seo-local · diff
git:20260512.df85811 to git:20260603.884a3ba
43 added, 14 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: seo-local
description: Use when optimizing local SEO. Covers Google Business Profile, NAP consistency, citations, reviews acquisition, Local Pack ranking, location pages, LocalBusiness schema.
user-invocable: false
related-skills: seo, seo-schema, seo-content
---
# Local SEO
## Workflow
1. Audit Google Business Profile (categories, hours, photos, posts, services)
2. Check NAP consistency across web (citations: Yelp, Bing, Apple Maps, industry directories)
3. Analyze reviews (volume, recency, response rate, sentiment)
4. Map ranking in Local Pack for target keywords + geo
5. Optimize location pages (one per service area, LocalBusiness schema)
- ## NAP Format
+ ## NAP Consistency
- Must be **byte-identical** everywhere:
+ Must be **character-for-character identical** on the site, GBP, and every directory:
```
- ACME Corp
- 123 Main St, Suite 4
- Springfield, IL 62701
- +1-555-123-4567
+ [Business Name]
+ [Street Number] [Street], [Suite]
+ [City], [Region] [Postal Code]
+ [+CC Phone]
```
+ - Abbreviations must match too: `Route` ≠ `Rte`, `Suite` ≠ `Ste`. One variation fractures the entity.
+ ## GBP as an Entity Signal (2026)
+
+ - GBP is no longer just a local directory — AI engines cross-reference it as an **entity anchor**. ~42% of local AI citations originate from listings.
+ - A **complete** profile = ~2.7x more likely to rank in the Local Pack. Fill categories, hours, photos, posts, services.
+ - **Service areas = named cities / postal codes only (max ~20)**. Country- or state-wide service areas are no longer allowed (Google change, June 2025).
+
## Quality Gates
- **Warning** at 30+ location pages
- **Hard stop** at 50+ location pages (manual audit required)
- Each location page must have **unique content** (not template fill-in)
- ## Local Schema
+ ## LocalBusiness Schema (GEO-priority)
- `templates/json-ld/localbusiness.json` includes:
- - `@type`: LocalBusiness (or specific subtype)
- - `address` (PostalAddress)
- - `geo` (lat/lng)
- - `openingHoursSpecification`
- - `aggregateRating`
- - `priceRange`
+ AI engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) parse LocalBusiness JSON-LD to answer "best [service] near me". Precise `geo` + `areaServed` = better entity resolution in local AI Overviews.
+ ```json
+ {
+ "@context": "https://schema.org",
+ "@type": "[SpecificType]",
+ "name": "[Business Name]",
+ "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "[Street]",
+ "addressLocality": "[City]", "addressRegion": "[Region]",
+ "postalCode": "[Postal Code]", "addressCountry": "[CC]" },
+ "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "[lat]", "longitude": "[lng]" },
+ "areaServed": { "@type": "GeoCircle",
+ "geoMidpoint": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "[lat]", "longitude": "[lng]" },
+ "geoRadius": "[meters]" },
+ "sameAs": ["[GBP URL]", "[directory URL]", "[social URL]"],
+ "openingHoursSpecification": [{ "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
+ "dayOfWeek": ["Monday"], "opens": "[HH:MM]", "closes": "[HH:MM]" }],
+ "aggregateRating": { "@type": "AggregateRating",
+ "ratingValue": "[x.x]", "reviewCount": "[n]" }
+ }
+ ```
+
+ - `@type`: use the **specific** subtype (`Plumber`, `Dentist`, `Restaurant`…), not generic `LocalBusiness` — better category matching.
+ - `geo` (GeoCoordinates): disambiguates the entity; coordinates must match the GBP pin and Apple Maps.
+ - `areaServed` as `GeoCircle` (geoMidpoint + geoRadius): drives "near me" matching for LLMs.
+ - `sameAs` array (GBP + directories + socials): confirms existence across authoritative sources.
+ - LLMs **do cite local businesses** when schema + GBP + reviews are solid.
+
## References
+ - `seo-schema` — LocalBusiness JSON-LD (`templates/json-ld/localbusiness.json`)
+ - `seo-entity` — declare the business entity via sameAs (Wikidata, GBP)
- `skills/seo/10-local-seo/` (gbp, nap-citations, reviews, local-pack, landing-pages, local-backlinks)