How to Stand Out in Your Area: Some local SEO tips

Robot Dog Creative
Jul 1
3 min read

Updated: Jul 16

If your business serves a local area, whether you're a plumber in Harrogate, a café in York, or a boutique agency like us in Ripon, local SEO is one of the most powerful tools you’ve got. It’s how you show up when someone types “best [your service] near me” at the exact moment they’re ready to act.

But here’s the thing: everyone's doing the basics now. If you want to really stand out in your area, you’ve got to do a little more. So let’s break it down.

✅ The Local SEO Must-Haves (Yes, You Still Need These)

Start here. These are the non-negotiables:

Google Business Profile – Fully filled out, with services, categories, hours, a proper description, and plenty of photos. And don’t forget to update posts and offers. It’s free visibility.
NAP Consistency – Your Name, Address, and Phone Number should match exactly everywhere online. Sounds boring. Still matters.
Local Keywords on Your Website – “Web design in Leeds”, “Skipton café branding”, “Brochure design in York”... Whatever fits. Use those naturally in headings, text, image alt tags, and page URLs.
Local Backlinks – Try to get links from other businesses, directories, local news sites, or industry blogs. If the internet’s a popularity contest, these are your votes.

🚀 What Else? Think Beyond the Basics

If you're serious about ranking (and standing out), here’s where it gets interesting:

1. Create Local Landing Pages That Actually Convert

Not just “Harrogate” jammed into a template. We’re talking tailored pages for each town or city you serve, with:

Location-specific testimonials
Photos of your work in that area
Local slang or cultural nods (subtle, not cringey)
Custom offers like “10% off for Skipton locals this July”

Google loves relevance. People love feeling seen.

2. Become a Local Expert (on Your Blog)

Don’t just write about your services. Write about your place:

“Best coffee spots in York for business meetings”
“What growing up in North Yorkshire taught me about design”
“Why Skipton businesses are smashing it in 2025”

It builds connection and keyword juice.

3. Create a Free Local Resource

Offer something valuable and hyper-local:

A downloadable “Ultimate Guide to X in [Your Town]”
A map of independent shops in your area
A list of local suppliers or collaborators you recommend

Brand it. Host it on your site. People will share it... and link to it.

4. Sponsor Something Unexpected

Sure, a football team is nice. But how about:

A local ghost walk map, designed by you?
An indie gig night poster series?
A “Most Overlooked Local Business” competition?

Go off-script. People notice originality. Google notices the backlinks and brand mentions.

5. Custom QR Codes for Local Spaces

Make them beautiful and brand-relevant. Stick them in physical places:

Cafés, pubs, gyms, community boards
“Scan for 10% off your next logo”
“Discover top local designers near you”

They can land on a targeted, mobile-friendly landing page. Geo-optimised, of course.

6. Create a Local Awards Scheme (That You Control)

Start the “[Your Brand] Best of [Your Town]” awards:

Best indie shop
Most inspiring entrepreneur
Best coffee for client meetings

Interview winners, give them badges, link to their sites... and get links back to yours. It’s SEO and networking gold.

Want some actionable steps for setting your business up for local SEO success? Check out our article on that here.

Final Thoughts

Local SEO is not about gaming the system. It’s about showing up for your neighbours, making it clear you understand them, serve them, and are part of the fabric of the place.

At Robot Dog Creative, every website we build is designed to be fast, focused, and Google-ready. With a strong local presence baked in from the start. Because being found is just the start. What happens next, how you feel to a local visitor, makes all the difference.

Want help standing out in your area? Let’s chat. We’ll help you grow your local footprint with design, strategy and a few clever tricks up our sleeve.