Local search for small businesses

If your customers are mostly nearby, such as for a cafe, a trade, a clinic or a shop, local search is likely to be one of your most important channels. When people search for a service "near me" or in a particular suburb, results often include a map and a list of businesses. This guide explains the basics of being found.

This guide is general information written in our own words, based on the official sources listed at the end. Laws, regulator guidance and platform rules change, and how they apply depends on your business, so check the official source and get legal or professional advice where you need it. We don't recommend particular agencies, tools or platforms, and we never promise results.

What local search is

Local searches are ones where the searcher wants something nearby. Search engines use information about the searcher's location and about businesses to show relevant local results, often with a map, opening hours, contact details and reviews.

Claim and complete your business listings

Major search engines and map services let businesses create and manage a free listing. Claim yours, verify it, and fill it in completely:

• Your business name, exactly as you trade.
• Your address or service area.
• Phone number and website.
• Opening hours, including public holiday changes.
• Your main category and services.
• Photos of your premises, products or work.

Keep it up to date. Wrong hours or an old phone number cost customers and can be misleading.

Keep your details consistent

Use the same business name, address, phone number and hours on your website, listings, social media and directories. Consistency helps customers and helps search engines connect the information.

Make your website clear about location

Your website should state clearly where you are and which areas you serve, with a page for each main service. Google's SEO Starter Guide focuses on helpful, people-first content: explain what you do, where and how to contact you, in plain language. Our SEO basics guide covers the fundamentals.

Reviews

Reviews influence which business people choose. business.gov.au says it's okay to ask customers to review your business, for example by giving them a direct link or QR code, and suggests acknowledging and responding to every review, positive and negative.

But be careful. The ACCC says it's against the law for a business to create fake or misleading reviews or arrange for others to do so. Offering an incentive is only acceptable if it's offered for both positive and negative reviews and clearly disclosed, as business.gov.au explains. Don't edit or selectively remove genuine negative reviews. Our online reviews guide explains the rules.

Respond professionally

When responding to reviews, business.gov.au suggests being prompt but careful, staying professional, offering to discuss the issue by phone or email and explaining what you'll do to fix it. Future customers read your responses too.

Photos and updates

Regularly adding genuine photos and updates, such as new products, seasonal hours or recent work, keeps your listing useful. Don't use stock photos that misrepresent your premises or work.

Measure

Most listing tools show how many people viewed your listing, asked for directions, called or visited your website. Track these alongside enquiries and ask new customers how they found you.

A local search checklist

Claim and verify your listings; check your name, address, phone and hours are consistent everywhere; choose accurate categories; add genuine photos; update public holiday hours; make your website clear about where you operate; ask happy customers for honest reviews; and respond to all reviews professionally. Review your listings every few months.

Service-area businesses

If you visit customers rather than having them come to you, such as a mobile trade or cleaning service, many listing tools let you show a service area instead of a street address. Make sure your website also lists the areas you serve, and don't create listings at addresses where you don't genuinely operate.

Multiple locations

If you have more than one location, give each its own accurate listing and, ideally, its own page on your website with that location's address, hours and contact details. Keep each one up to date.

Try the email marketing checker

Our free email marketing checker asks six quick questions about consent, identifying your business, contact details and unsubscribing, based on ACMA's guidance on the Spam Act 2003. It shows what to fix if anything is missing. It runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you answer is sent anywhere.

Where our information comes from

Factual statements in our guides are based on official sources, including the ACCC, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), business.gov.au and Google Search Central. We link to each source at the end of the page and write everything in our own words. We don't publish invented statistics, benchmarks, case studies or testimonials.

Rules and platforms change

Consumer, spam and privacy rules are reviewed from time to time, regulators update their guidance, and digital platforms change their features and policies often. Treat our guides as a starting point, and check the official source, or get legal or professional advice, before making decisions that matter for your business.

Free official help

business.gov.au publishes free guidance and templates on marketing, advertising and online reviews, and can be contacted on 13 28 46. The ACCC, ACMA and OAIC each publish plain-language guidance for businesses on their websites. State small business commissioners and small business development centres also offer information, workshops and, in some cases, low-cost advice.

Marketing on a small budget

You don't need a big budget to market well. Many of the most effective activities for small businesses cost little except time: a clear, helpful website; accurate local listings; genuine reviews; a simple email list built with consent; consistent social media on one platform; and great service that earns word of mouth. Start with these, measure results and invest more where you see returns.

Working with agencies and freelancers

If you hire help, be clear about your goals and budget, ask for examples of similar work, agree what will be delivered and how results will be reported, and make sure you keep ownership of your website, accounts and customer data. Be wary of anyone promising guaranteed results. Remember that you remain responsible for what is published on your behalf.

Accessibility helps everyone

Making your marketing accessible helps more people use it. Use clear headings and plain language, add descriptive alt text to images, make sure text contrasts well with backgrounds, caption videos, and check that your website and emails work well on phones and with screen readers. Accessible marketing is usually clearer marketing for everyone.

Consistency builds recognition

Use the same business name, logo, colours and tone across your website, listings, social media, emails, signage and printed material. Consistency makes your business easier to recognise and remember, and helps customers trust that they've found the right business. A simple one-page style guide can help anyone who creates content for you.

Look after existing customers

It's often easier to win more business from existing customers than to find new ones. Thank customers, follow up after a sale, ask for feedback, and give them reasons to come back, such as useful updates or offers for regulars. Happy customers also tend to recommend you to others, which is some of the most valuable marketing there is.

A quick checklist

If you remember only a few things from our guides, make them these: know who your customers are; set goals you can measure; be helpful rather than salesy; make every claim accurate and provable; get consent before emailing or texting; never fake or manipulate reviews; disclose paid partnerships; and review what's working regularly.

Key points

• Claim, verify and complete your free business listings.
• Keep your name, address, phone and hours consistent everywhere.
• Make your website clear about where you operate.
• Ask for genuine reviews, but never create or arrange fake ones.
• Respond to reviews promptly and professionally.