Local SEO is one of the most powerful tools small businesses can use to grow, yet many struggle to make it work, particularly in competitive local markets such as Leicester, our hometown.
Understanding how to overcome common local SEO challenges is key to getting found and chosen online.
At Pod Digital, we specialise in helping small businesses move the needle with local search. This guide explains how we do it and why it matters.
Why Local SEO Matters
Local search isn’t just a trend. It’s a fundamental part of how consumers discover businesses today.
46% of all search queries have local intent. If your business isn’t showing up when people search locally, you risk losing them to competitors who are.
Common Local SEO Challenges (And How to Fix Them)
❌ Inconsistent Business Information (NAP Issues)
If your Name, Address and Phone number (NAP) isn’t consistent across your website, Google Business Profile and directories, search engines get confused. This leads to lower rankings and fewer customers finding you.
✅ Fix it: Maisie and the SEO team at Pod Digital can make sure your NAP listings are synchronised across all platforms, ensuring a smooth experience for both search engines and customers.
❌ Lack of Customer Reviews
Reviews are a huge trust factor. In fact, 83% of consumers use Google to find local business reviews. If your business doesn’t have enough reviews, or worse, has negative ones, customers may look elsewhere.
✅ Fix it: Our inhouse team handles review generation strategies that ensure you not only get more reviews but also engage with them, showing potential customers you care.
❌ Poor Mobile Experience
57% of local searches happen on mobile devices. A slow or difficult-to-navigate mobile website is one of the quickest ways to turn potential customers away.
“Mobile speed is a critical factor in conversion rate optimisation. If your site takes too long to load, potential customers will bounce — often straight to your competitors. At Pod Digital, every website we design and build is engineered for exceptional speed, thanks to our bespoke-built Great White theme.”
Mia, Design Director
✅ Fix it: At Pod Digital, we ensure that every website we optimise is audited for mobile-friendliness, ensuring it is fast and easy to use. We improve load times and mobile design, working collaboratively with our web design colleagues, to provide a better user experience and help you rank higher.
❌ Weak Local Backlink Profile
If you’re not getting links from local sources, Google may not see your business as relevant in your area. Backlinks from trusted local sites signal to search engines that your business is worthy of local attention.
✅ Fix it: Our SEO team leverages local partnerships and online directories to help build a strong local backlink profile.
Our Local Search Optimisation Strategy
Pod Digital takes a holistic approach to local search optimisation. We use data-driven strategies to not just improve your rankings, but also ensure measurable results. Here’s how we do it:
📍 Google Business Profile Optimisation
We optimise your profile to help you show up in the coveted Google Map Pack, which is where42% of searchers click.
✍️ Local Content That Converts
We write blog posts, landing pages and contentfocused on local events, news and services to drive relevant local traffic to your site.
📈 Data-Led Improvements
We don’t just guess! Our results are based on real data. We monitor every key metric, from rankings to leads and continuously tweak strategies to ensure we’re moving the needle.
Real Results: GK Plumbing
One of our standout local search optimisation success stories is GK Plumbing. Before working with Pod Digital, they struggled to get noticed in local search results. Still wondering why local SEO matters? Well, these results speak for themself. After we took over their SEO, they experienced:
At Pod Digital, we’re constantly innovating to ensure that your business gets noticed. We stay ahead of the curve by embracing cutting-edge technologies and forward-thinking strategies to dominate local search.
“Pod Digital stands out in local SEO by combining strategic insight with a deep understanding of location based search. We help businesses lead in their local market.”
Maisie, Head of SEO
Our approach isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every strategy is tailored to your industry, audience and goals.
Ready to Rank Locally? Let’s Move the Needle
Local SEO isn’t a “set and forget” process, it’s about continuous improvement.
If you want to show up when customers are searching for businesses like yours, whether you’re based in Leicestershire or beyond, Pod Digital is the partner you need.
I joined Pod in May 2024 as an SEO and Content Executive. Driven by a genuine passion for learning and delivering exceptional service, I have truly found my calling in this role. When I’m not working, you might catch me performing on stage in theatre productions or enjoying a good cup of coffee.
