Common Local SEO Mistakes & How to Fix Them

It’s 2025. If you’re not actively optimizing your presence on Google Maps, Apple Maps, or other local listing sites, you’re losing revenue—plain and simple. Map-based web searches are now one of the most common ways new customers find businesses. Even your loyal customers often rely on your Google Maps listing to grab your contact information.

If you’re not properly managing your local listings, you’re leaving money on the table.

Unfortunately, common local SEO mistakes can seriously hurt your online visibility. If you don’t address these issues, you risk losing valuable market share to competitors. Dropping just a few spots on Google Maps could significantly impact your bottom line.

The good news? Fixing your local SEO doesn’t have to be complicated—and a few smart adjustments can make a huge difference. Read on to learn how!

Incongruent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)

Your business’s Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) are the cornerstone of your local SEO. If your NAP isn’t consistent across the web, Google—and other search engines and map platforms—will penalize you.

It’s incredibly common to find small businesses with outdated phone numbers or old addresses lingering online, but these seemingly minor errors can have massive consequences. Few customers will bother to double-check your information if the number or location they find is wrong.

When it comes to local SEO, ensuring that your NAP is consistent everywhere should be Priority #1. Everything else builds on this foundation.

Lack of Information

While your NAP is crucial, it’s just the starting point. Users searching via Google Maps or other platforms want more context about your business.

The more information your listing provides, the better. Make sure to include:

• A website link
• Up-to-date hours of operation
• High-quality photos
• A concise, compelling business description

The more comprehensive your listing, the more likely you are to earn clicks—and ultimately customers.

Lack of Reviews

Imagine you’re visiting a new town for the weekend and looking for a brunch spot. You check Google Maps and see three options:

• One restaurant is the closest but has no reviews.
• Another is slightly farther but has 20 reviews and a 3.9-star average.
• The third is a mile away but boasts 50 reviews and a 4.7-star rating.

Which one are you most likely to choose? For most users, better-reviewed businesses are worth a little extra effort.

If your business lacks a strong quantity and quality of reviews, your local SEO—and your customer acquisition—is suffering. High-quality, plentiful reviews create essential social proof. Without them, you’re missing out on valuable clicks and potential customers. Prioritize building your review count as quickly as possible.

Lack of Local Content on Your Website

Your website plays a major role in your local SEO—but it’s often overlooked.

The keywords you target, the content you publish, and the schema markup you use all help search engines better understand your business and its physical location. If you’ve fully optimized your listings but still aren’t seeing the performance you want, it’s time to review your website.

Integrate strong local SEO elements directly into your web content to improve your ranking on Google Maps and beyond.

Failing to Monitor

Google’s rankings are dynamic, constantly shifting month-to-month. That’s why continual monitoring of your local SEO is critical.

Tools like Google Search Console, SEMrush, and Google Analytics are invaluable for tracking performance. They help you catch issues early, uncover opportunities, and make informed optimizations.

If you’re not actively tracking your local SEO performance, you’re likely missing out on trends and insights that could dramatically boost your digital marketing success.

Partner with JSL Marketing & Web Design

Improving your local SEO is an ongoing process—and one that many small businesses simply don’t have time to manage on their own. You’re busy growing your business; digging into Google Analytics or correcting outdated listings isn’t your highest priority.

That’s where JSL Marketing & Web Design comes in. We specialize in helping businesses like yours level up their local SEO strategy, drive more traffic, and win more customers.

Call us today for a consultation and discover how we can help your business shine in local search!