How to rank for the words “near me” in local search

A “near me” search is when users type phrases like “restaurants near me” or “plumbers near me” into search engines. These queries show an intent to find local businesses or services based on the user's current location. Google ranks local businesses that are relevant to the searcher’s location and the specific search term they entered.

Google uses multiple factors to rank businesses in local search results, including proximity, relevance, and information about your business. In the above example, the user specifically wanted a store open on Sunday, so the results highlight the business hours. A Google Business Profile complete with all the essential details is more likely to rank for relevant local searches. “Near me” searches tend to have high commercial intent, and a solid local SEO strategy could lead to a good ROI.

An optimized Google Business Profile (GBP) can increase your visibility in local search results and on Google Maps. Begin by claiming and verifying your profile. Provide accurate and consistent information, including your business name, address, and phone number (NAP), business hours, and services offered.

Use local search terms in your business description to improve relevance. If you’re not a confident writer, leverage free tools like Semrush’s AI Google Business Profile Description Generator. It can even do the local keyword research for you!

Upload high-quality photos and add your products and services so potential customers can check if you have what they need. Business owners that want to rank in “near me” searches should also encourage customers to leave reviews. Responding to reviews promptly engages customers, builds trust, and improves search rankings. Regularly updating your GBP signals to search engines that your business is active and relevant to user search queries.

Your website's on-page elements significantly impact your visibility in “near me” searches. Optimize your title tags by including local search terms relevant to your business. For instance, use phrases like "best pizza shop in [your city]" to align with what users are searching.

Create dedicated location pages if your business operates in multiple areas. These pages should contain localized content, including your address, phone number and operating hours. Mention any services or features specific to that location and embed a Google Map to help customers find you. Tag this with local schema markup to make it easier for search engines to understand your NAP data.

Write valuable, locally relevant content that solves common pain points for your customers. For example, create blog posts or guides that address frequent search queries, such as “best HVAC repair options near me.” Content that addresses customer problems drives traffic and signals to search engines that your site is useful and relevant.

Work on your site's internal linking to guide visitors through your content seamlessly. A well-structured website both improves the user experience and helps search engines crawl and index your pages. Enhance your website's user experience further by making sure it’s mobile friendly and loads quickly. Use clear navigation and calls-to-action to help visitors find what they need.

There's more to a successful local SEO strategy than just optimizing your content. For high rankings, local businesses need to encourage other websites to talk about them too. Start with a free audit of your local listings. This is a quick way to identify opportunities for citations that show search engines you’re a prominent business.

Engage with your community through events, sponsorships, or partnerships with other local organizations. Then, reach out to local bloggers, influencers, and journalists to spread the word about your business’s positive impact. This often leads to mentions on local blogs and news sites, which can earn valuable local backlinks for your business. It’s also a nice thing to do.

Or why not contribute a guest post to a local publication and showcase your expertise while earning backlinks? This allows you to leverage other businesses' traffic and gives you another opportunity to rank in local searches.

Google understands that by using the words “near me” and “nearby,” users are looking for local results. “Near me” searches typically trigger the Local Pack in the SERP (search engine results page).

Some sources report that optimizing on-page text for the word "near me" may enhance visibility in local searches. It might signal to search engines that your business is relevant to users seeking local services. However, it’s hard to incorporate the phrase naturally into your content. And your business may appear in organic results for businesses searching from other locations. One restaurant took ranking for the word “near me” to the extreme by actually naming their restaurant “Thai Food Near Me.”

This was unlikely to have had much SEO impact (although it does rank well), but it was certainly a successful PR stunt.  Don’t try to game the algorithm to rank for “near me” searches. Instead, focus on optimizing listings and creating valuable, location-specific content that benefits the reader.