Local Business Growth Hub

Free, in-depth guides to getting found by local customers: local SEO, Google Business Profile, reviews, listings, websites and the admin that eats your evenings. UK-first, useful anywhere. Every guide links to the official sources so you can check the facts.

Start here

New to local SEO? Read these three first

Local SEO

Local SEO for small businesses: a plain-English guide

How local search really works, what Google says matters, and a step-by-step plan any small business can follow to get found by nearby customers.

Read the guide (9 min) →Google Business Profile

The complete Google Business Profile setup and optimisation checklist

A step-by-step checklist to create, verify and optimise your Google Business Profile, based on Google's own guidelines. Free and up to date for 2026.

Read the guide (10 min) →Reviews

How to get more Google reviews honestly

Practical, policy-safe ways to get more genuine Google reviews: when to ask, what to say, message templates and how to reply, plus what's banned in the UK.

Read the guide (9 min) →

Local SEO

Local SEO for small businesses: a plain-English guide

How local search really works, what Google says matters, and a step-by-step plan any small business can follow to get found by nearby customers.

Read the guide (9 min) →Local SEO

Local keyword research: a step-by-step guide for small businesses

Find the exact words local customers use to search for your services, using free tools like Google autocomplete, Search Console and Keyword Planner.

Read the guide (9 min) →

Google Business Profile

The complete Google Business Profile setup and optimisation checklist

A step-by-step checklist to create, verify and optimise your Google Business Profile, based on Google's own guidelines. Free and up to date for 2026.

Read the guide (10 min) →

Reviews

How to get more Google reviews honestly

Practical, policy-safe ways to get more genuine Google reviews: when to ask, what to say, message templates and how to reply, plus what's banned in the UK.

Read the guide (9 min) →

Trades

Local SEO for tradespeople: plumbers, electricians, builders and more

A practical local SEO plan for UK trades: service-area profiles, job photos, service pages, accreditations and reviews. Written for busy tradespeople.

Read the guide (9 min) →

Websites

Website speed for small businesses: what matters and how to fix it

Understand Core Web Vitals in plain English, test your site for free, and fix the most common speed problems on small business websites.

Read the guide (9 min) →Websites

Small business website must-haves: the 2026 checklist

Everything a small business website needs: clear services, trust signals, fast mobile pages, contact options, and UK legal essentials like privacy and company details.

Read the guide (10 min) →

Listings

NAP consistency and UK directory listings: a practical guide

Why your business name, address and phone number must match everywhere, which UK directories are worth claiming in 2026, and how to audit and fix your listings.

Read the guide (9 min) →Listings

Bing Places and Apple Business: get on every map, not just Google

How to list your business on Bing Places (including importing from Google) and Apple Business, which replaced Apple Business Connect in 2026. Step by step, free.

Read the guide (9 min) →

Social media

Social media for local businesses with almost no time

A realistic social media plan for busy owners: which platforms to pick, what to post, a 20-minute weekly routine, and the UK rules on ads and endorsements.

Read the guide (9 min) →

Tools

The free Google tools every local business should use

How to set up and use Google Business Profile performance, Search Console, Google Analytics, PageSpeed Insights, Keyword Planner and Google Trends, all free.

Read the guide (9 min) →

Admin

Quoting and invoicing: how to win more jobs and get paid faster

Practical quoting and invoicing tips for UK small businesses: what to include, quote vs estimate, VAT invoice rules, payment terms, late payment rights and payment links.

Read the guide (9 min) →

New businesses

Starting a new local business? Your online launch checklist

The order to set things up when launching a new local business online: name checks, domain, email, social profiles, Google Business Profile, website and first reviews.

Read the guide (9 min) →

Rather have it done for you?

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