Local SEO is the branch of search optimization that targets local-intent queries: "bakery open on Sunday", "hairdresser Paris 11", "Italian restaurant near me". These queries trigger a specific display — the local pack, the map-plus-three-businesses box that appears above the classic results — and obey their own criteria. Google sums them up in three words: relevance (does your business match the search?), distance (are you close to the user?) and prominence (does your establishment inspire trust?).
The system stands on two inseparable legs. The Google Business Profile: complete, accurate, with recent photos, a well-chosen primary category, up-to-date hours and — above all — reviews you actually answer. And the website: it is what proves relevance, with pages that name the services and the area ("restaurant website design in Paris"), LocalBusiness structured data, and perfect consistency of the name–address–phone trio (the famous NAP) everywhere the business is mentioned — site, profile, directories, social networks.
What makes the difference in practice: Google reviews (volume, rating, recency, and owner replies — AI can help you reply without giving up your evenings), real photos of the establishment, mobile site speed, and local links — neighbourhood press, merchant associations, partners. Nothing exotic: consistency and accuracy.
Why is this term in an AI-focused glossary? Because local SEO has become the gateway to local AI search. Ask ChatGPT or AI Overviews for "a good restaurant in the 7th" and their answers lean massively on Google's local data and on the sites that already rank. A business strong in local SEO starts GEO with a head start — and the reverse is just as true. The full guide is on the blog: local SEO for Parisian shops.
Common mistakes
- Neglecting your Google profile : an incomplete Business Profile with no reviews caps your visibility, even with an excellent website.
- Inconsistent NAP : a name, address or phone that differs between directories blurs the proximity signal.
- Forgetting local content : a page that never mentions the neighborhood, city or local landmarks struggles to surface on "near me" searches.