Passed on 22 May, 2025

2. Get noticed locally

Businesses with a physical storefront or that provide services in a set area can benefit from marketing online to local customers.In this lesson, we’ll find out how local search can benefit businesses and become more familiar with how to get started.

In this lesson, we’ll find out how local search can benefit businesses and become more familiar with how to get started.

In this lesson, we’ll find out how local search can benefit businesses and become more familiar with how to get started.

✅ Learning objectivesBy the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:Understand what local means in a digital context.Explain the importance of marketing locally.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Understand what local means in a digital context.

Explain the importance of marketing locally.

It’s all about location

The internet connects businesses and customers worldwide. But, if you’re a local business, you’ll also want to reach people nearby. Let’s explore what local means in digital terms.

The logic behind local

Advertising online to people in a business’ local area can help build new relationships, increase brand recognition, and boost growth.Let’s find out more.

Let’s find out more.

Let’s find out more.

A world of possibilities

When people need to find a product or service, they may use search engines, online directories, review sites, and social media.

Your reach might be global

If you run a bicycle shop in East London, people in West London are going to be able to find you online. So are people in Sydney, New York City, and most places in between.

It’s time to go local

Someone in Sydney isn’t likely to travel to London to buy something they can get in their neighbourhood. That’s what makes local marketing worthwhile.

Connect with customers on your doorstep

Search engines, online directories, review sites, and social media offer ways to advertise to your local audience by limiting showing your details to people close by and who are — or who may become — your customers.

Building a local business

Some business owners want to turn their company into a globally recognised brand. Others want to be well-known in their local area. So, what do we mean by ‘local’?

Types of business

A local business could be a shop, like a bike shop or a hair salon. They could also be a service provider who goes out to meet with customers, like a lawn care service, or a plumber.

Types of customers

These businesses usually sell products and services to people who live nearby, and people who are visiting from other places, such as holidaymakers.

The power of local

If a local business is easy to find online and displays relevant, up-to-date information, it’s more likely to attract customers in the neighbourhood.So, how does a local search work?

So, how does a local search work?

So, how does a local search work?

What do they need?

A customer wants to find a bicycle shop near their flat. They type ‘bike shop’ into a search engine using their phone. This gives them a huge number of results, all relevant, but they need to refine their search.

Where are they looking?

The customer turns on location services and tries again. This time they type in ‘bike shop near me’. As they have the location turned on on their phone, they get a list of local businesses, including the address, phone number, and working hours of each.

How can they get there?

From the search results, they choose a bike shop they want to check out. They can click the shop’s phone number to ring the shop or use maps on their phone to navigate there.

Ways to be found online

Many people will use a search engine to find a local business online. There are a few things you can do to help search engines list your business when someone local is trying to find relevant products or services.We’ll explore some of these in more detail later in the lesson.

We’ll explore some of these in more detail later in the lesson.

We’ll explore some of these in more detail later in the lesson.

Existing websites

List location details on your website, including an address, contact details, such as a telephone number and email address, and opening hours. If you sell services, you can also explain the areas you serve.

Notice how to get noticed

Spend some time completing the activity on this page. It will help prepare you for the rest of the module.

✅ ActivityWe’re going to explore how other businesses get noticed locally.Choose a category of business which is relevant to yours or a type you’re familiar with, such as a coffee shop, book shop, or sporting goods shop.Check the items off as you go.Choose a device, such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet, and make sure location is enabled.Enter the type of business you’re looking for into a search engine. For example, you could search for ‘bike shop’.Check out the results you got. You might notice things like a map and suggested locations, sponsored ads, and a prompt like ‘People also search for…’.Try again with the business type you’ve chosen and add a location, like ‘bike shop London’. What do you notice about your results?Experiment with different types of businesses and locations to find out how the results change. For example, you could try ‘small hotels Amiens’ or ‘trainer shop near me’.

Activity

We’re going to explore how other businesses get noticed locally.Choose a category of business which is relevant to yours or a type you’re familiar with, such as a coffee shop, book shop, or sporting goods shop.

Choose a category of business which is relevant to yours or a type you’re familiar with, such as a coffee shop, book shop, or sporting goods shop.

Choose a category of business which is relevant to yours or a type you’re familiar with, such as a coffee shop, book shop, or sporting goods shop.

Choose a device, such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet, and make sure location is enabled.

Enter the type of business you’re looking for into a search engine. For example, you could search for ‘bike shop’.

Check out the results you got. You might notice things like a map and suggested locations, sponsored ads, and a prompt like ‘People also search for…’.

Try again with the business type you’ve chosen and add a location, like ‘bike shop London’. What do you notice about your results?

Experiment with different types of businesses and locations to find out how the results change. For example, you could try ‘small hotels Amiens’ or ‘trainer shop near me’.

Download PDF

Download PDF

Check your knowledge

It's time for you to check and reflect on what you've learned so far about getting noticed locally.You must complete the knowledge check to move to the next lesson.

You must complete the knowledge check to move to the next lesson.

You must complete the knowledge check to move to the next lesson.

Question 1 of 1

Sione has recently opened a beauty and wellness salon in his hometown. It’s a popular place with tourists, and he wants them to be able to find his business easily when they search for beauty or wellness services.How could Sione improve his website so it is more likely to be included when people nearby search for services he offers?

How could Sione improve his website so it is more likely to be included when people nearby search for services he offers?

How could Sione improve his website so it is more likely to be included when people nearby search for services he offers?

Add his business address and a map

Include the business telephone number and email address

Display his opening hours

Share his photo and photos of his team

Submit

Submit

Yes.Sione could include his address and a map, his telephone number and email address, and his opening hours to help his website be listed in search results when people nearby try and find the services he offers.

Sione could include his address and a map, his telephone number and email address, and his opening hours to help his website be listed in search results when people nearby try and find the services he offers.

Lesson complete

You now understand how to get noticed locally and build awareness of your business among the potential customers closest to you.Head to the next lesson, where we’ll explore SEO and local directories in more detail.

Head to the next lesson, where we’ll explore SEO and local directories in more detail.

Head to the next lesson, where we’ll explore SEO and local directories in more detail.