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If your customers come from within 75 miles of your location—whether they walk into your shop or you visit them to provide service—these strategies are built for you.

1. Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

This is non-negotiable. Your Google Business Profile controls what customers see when they search for your services. Make sure your:

• Address and hours are accurate - Nothing frustrates customers more than showing up to a closed business
• Phone number is clickable - On mobile, it should dial when tapped
• Photos show your actual work - Not stock images

A free Google Business account gives you control over this listing. If you haven’t claimed yours yet, do it today.

2. Get Listed in Local Directories

Beyond Google, customers find businesses through:

• Yelp
• Industry-specific directories (HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, etc.)
• Local Chamber of Commerce listings
• Nextdoor

Consistency matters - your business name, address, and phone number should match exactly across all listings. Even small differences (like “Street” vs “St.”) can hurt your local search rankings.

3. Partner With Complementary Local Businesses

Joint promotions with businesses that share your customer base but don’t compete with you can be incredibly effective.

Examples:

• A house cleaner partners with a real estate agent
• A landscaper teams up with a pool service company
• A dog groomer cross-promotes with a veterinarian

The SBA suggests trying “dinner and a movie” style promotions where both businesses benefit.

4. Leverage Facebook’s Local Marketing Options

You don’t need a huge budget to start. The SBA recommends beginning with a modest $100 test budget to:

• Boost posts to people within a specific radius of your business
• Target by demographics that match your ideal customer
• Test different messages to see what resonates

Track what works, then scale up your winners.

5. Sponsor Local Events and Charities

Community involvement does double duty—it builds goodwill and gets your name in front of potential customers.

Look for opportunities to:

• Sponsor youth sports teams
• Support local charity events
• Participate in community festivals

Make sure the cause aligns with your brand and appeals to your target customers.

6. Ask for Reviews (The Right Way)

The best time to ask for a review is immediately after delivering great service, while the experience is fresh. Make it easy:

• Send a follow-up text or email with a direct link to your Google review page
• Train your team to ask in person after positive interactions
• Don’t incentivize reviews (it violates most platforms’ terms)

7. Respond to Every Review

Yes, every one—good and bad. When you respond:

• Thank positive reviewers specifically for what they mentioned
• Address negative reviews professionally and offer to make things right
• Show potential customers you care about the experience

8. Create Locally-Focused Content

Blog posts, videos, or social content about local topics can help you rank for local searches:

• “Best [service] in [neighborhood]”
• Seasonal tips specific to your area
• Local news or events related to your industry

9. Use Local Keywords on Your Website

Make sure your website mentions:

• Your city and surrounding areas you serve
• Neighborhoods or regions
• Local landmarks or reference points

This helps search engines understand where you provide service.

10. Network in Person

Despite all the digital options, face-to-face networking still works:

• Join your local Chamber of Commerce
• Attend industry meetups
• Participate in BNI or similar referral groups

The relationships you build often lead to the most valuable referrals.

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Start With One

You don’t need to implement all ten strategies at once. Pick the one that feels most manageable and start there. Once it’s working, add another.

The businesses that win locally are the ones that show up consistently—both online and in their community.