Local SEO Ranking Factors in 2025

Local SEO is more important than ever. How important is it? Check out these stats:

• 4 out of 5 consumers use search engines to find local information.
• 40% of consumers who use Google Search agree it helps them make smart and informed decisions.
• 88% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a related store within a week.

This shows the incredible importance of optimizing your website for local searches. If your company isn’t ranking well for local SEO, that makes it difficult for customers to know you exist. 

What is Local SEO, and How Does It Work?

It’s often hard for small businesses to compete with larger chains and international brands. They have considerable name recognition and vast marketing budgets. However, 86% of Canadians say supporting small businesses is important to them, with 40% of those people saying they choose to shop at small businesses because of convenience, such as proximity to home or work.

That being said, small businesses still need to stand out so that customers know they are there. This means local SEO. It’s critical that small businesses in Toronto and throughout Canada optimize their local presence online so that customers can easily find them. 

What the Google 3-Pack is and Why It’s Crucial for Local Businesses

Many customers today start their purchasing journey with a search. Even if they’re looking to go to a local business, they often don’t start by strolling down the street looking for a store. Consumers today are busy and everyone has become used to searching first, visiting later.

This means that even if you’re a local business that depends on customers physically coming into your location, you’ll still need to have a strong search engine presence. For local businesses, no presence is more important than being included in the Google 3-Pack.

What is the Google 3-Pack? It refers to how Google displays local search engine results. When Google believes that a search has a local intention, it displays the top three business listings above the typical search results. 

Did you know that businesses in the Google 3-Pack get up to 50% more calls? The 3-Pack shows up in about half of local searches and leads to more phone calls, website visits, and in-store traffic.

This 3-Pack not only shows the business name, but also the address, the operating hours, contact information, and customer reviews. Google also shows a map that lists the location of these three businesses. This is all valuable information that encourages users to act.

As you can imagine, placement in this area is incredibly important for businesses. The 3-Pack isn’t just listed above the other organic rankings, but because it shows additional information (hours, reviews, ratings, location on a map, etc.), customers are naturally drawn to these businesses more than others which appear in the standard search results. 

If you want to capture a local audience, it should be your goal to get into the Google 3-Pack. 

How to Get Into the Google 3-Pack

Now that you know what the Google 3-Pack is, it’s time to discuss what it takes to get into it. One of the most critical aspects of this process involves Google My Business (GMB) Optimization.

Your Google My Business profile is where Google gets a lot of information about your company. By fully optimizing your Google My Business profile, you can improve your organic ranking, boost your chances of appearing in the 3-Pack, and give potential customers the information they need to get them to choose your business. 

8 Ways to Optimize your Google Business Profile

Optimizing your Google My Business Profile will help you rank better for local searches and also allow you to showcase information to potential customers, increasing the chances of them turning into sales. Here are eight ways to do it: 

1. Claim your Business Profile

You need to create a Google My Business account to claim ownership of your business profile. Google often creates listings for businesses based on information it acquires elsewhere, but these listings are considered unverified until they are claimed by the business owner. 

If there is already a listing for your business, you’ll see a spot at the bottom of the listing that says “Own this business?” and clicking that will allow you to claim it. If there isn’t a listing for your business, you can create one. In either case, you’ll need to create a Google Business Profile.

Once you’ve done that, you can add essential info to your business listing and optimize it to attract searchers. Be sure to complete every section of your Google My Business account.

Here are a few things you’ll want to do within your Google Business profile to optimize it:

• Don’t hide your address
  • Google wants to be able to place your business on a map and show it to those who are near you and looking for local businesses. It can only do this if you list your address(es).
• Publish Google posts weekly
  • You can publish news, offers, events, and much more directly on your Google Business Profile. Doing this helps you add personality to your business, provide customers with information, and lets Google know what your company is up to. They’re important for both SEO and attracting customers, so make them often.
• Upload new photos weekly
  • Google loves to see photos of businesses, both inside and outside. Why? Because customers are interested in these details. Add photos of your business and post new ones often so that customers have a good idea of what to expect from your company.
• Answer questions
  • Google Business listings include a spot for questions and answers. Users are allowed to ask questions (and also answer them) to learn more about businesses. To make sure they get accurate information, answer questions that are posted on your profile.
• Respond to reviews
  • Reviews are important for many reasons. First, Google may give preference to businesses that have several reviews and several positive reviews. Second, visitors definitely give preference to these businesses. Responding to reviews is important for customer service. If you get a great review, you can thank the person and show them you care about their feedback. This makes them feel valued. If you get a negative review, you can ask the poster for more information, clarify the situation, or offer ways to resolve their issue. Again, this show customers that you care. 
• Add your products and/or services
  • You’re able to add products and services to your business listing. Doing so helps Google and visitors learn more about what your business offers and it can also help you improve your search ranking.
• Set up messaging
  • Customers are able to message businesses directly through Google’s listings. This is a convenient way to contact a business and it’s one that you should definitely set up for your company.
• Maintain your Business Profile
  • It’s important to keep your business profile accurate and up to date. Check in with it frequently and make sure it still feels fresh, correct, and reflective of your business. 

2. NAP Consistency (Name, Address, Phone Number)

When it comes to digital marketing, the term NAP refers to “Name, Address, Phone Number”. This means what it sounds like it means. Having a consistent NAP across the internet matters. Google aggregates data from many sources to find information about businesses. Sometimes, this information isn’t consistent across the web and it can cause problems. 

If Google finds inconsistent information, it may conclude that some of it is untrustworthy. It may think certain information pertains to another business. It might display your business incorrectly, confusing or turning away customers. 

Even small differences matter. For instance, imagine you operate a business called “123 Stuff Downtown Toronto.” On your website, you call your business “123 Stuff Downtown Toronto”, but on another source it’s listed as “123 Stuff, Toronto – Downtown Location” while yet another source has it as “One-Two-Three Stuff” and another has written “123 Stuff Toronto”. These all seem like the same business, but they may not be. 

This becomes an even bigger issue if you’ve recently changed your address or phone number. If the old ones are still listed in various places online, you could confuse Google and customers, who may not know how to find you. A customer who calls the wrong number may not try a second time with a new number, while someone who visits a location that is no longer there, will probably have a negative experience and that might turn them away from your business forever.

This is why it’s important to search for your business online and make changes wherever you can. 

3. Five Star Online Reviews and Reputation

Reviews are important for several reasons, as mentioned. One is that they are considered an important ranking factor on Google. If two businesses are otherwise relatively equal, Google may give preference to the one that has more ratings or higher ratings. 

The same is true for potential customers. Since Google places ratings and reviews right in the 3-Pack, someone searching for a business is likely to see them. A business with a better rating will be more appealing. In addition, when comparing two businesses, the one with more reviews and more recent reviews will be more attractive to customers. 

Encouraging customer reviews is important. Ask your customers for reviews and mention to them how posting a review can help your business. 

4. Local Citations and Directories

Google gets information about your business from various sources, not just from your Google Business listing. There are certain sites that Google trusts more than others. If you have your information posted on these sites, your business profile will be more accurate and Google will have a better idea as to how it should rank your site correctly.

These local citations are also where Google gets information about your company’s name, address, and phone number. 

In addition, having a consistent and accurate presence on reputable sites makes your business look better to prospective customers. 

Some directories you may want to consider being listed are Yelp, Apple business listings, and Bing Places for Business. You may also want to set up business pages on Facebook, Nextdoor, or other such sites. If it makes sense for your company, consider OpenTable, TripAdvisor, or Trustpilot as well. 

Local sites such as your area’s Business Improvement Area (BIA), Chamber of Commerce, or other government directories can be helpful as well. 

5. Backlinks from Local Websites

Backlinks still matter in 2025. However, quality remains incredibly important and so do where these links are coming from. Rather than just trying to get links from any website, focus on ones that can help improve your local search rankings. 

Some of the most important platforms in Toronto and Canada include HomeStars, Yelp, TrustedPros, and NextDoor. Of course, these may not all apply to your industry or business type, so do some research into the most reputable local sites in your area that match your company. 

6. On-Page SEO for Local Search

Local search optimization doesn’t just happen on other websites. You want to make sure that your company’s website is optimized for local search. This includes having accurate and localized title tags and meta descriptions, as well as written content that strategically and correctly uses relevant local keywords. 

To succeed in this area, you’ll need to identify the types of customers that may be searching for your business and then conduct research to determine what they are looking for. You’ll then want to optimize and structure your website that gives them what they want, quickly and easily. 

7. Mobile Optimization and User Experience

Mobile optimization is critical for any website in 2025, but it’s even more crucial for those looking to attract local audiences. People often search for businesses while they’re out and about. Of course, they do this using their phones, so your site needs to not only function correctly on a mobile device, but it also needs to look good, be easy to use, and load quickly.

Not only is this important for the end user, but Google knows this as well. Therefore, Google positions sites higher in rankings if they rank highly in terms of mobile responsiveness and speed. 

8. Proximity to the Searcher

When Google determines that a searcher has local intent with their search, it will usually show the searcher businesses that are nearby. It doesn’t necessarily show the three closest businesses (Google uses other factors when determining which businesses to show), but proximity to the searcher does have a significant influence on local SEO rankings.

No, adding the words “near me” in the title of your website is not the correct way to rank highly for local searches. Google is smarter than that and it is much more likely to use your address to determine your location than anything else.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure your address is listed correctly in your Google Business Profile and why you’ll want to make sure it’s consistent in places all across the web. 

Local SEO is something you can’t afford to Ignore. Statistics show that customers are searching for local businesses more than they ever have before. They are shopping from the shops and companies they find online. If you’re not showing up in these searches, you are losing business.

The alternative to local SEO is often investing in expensive Google Ads to buy your way into the top of a search engine listings page. Unfortunately, nearly every business wants to appear in this ad space, including large multinational corporations that have incredible marketing budgets. By focusing on improving your organic local SEO ranking, you can compete with these large companies and find greater success.
We’re here to help. Eggs Media has been working with local companies since 2014, assisting them in improving their online presence and boosting their sales. We have a team of SEO experts that are ready to supercharge your website. Contact us today to get started.