url\">Visits and contact requests that came from the profile, thanks to the tracking parameter.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"shg-cap\">Three free tools cover most of the tracking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Add a tracking parameter to the website link on your Google profile. Without it, Google Analytics mixes visits from the map with visits from the organic results, and there is no way to know what the profile brings in.<\/p>\n<p>Compare the numbers month over month and year over year. Local search varies with the seasons, and a one-off drop is not necessarily a problem.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-cta shg-cta--brand\">\n<div class=\"shg-copy\">\n<p class=\"shg-kicker\">Your local presence<\/p>\n<p class=\"shg-title\">Find out where you stand on the map<\/p>\n<p class=\"shg-sub\">The local audit shows your position in each area you serve and the fixes that matter most. It comes with no commitment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"shg-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/shooga.ca\/en\/contact\/\">Request a local audit<svg width=\"15\" height=\"15\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M5 12h13M13 6l6 6-6 6\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2727,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-1938","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"content":"<style>\n.shg-article{--shg-h2:30px;--shg-h4:20px}\n.shg-article .shg-h2{font-size:var(--shg-h2);line-height:1.15;font-weight:700;color:#111;\n margin:0;padding-top:34px;border-top:1px solid #ebebeb;text-wrap:pretty}\n.shg-article .shg-h2+*{margin-top:16px}\n.shg-article>.shg-h2:first-child{padding-top:0;border-top:0}\n.shg-article .shg-h4{font-size:var(--shg-h4);line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;color:#111;\n 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a.shg-btn{text-decoration:none}\n.shg-btn{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;gap:7px;height:40px;padding:0 16px;border-radius:8px;font-size:14px;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none;line-height:1;text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;transition:background-color .16s cubic-bezier(.25,.46,.45,.94),color .16s cubic-bezier(.25,.46,.45,.94)}\n.shg-btn svg{flex:0 0 auto;transition:transform .3s cubic-bezier(.215,.61,.355,1)}\n.shg-btn:hover svg{transform:translate(3px)}\n.shg-cta--dark .shg-btn{background:#ff3100;color:#fff}\n.shg-cta--dark .shg-btn:hover{background:#fff;color:#111}\n.shg-cta--brand .shg-btn{background:#fff;color:#c92700}\n.shg-cta--brand .shg-btn:hover{background:#111;color:#fff}\n@media (max-width:639px){\n  .shg-arrow{display:none}\n  .shg-row{padding:14px 16px}\n}\n@media (min-width:680px){\n  .shg-cta{padding:36px 40px;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:32px}\n  .shg-cta .shg-copy{flex:1 1 auto;min-width:0}\n  .shg-cta .shg-sub{margin:0}\n  .shg-cta .shg-btn{flex:0 0 auto}\n  .shg-cta .shg-title{font-size:26px}\n}\n\n.shg-mx{width:100%;border:1px solid #ebebeb;border-radius:16px;overflow:hidden;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;table-layout:fixed}\n.shg-mx th,.shg-mx td{padding:14px 12px;border-top:1px solid #ebebeb;border-left:1px solid #ebebeb;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;word-break:break-word}\n.shg-mx tr:first-child th,.shg-mx tr:first-child td{border-top:0}\n.shg-mx th:first-child,.shg-mx td:first-child{border-left:0}\n.shg-mx thead th{background:#fafafa;font-size:12px;letter-spacing:.09em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#888;font-weight:600}\n.shg-mx tbody th{background:#fafafa;color:#111;font-weight:700}\n.shg-mx td{color:#333;background:#fff}\n.shg-mx td span{display:none;color:#888;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:2px}\n.shg-note{font-size:14px;color:#333}\n.shg-pair code{word-break:normal;overflow-wrap:anywhere}\n@media (max-width:639px){.shg-mx,.shg-mx tbody,.shg-mx tr,.shg-mx th,.shg-mx td{display:block;width:auto}.shg-mx thead{display:none}.shg-mx tr{border-top:1px solid #ebebeb}.shg-mx tr:first-child{border-top:0}.shg-mx th,.shg-mx td{border-left:0;border-top:0;padding:10px 16px}.shg-mx tbody th{padding-top:14px}.shg-mx td{padding-top:6px;padding-bottom:6px}.shg-mx td:last-child{padding-bottom:14px}.shg-mx td span{display:block}}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"shg-article\">\n<p>Local SEO covers everything that makes a business show up when a client searches for a product or service near them. It involves the Google Business Profile, the pages on your website, online directories and reviews. This guide explains how each of them weighs in the ranking, in the order worth tackling them.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">What local SEO covers<\/h2>\n<p>A local search shows two kinds of results on the same page. At the top, a map block usually shows three businesses, with their rating, their hours and a button to call. Below it come the organic results, which are web pages.<\/p>\n<p>The two areas are not won the same way. The map ranks Google Business Profiles. The organic results rank website pages. Local SEO works on both, because a business that appears on the map and in the results below takes up far more of the client's field of view.<\/p>\n<p>A search becomes local as soon as Google detects an intent of proximity. A city name is enough, and so is \"near me\". Many searches with no place in them trigger the map too: someone who types \"emergency plumber\" wants a plumber who can come to them, and Google understands that.<\/p>\n<p>AI search assistants, such as Google's AI Overviews, also rely on this information when asked to recommend a business. A complete profile and contact details that match from one site to the next are part of what they check.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Google's three local ranking criteria<\/h2>\n<p>Google itself explains how it ranks local results. Three criteria come up: proximity, relevance and prominence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\"><p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Local ranking<\/p><div class=\"shg-grid\"><div class=\"shg-card\"><h5>Proximity<\/h5><p>The distance between the person searching and your address, or the place named in the search.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"shg-card\"><h5>Relevance<\/h5><p>How closely your profile and your site match what the person is looking for.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"shg-card\"><h5>Prominence<\/h5><p>What the web says about your business: reviews, mentions, links and the quality of your site.<\/p><\/div><\/div><p class=\"shg-cap\">The three criteria Google describes in its documentation on how local results are ranked.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Proximity is the one you have little control over, since it depends on where the person searching is. That is why a business well established in one neighbourhood often dominates the map around its address and disappears a few kilometres further on.<\/p>\n<p>Relevance and prominence can be worked on. A complete profile, accurate categories and website pages that describe your services precisely improve relevance. Reviews, mentions of your business elsewhere on the web and the quality of your site build prominence.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Optimizing your Google Business Profile<\/h2>\n<p>The Google Business Profile, formerly called Google My Business, is the starting point. It is what appears on the map and in Google Maps, and it is often what a client looks at before even visiting your site.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\"><p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Google Business Profile<\/p><div class=\"shg-rows\"><div class=\"shg-row shg-row--head\"><span class=\"shg-url\">Element<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\">Priority<\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">A precise primary category<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--ok\" style=\"margin:0\">Essential<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">The business's real name<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--ok\" style=\"margin:0\">Essential<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Address or service area<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--ok\" style=\"margin:0\">Essential<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Up-to-date hours<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--ok\" style=\"margin:0\">Essential<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Secondary categories<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Services with a short description<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Real photos<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Website link with a tracking parameter<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url shg-note\">Posts<\/span><span class=\"shg-verdict\"><span class=\"shg-pill shg-pill--mid\" style=\"margin:0\">Useful<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><p class=\"shg-cap\">The essentials come before everything else. The rest helps the profile stand out.<\/p><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"shg-h4\">The primary category matters more than anything else<\/h4>\n<p>The primary category tells Google which searches your profile is relevant for. Pick the most precise one that describes your main activity, then add secondary categories for your other services. A category that is too broad puts you up against everyone. One that is too narrow makes you miss searches. To decide, look at the categories used by the profiles that rank ahead of you on your main searches: they show what Google associates with those queries.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"shg-h4\">A profile name that matches your sign<\/h4>\n<p>Adding keywords to the profile name, as in \"Tremblay Garage Auto Repair Laval\", breaks Google's rules and puts the profile at risk of suspension. The name shown should be the one your clients see on your sign and your invoices.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"shg-h4\">Address or service area<\/h4>\n<p>A business that welcomes clients shows its address. A business that travels to them hides its address and declares a service area. In both cases Google requires a real address where the business can be reached: virtual offices and PO boxes are not accepted.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"shg-h4\">Real photos and detailed services<\/h4>\n<p>Real photos of your premises, your team and your work reassure clients and show Google the profile is active. A list of services, each with a short description, helps the profile appear for more specific searches. Posts are for announcing something new, a promotion or an event.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Finding your local SEO keywords<\/h2>\n<p>A local keyword almost always combines a service and a place. The simplest method is to cross the list of your services with the list of cities and areas you serve, then check which of those combinations people actually search for.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\"><p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Sample keyword grid<\/p><table class=\"shg-mx\"><thead><tr><th>Service<\/th><th>Laval<\/th><th>Longueuil<\/th><th>Near me<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><th>Kitchen renovation<\/th><td><span>Laval<\/span>kitchen renovation Laval<\/td><td><span>Longueuil<\/span>kitchen renovation Longueuil<\/td><td><span>Near me<\/span>kitchen renovation near me<\/td><\/tr><tr><th>Bathroom renovation<\/th><td><span>Laval<\/span>bathroom renovation Laval<\/td><td><span>Longueuil<\/span>bathroom renovation Longueuil<\/td><td><span>Near me<\/span>bathroom renovation near me<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><p class=\"shg-cap\">For a renovation company. Each cell is a search to check, then assign to a page on the site or to the profile.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Pay attention to your clients' vocabulary. They do not always search with the terms of your trade: a client with a leak searches for \"roof leaking\" and often has no idea what the repair is technically called. The questions clients ask you on the phone are an excellent source of keywords.<\/p>\n<p>Each keyword you keep then needs a home: in the services on your profile, in the title and content of a page on your site, or in both.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Local pages that earn their ranking<\/h2>\n<p>The Google profile ranks you mostly around your address. To be visible in neighbouring cities, your site needs pages dedicated to each market you genuinely serve.<\/p>\n<p>It is tempting to create one page per city and change only the name. Google spots these cloned pages and ranks them poorly, and clients find them unconvincing. A useful local page talks about the market it targets: the clientele, the projects completed in the area, what is specific to the territory, how you get there.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\"><p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Local pages<\/p><div class=\"shg-pair\"><div><p class=\"shg-lang\">Cloned page<\/p><code>Renovation in Laval<br>Renovation in Longueuil<\/code><small>The same text from one city to the next, only the name changes. Nothing sets one page apart from another.<\/small><\/div><div><p class=\"shg-lang\">Market page<\/p><code>Renovation in Laval<\/code><small>Projects completed in Laval, the neighbourhoods served, what is specific to the area and reviews from clients in the city.<\/small><\/div><\/div><p class=\"shg-cap\">A useful local page talks about the market it targets. A cloned page says nothing the previous one did not.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A good local page also connects to the rest of the site. It links to your service pages and your service pages link back to it. This structure helps Google understand which services you offer in which cities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-cta shg-cta--dark\"><div class=\"shg-copy\"><p class=\"shg-kicker\">Local SEO<\/p><p class=\"shg-title\">Put your profile and your local pages to work together<\/p><p class=\"shg-sub\">ShooGa takes care of your Google profile, your market pages, your directory listings and your reviews.<\/p><\/div><a class=\"shg-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/shooga.ca\/en\/services\/digital-marketing\/seo\/local-seo\/\">See our local SEO offer<svg width=\"15\" height=\"15\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M5 12h13M13 6l6 6-6 6\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Getting client reviews and replying to them<\/h2>\n<p>Reviews play a double role. They affect your place on the map and they weigh heavily in the decision of a client comparing three profiles side by side. How many you have matters, how recent they are too, and so does what they say: a review that mentions the service and the city helps the profile on those searches.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\"><p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">The review cycle<\/p><div class=\"shg-steps\"><div class=\"shg-step shg-step--key\"><b>1<\/b><div><strong>Ask<\/strong><p>Right after a successful job, with a direct link to the profile.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"shg-step\"><b>2<\/b><div><strong>Receive<\/strong><p>A review that mentions the service and the city.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"shg-step shg-step--key\"><b>3<\/b><div><strong>Reply<\/strong><p>To every review, positive or negative, in a calm tone.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"shg-step\"><b>4<\/b><div><strong>Reuse<\/strong><p>The best reviews earn a place on your local pages.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><p class=\"shg-cap\">Asking and replying are the two steps that depend entirely on you.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The best time to ask for a review is right after a successful job, when the client is satisfied and remembers it. A direct link to your profile, sent by email or text, removes almost every obstacle.<\/p>\n<p>Google forbids two practices: offering a reward in exchange for a review, and asking only the clients you are sure will be positive. Both put the profile at risk of penalties.<\/p>\n<p>Reply to every review, positive or negative. A calm reply to criticism shows future clients how you handle a problem, and they often read the reply before the review itself.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Directories and consistent contact details<\/h2>\n<p>Your business is probably already listed in several online directories, sometimes without you asking. Google compares these listings with your profile. When the name, address and phone number match everywhere, it puts more trust in the information it shows.<\/p>\n<p>In Quebec, the listings that matter most are Yellow Pages, 411.ca, Bing Places and Apple Business Connect, which feeds Maps on the iPhone. Add the directories specific to your field: professional order, industry association, chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n<p>A move, a new phone number or a former business name often leave contradictory traces. The work is to find those listings, correct the ones that can be corrected and merge the duplicates.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Local SEO in Quebec in English and French<\/h2>\n<p>The Quebec market adds a dimension specific to the province. In Montreal, part of the clientele searches in English and part in French, often for the same service. Those searches use different words and do not always bring up the same competitors on the map.<\/p>\n<p>A business that works only in English misses out on part of those searches. And the Charter of the French Language requires commercial content aimed at Quebec, websites included, to be available in French.<\/p>\n<p>So both languages need work. The site offers a French and an English version of its important pages, each written for its own audience. The Google profile, its posts and the replies to reviews take both clienteles into account.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Local SEO for B2B companies<\/h2>\n<p>Local SEO is not only for retail. A manufacturer, a distributor or a business-to-business service provider is also searched for by region: \"CNC machining Laval\", \"warehouse South Shore\", \"accountant for small business Montreal\".<\/p>\n<p>For those searches the map does not always appear, or it appears below the organic results. The site's <a href=\"\/en\/services\/digital-marketing\/seo\/\">search engine optimization<\/a> then carries more of the work. <a href=\"https:\/\/shooga.ca\/en\/blog\/small-business-seo\/\">Service pages<\/a> should name the regions served, and a page for each important market is still useful.<\/p>\n<p>The Google profile keeps its role, even in B2B. A buyer who found your site often checks the profile before calling: the address, photos of the plant or offices and reviews from other companies confirm you are an established supplier.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">Local SEO on a WordPress site<\/h2>\n<p>WordPress works well for local SEO, as long as it is used properly. Common SEO plugins handle the title and description of each page, and some offer a local module that adds your business's structured data: name, address, opening hours and service area.<\/p>\n<p>Structured data is code the visitor never sees that describes your business to search engines. It helps Google connect your site and your profile as one and the same business.<\/p>\n<p>For local pages, a shared page template helps keep a consistent structure, but the content of each page has to stay specific to its market. A site that is fast on mobile matters too: a large share of local searches happen on a phone.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"shg-h2\">What to measure<\/h2>\n<p>Local SEO is measured first in the enquiries it brings. Three free tools cover the essentials.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-fig\"><p class=\"shg-eyebrow\">Measuring local SEO<\/p><div class=\"shg-rows\"><div class=\"shg-row shg-row--head\"><span class=\"shg-url\" style=\"flex:0 1 220px\">Tool<\/span><span class=\"shg-url\">What it shows<\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url\" style=\"flex:0 1 220px\"><strong style=\"color:#111\">Google profile, Performance tab<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"shg-url\">Calls, direction requests, website clicks and the searches that showed the profile.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url\" style=\"flex:0 1 220px\"><strong style=\"color:#111\">Google Search Console<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"shg-url\">The queries and positions of your local pages in the organic results.<\/span><\/div><div class=\"shg-row\"><span class=\"shg-url\" style=\"flex:0 1 220px\"><strong style=\"color:#111\">Google Analytics<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"shg-url\">Visits and contact requests that came from the profile, thanks to the tracking parameter.<\/span><\/div><\/div><p class=\"shg-cap\">Three free tools cover most of the tracking.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Add a tracking parameter to the website link on your Google profile. Without it, Google Analytics mixes visits from the map with visits from the organic results, and there is no way to know what the profile brings in.<\/p>\n<p>Compare the numbers month over month and year over year. Local search varies with the seasons, and a one-off drop is not necessarily a problem.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shg-cta shg-cta--brand\"><div class=\"shg-copy\"><p class=\"shg-kicker\">Your local presence<\/p><p class=\"shg-title\">Find out where you stand on the map<\/p><p class=\"shg-sub\">The local audit shows your position in each area you serve and the fixes that matter most. It comes with no commitment.<\/p><\/div><a class=\"shg-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/shooga.ca\/en\/contact\/\">Request a local audit<svg width=\"15\" height=\"15\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M5 12h13M13 6l6 6-6 6\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>","cube_page_builder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"cube_23","has_caption":false,"caption":"","has_title":true,"title":"Keep reading","has_body":false,"body":"","has_footer":false,"button_group":null,"posts":[2635,1935,1932],"var_type":"0","opt_anchor":"","opt_caption_tag":"","opt_title_tag":"","opt_theme":"0","opt_theme_style_override":false,"opt_radius":1,"opt_text":1,"opt_space_top":"","opt_space_bottom":"","opt_text_color":"","opt_background_color":"","opt_border":false,"opt_background_image":null,"opt_background_overlay":false}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - 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