Do you want more local customers to find your business when they’re actively searching for what you offer?

That’s exactly what good local SEO is designed to do. Whether you run a small café, a professional practice, or a service-based business, local search visibility often determines who gets the enquiry — and who gets overlooked. If you’re a business owner looking for web design in Hull, understanding how local SEO works is essential to maximising your online presence.

Done properly, local SEO helps you:

• Attract more customers from your local area

• Build trust and credibility with your community

• Show up at the exact moment people need your services

• Compete effectively with larger, more established businesses

• Generate phone calls, enquiries, and foot traffic directly from Google

The opportunity is significant. According to Google, 46% of all searches have local intent, and 88% of people who perform a local search on their smartphone visit or contact a business within a day. If your business isn’t visible in those moments, you’re leaving demand on the table.

The good news is that local SEO doesn’t require gimmicks — it requires the right structure, consistency, and ongoing refinement. Approaches like Local Search Kickstart are built around this idea: creating a solid technical and content foundation first, then layering in focused local optimisation so visibility compounds over time.

Below are the top 10 practical ways you can improve your local SEO and make it easier for customers in Hull to find you when it matters most.

1. Set Up Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (previously called Google My Business) is super important for your local SEO. Make sure you:

• Fill in all the details, like your business hours, address, phone number, and photos.

• Add a compelling description that highlights what makes your business unique.

• Ask satisfied customers to leave positive reviews because they help build trust, make your business look credible, and improve your local ranking.

• Add specific categories that describe your business accurately.

• Include engaging photos and videos that showcase your products or services.

Reviews can influence potential customers and are a key factor for Google when deciding how to rank your business in local search results. Respond to both positive and negative reviews promptly to show potential customers that you care about their feedback.

2. Use Local Keywords

Local keywords help people in your area find you. Think about what words they might use, like:

• "best pizza in [your city]"

• "emergency plumber near me"

• "affordable web design Hull"

Use these keywords naturally in your:

• Website content

• Meta descriptions

• Headings

• Blog posts

• Service pages

• Image alt text

• URL structures

It’s also a good idea to do some research to find out what other related keywords people might be searching for and include those as well. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to help identify these keywords. The more relevant keywords you use, the better your chances of being found by the right audience looking for web design in Hull.

3. Create Local Content

Writing blog posts or articles about local topics can help boost your local SEO by driving local engagement and increasing backlinks from community sources.

You could:

• Write about community events.

• Collaborate with other local businesses.

• Share local news related to your industry.

• Create lists, like "Top 10 Things to Do in Hull" or "Best Places for Web Design in Hull".

This not only helps with ranking but also shows you are involved in your community. For example, if you own a web design agency in Hull, you could write about local digital marketing events or provide a guide to choosing the best web designer in Hull. By showing that you care about what’s happening in your area, you position your business as a trusted local resource. Additionally, when you create content around local keywords, you increase the chances of your business appearing in search results when people look for information on those topics.

Analogy: Think of local SEO like planting a garden. The more you nurture your plants (keywords, reviews, backlinks), the more your garden will grow and flourish, attracting more people to come and admire it (customers visiting your business).

4. Get Listed in Online Directories

Make sure your business is listed in well-known online directories like:

• Yelp

• Yellow Pages

• Local chamber of commerce websites

• Industry-specific directories

• Google Maps, Bing Places, and Apple Maps

The information in these listings—like your name, address, and phone number (NAP)—needs to be consistent for good SEO. Consistent listings help search engines verify that your business is legitimate, which can lead to better rankings.

Don’t forget to:

• Claim and update your listings regularly.

• Look for niche-specific directories that are relevant to your industry.

• Add enhanced information like your website link, hours of operation, and photos to stand out.

The more places your business is listed, the more opportunities there are for potential customers to find you. Consistent NAP information across directories also helps prevent confusion and builds credibility with both search engines and potential customers.

5. Use Schema Markup

Schema markup is a type of code that helps search engines understand your business better. Adding local business schema to your website can improve how your business shows up in search results and increase your chances of appearing in local search packs.

Schema markup can include:

• Business address

• Phone number

• Hours of operation

• Customer reviews

• Product information

• Service descriptions

This extra information helps search engines provide more detailed search results, which can make your listing stand out. While adding schema might sound technical, there are many online tools that can help you generate the code you need. Tools like Google's Structured Data Markup Helper can guide you through the process, making it much easier to implement for web design Hull services.

6. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly

Most local searches are done on mobile devices. Make sure your website works well on mobile—this means it should:

• Load fast

• Be easy to use

• Have click-to-call buttons for easy contact

• Include mobile-friendly navigation menus

A mobile-friendly website not only helps with SEO but also provides a better experience for your customers. Google gives higher rankings to mobile-friendly sites, so this is really important for local SEO. Mobile usability is one of Google’s top-ranking factors, meaning a poor mobile experience could negatively impact your ranking.

Test your website on different devices to make sure it looks good and is easy to navigate. A slow or hard-to-use website can turn potential customers away, so make sure your site is optimized for a smooth mobile experience. You can also use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool to see if your website passes Google's standards.

7. Build Local Backlinks

When other local websites link to your site, it boosts your domain authority and helps your local SEO. Reach out to:

• Local newspapers such as the Hull Daily Mail

• Blogs

• Organizations

• Local influencers

• Industry partners in Hull

You could also:

• Sponsor local events

• Participate in charity activities

• Collaborate on community projects

• Get listed in local business awards or top business lists

Building local backlinks is a great way to increase your visibility and establish authority in your community. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more trustworthy your site appears to search engines, which can lead to higher rankings.

Consider creating valuable content like:

• Guides

• Infographics

• Interviews

• Press releases related to local events

These are the kinds of resources that local websites would be interested in linking to. The more valuable and unique your content, the more likely it will attract quality backlinks, which in turn boosts your local SEO for web design Hull.

8. Be Active on Social Media

A good social media presence can help improve your local SEO indirectly. To get started:

• Share updates

• Interact with your community

• Encourage customers to tag your business or check in

• Post about local events and collaborations in Hull

These social interactions make your business look more trustworthy to search engines. When people engage with your posts, it signals to search engines that your business is active and relevant.

Make sure you:

• Post regularly

• Provide content that your audience finds interesting or useful

• Use social media to promote special offers, events, or new products

• Create visual content like videos and images to increase engagement

This can drive more traffic to your site and improve your SEO. Engaging content also encourages shares, which helps spread your reach further into the community. Consider running local promotions or contests that encourage user interaction and sharing, which helps increase your visibility both on social media and in search engines.

9. Keep Your NAP Information Consistent

Your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) should be the same everywhere online. If the information is different, it can confuse both customers and search engines, which hurts your SEO.

Make sure all your:

• Listings

• Website

• Social media profiles

have matching information. Consistent NAP information helps build trust with search engines and ensures that potential customers can easily contact you.

Regularly audit your listings to ensure everything is up to date. If you change your phone number or move locations, make sure to update all your online listings immediately. Inconsistent information can lead to lost business opportunities and reduced trust from both search engines and customers.

10. Get Customer Reviews

Customer reviews, especially on Google, have a big impact on your local SEO. To get more reviews:

• Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews.

• Reply to reviews, whether they’re positive or negative.

• Make it easy for customers to leave reviews by providing a direct link.

Responding to reviews shows that you care about customer feedback, which helps your reputation. Positive reviews can encourage more people to choose your business, and even negative reviews can be helpful if you respond politely and address the concerns.

Reviews can also improve your visibility in search results, as Google tends to favor businesses with a high number of quality reviews. Consider setting up a simple system to encourage happy customers to leave reviews, such as:

• Follow-up emails

• A link on your website

• Offering an incentive for leaving a review, such as a discount on their next visit

Customer reviews not only help improve your local SEO but also build trust with potential customers who are considering your business.

Conclusion

Improving your local SEO takes time, but the right foundations make a measurable difference. By optimising your Google Business Profile, targeting local keywords, creating locally relevant content, and keeping your business information consistent, you give Google clear signals about who you serve and where — helping the right customers find you in Hull.

It matters more than most businesses realise. Studies show that 92% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business, which is why visibility, trust signals, and reputation all work together in local search.

Local SEO isn’t a one-off task. It’s an ongoing process of refinement — monitoring performance, removing bottlenecks, and building authority over time. Businesses that see the best results are the ones that treat SEO as a system, not a checklist.

That’s exactly the thinking behind Local Search Kickstart — a structured local SEO approach designed to run alongside a fast, well-built website, so performance, structure, and visibility all work together instead of against each other.

If you’d rather not piece this together yourself, or you want to make sure it’s done properly from the start, I’m happy to help. With consistent effort and the right setup, local SEO can become a reliable source of enquiries — not just another marketing experiment.

Done properly, these steps ensure your business is visible to the people most likely to use your services, helping you stand out locally and grow with confidence.

FAQs

1. How long does it take to see results from local SEO?
Local SEO is not an overnight process. Typically, it can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to see significant improvements, depending on the competitiveness of your area and industry. Consistent effort and regular updates to your SEO strategy are key.

2. Why is Google Business Profile important for local SEO?
Your Google Business Profile helps your business show up in local search results and Google Maps. It provides essential information like your location, hours, and reviews, making it easier for customers to find and contact you. A well-optimized profile can significantly improve your visibility and credibility in the local area.

3. What are the best tools for local keyword research?
Some of the best tools for local keyword research include Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush. These tools help you identify high-volume local keywords that are relevant to your business and improve your chances of appearing in local search results.

4. How can I encourage customers to leave reviews?
You can encourage customers to leave reviews by asking them directly after a successful service, providing a link on your website, or offering incentives like discounts on future visits. Consistently providing excellent service is the best way to encourage positive reviews.

5. What makes local backlinks important for SEO?
Local backlinks help establish your website’s credibility and authority within the community. When other reputable local websites link to your site, it signals to search engines that your business is trusted and relevant in your area, which can boost your search rankings.