TL;DR — the 6 priorities
- Google Business Profile (verified, optimised, posted-to-weekly)
- NAP consistency across 20+ directories (JustDial, Sulekha, IndiaMART, Bing, Apple Maps)
- Schema.org LocalBusiness markup with full address, hours, geo
- Reviews — pace + recency + diversity (45+ in 90 days = strong signal)
- Location-specific landing pages ("Dental clinic in Indore")
- Local backlinks (chamber of commerce, local press, partners)
Google Business Profile — the foundation
~70% of local SEO is GBP. Get this right, the rest is multipliers.
- Verified (postcard or video for new businesses)
- Categories: primary + 3-5 secondary (e.g. "Dental clinic" + "Cosmetic dentist" + "Orthodontist")
- Photos: 20+ exterior, interior, team, work samples. Refresh monthly.
- Hours: accurate, including holidays
- Services: full list with descriptions and prices (yes, prices)
- Posts: weekly updates (offers, news, photos). Signal of "alive".
- Q&A: pre-seed FAQs by asking + answering yourself
- Messages: enable; respond <1 hour
NAP consistency — boring but vital
Name, Address, Phone — must match exactly across every directory listing. Google cross-references. Inconsistencies dilute authority.
Tier-1 directories to claim:
- JustDial (Indian, free)
- Sulekha
- IndiaMART (B2B businesses)
- Bing Places
- Apple Maps Connect
- Yelp (low India usage but still indexed)
- Industry-specific (e.g. Practo for clinics, UrbanCompany categories)
Plan 1 hour per directory for first claim. Then keep them updated when anything changes.
Schema markup
Add LocalBusiness schema to your home/contact page. Include: name, address (PostalAddress), telephone, openingHours, geo (latitude/longitude), priceRange, image, sameAs (social profiles).
For specific verticals, use richer schemas (MedicalBusiness, Restaurant, Salon). Helps Google understand exactly what you are.
Reviews strategy
Three signals matter:
- Pace: steady stream, not all in one month
- Recency: most recent 30 days matter most
- Star average: 4.3+ for trust, 4.7+ for premium positioning
Tactic: after every customer interaction, send WhatsApp + email with a Google review link. Don't filter — that's against Google policy. Do route 1-2 star intent to private feedback first ("how was your experience?" → if low, take it offline).
Location landing pages
Each city/locality you serve gets a page: "Dental clinic in Indore", "Salon in Bandra". Each page has:
- Localised H1 + content
- Address, hours, phone, directions, GBP embed
- Local reviews
- Service prices
- Schema for that location
Don't duplicate — write fresh content for each location. Google detects boilerplate.
Local SEO is included in our Local Business builds (₹15-80K). We set up GBP, claim 15-20 directories, build schema, set up review automation, and (for multi-location) build per-location landing pages. Most clients hit local 3-pack within 60-90 days for primary keywords. Local business playbook →
FAQ
Should I pay for "local SEO services" at ₹15K/month?
Mostly the foundation (GBP setup, schema, citations) is one-time work. Ongoing retainers should produce: weekly GBP posts, monthly review monitoring, citation maintenance, location page additions. If they're sending you "reports" with no actions, it's a scam.
How fast can I rank?
Local 3-pack for low-competition queries: 30-60 days. High-competition ("lawyer in Mumbai"): 6-12 months. There's no shortcut.
Last reviewed: 4 April 2026.
Want this built for you?
Talk to Kashvi — 30-min call, honest assessment, no pitch deck.