Local SEO: The Seven Settings Your Business Needs (That Most Owners Skip)

You have a business. You have a website. You put your name, what you do, and your phone number on it. People still call your competition instead of you.

The problem is not your website. The problem is seven specific settings that most business owners either skip completely or set up wrong. These settings tell Google what your business is, where it is, and who should see it when they search.

Get these right and people find you. Get them wrong and you might as well not have a website.

Setting One: Your Business Name (Exactly as Google Sees It)

Google does not care what you call yourself in your head. It cares what you call yourself everywhere else.

If your business is called "Smith Electrical" on your website, "Dave Smith Electrician" on Facebook, and "Smith Electrical Services Ltd" on Yell, Google sees three different businesses. None of them gets full credit for your work.

Pick one version of your business name. Use it everywhere. Website, social media, directories, invoices, van signs. Exactly the same every time.

The name on your Google Business Profile must match the name on your website. If they do not match, Google gets confused about whether you are the same business.

Setting Two: Your Address (And Why It Cannot Be Your Kitchen Table)

Google needs to know where your business operates from. Not where you live. Not where you keep your laptop. Where customers can find you if they need to.

If you work from home, use your home address but do not show it publicly on your Google Business Profile. Set it to "service area business" instead. Google still knows where you are based but customers only see your service areas.

If you have a shop, office, or workshop that customers visit, use that address and show it publicly.

The address on your website, Google Business Profile, and anywhere else you list your business must be identical. Down to the punctuation.

Setting Three: Your Phone Number (The One People Actually Answer)

Use the phone number people can actually reach you on. Not your landline that goes to voicemail. Not a number you only check twice a week.

This number must be the same on your website and your Google Business Profile. If someone finds you on Google and calls the number, it should be the same number they see when they visit your website.

If you use a mobile number, stick with it. If you use a local landline, make sure someone answers it during business hours.

Setting Four: Your Service Areas (Where You Actually Work)

Google needs to know where you provide services. Not just the town where your business is registered. Every area where you are willing to travel for work.

List the specific towns, postcodes, or radius you cover. Be realistic about how far you will travel. A plumber in Manchester who lists London as a service area looks suspicious.

Update your service areas when they change. If you stop covering an area or start covering a new one, update it everywhere. Your website and Google Business Profile should match.

Setting Five: Your Business Categories (What Google Thinks You Do)

Google has specific categories for different types of businesses. Pick the one that best matches what you actually do.

If you are an electrician, choose "Electrician" not "Home Improvement" or "Contractor." If you run a hair salon, choose "Hair Salon" not "Beauty Salon" unless you do more than just hair.

You can add additional categories but your main category should be the thing you do most often.

Check what categories your successful local competitors use. Google often treats businesses in the same category similarly.

Setting Six: Your Opening Hours (When People Can Actually Reach You)

Set your business hours to match when people can actually contact you and expect a response.

If you answer your phone from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, set those as your hours. Do not set 24-hour availability unless you genuinely answer calls at 3am.

Keep your hours updated. If you close early on Fridays or open late on Mondays, update it. Google shows these hours to people deciding whether to call you now or later.

Use the holiday hours feature to mark days you are closed or have different hours.

Setting Seven: Your Website Connection (The Link That Proves You Exist)

Your Google Business Profile and your website must be connected. Add your website URL to your Google Business Profile. Make sure the business name, address, and phone number on your website match what is in your profile.

Google uses this connection to verify you are a real business, not someone trying to game the system.

Your website should also link back to your Google Business Profile or at least mention the same business details.

Why These Settings Matter More Than Everything Else

These seven settings are not about tricks or hacks. They are about giving Google accurate, consistent information so it knows who you are, what you do, and where you do it.

When someone searches for an electrician in your area, Google looks at these settings to decide whether to show your business. Get them wrong and Google cannot confidently recommend you.

Get them right and you have built the foundation everything else sits on. Your reviews, your website content, and your social media all become more effective because Google understands your business.

The 15-Minute Check You Should Do Right Now

Go to your Google Business Profile. Check each of these seven settings:

• Business name matches your website exactly
• Address matches what you use everywhere else
• Phone number is the one customers actually call
• Service areas cover everywhere you work
• Business category matches what you actually do
• Opening hours match when people can reach you
• Website URL links to your actual website

Then check your website. Do the business name, address, and phone number match what you just looked at in your Google Business Profile?

Fix anything that does not match. Do not wait.

We have been running a local business for over 11 years alongside building websites. The businesses that get found consistently are not the ones with the fanciest websites or the biggest marketing budgets. They are the ones that get these basics right and keep them consistent.

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