It’s 2025, and somehow local SEO is still tripping up business owners like it’s 2013. We’ve got self-driving cars, AI assistants, and TikTok trends we’ll never understand…but local search? Still full of local SEO mistakes.
Here are the top 10 blunders we see way too often, and how you can avoid making the same ones 👇
1. ❌ Not Claiming Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
It’s free. It’s powerful. It shows up before your website. Yet, some businesses still haven’t claimed their GBP listing. If that’s you, fix it today.
2. 📍 Inconsistent NAP Info
Name. Address. Phone number. It sounds simple…until your Yelp says “Main Street” and your website says “Main St.” Those tiny inconsistencies are some of the most common local SEO mistakes. What’s worse is they confuse Google and hurt your rankings. Keep it tight, keep it matching 💪
3. 🧟♂️ Dead or Outdated Listings
Old phone number? Former location still listed? These zombie listings not only confuse customers, they also sabotage your SEO. Clean up your citations like it’s spring cleaning 🧼
4. 📸 Cringe-Worthy or Missing Photos
Your profile photo shouldn’t look like it was taken with a potato 🥔 in 2011. Upload crisp, current pics of your storefront, team and happy customers. People trust what they can see 👀
And, yes, it may be like pulling teeth to get your team members to submit their own photos, so maybe hire a photographer for a few hours during work so they don’t have a choice.
5. ⭐ Ignoring Reviews
No reviews? Bad reviews? Ignored reviews? All big no-nos. Ask happy customers to leave feedback and respond to every review (even the salty ones 🧂). Google loves engagement. So do your future clients.
Another local SEO mistake we see all the time is Google Business Profiles that have never responded to reviews, especially the bad reviews. Always respond, even if you have to swallow your pride when you do it.
6. 🌐 Forgetting About On-Page Local SEO
Your homepage says “We’re the best!” That might be true, but WHERE are you the best? If you’re in Omaha, say it. Mention your city, neighborhood and nearby landmarks. Make it obvious to search engines where you’re based 📍
7. 🛑 No Local Schema Markup
Don’t sleep on structured data! Schema helps Google understand your business details better. Not sure what that is? Let us handle it. You focus on your biz, and we’ll nerd out on the code 🤓
8. 🗺️ No Location Pages (If You Have Multiple Locations)
If you’ve got a few storefronts or service areas, each one deserves its own dedicated page. Don’t lump everything on one generic “locations” page. Google wants clarity. Give it what it wants.
9. 🐌 Slow Site Speed (Especially on Mobile)
Local searches often happen on the go. If your site takes longer than 3 seconds to load, your visitors (and your rankings) are outta there 💨 That’s not just a local SEO mistake, that’s an everywhere SEO mistake. Check your page speed here.
10. 🧩 Treating Local SEO Like It’s “Set It and Forget It”
Local SEO is an ongoing effort. Rankings fluctuate. Competitors evolve. Google updates its algorithm. You’ve gotta stay in the game. Or better yet, let us do it for you. 😉
✨ Parting Thoughts On Local SEO Mistakes
Local SEO isn’t rocket science 🚀, but it is easy to mess up. Avoid these common mistakes, and you’ll be miles ahead of the competition (and actually show up when people search “best [your business] near me”).
