Ever searched for a service “near me” and picked one from the top three results? Most people do. In fact, Google says 76% of people who search for something nearby on their phone visit a business within a day. So if you’re a local plumber, florist, tradie, or café owner trying to attract more nearby customers, ranking in your suburb is everything.
The good news? You don’t need a huge budget or complicated tools to get started. Just a few smart tweaks to your website and online presence can push you ahead of the competition. Let’s walk through 7 quick wins that can help your business show up in local searches and become the go-to option in your area.
Optimise Your Google Business Profile (Properly)
Let’s start with the most powerful (and often underused) free tool—Google Business Profile.
Claiming your listing is only step one. To actually rank, you need to fully optimise it:
- Use your exact suburb in the business name (if it makes sense and doesn’t violate Google’s guidelines)
- Choose the right primary and secondary categories
- Add your services with detailed descriptions
- Upload quality, geotagged photos of your storefront, team, or work
- Post weekly updates, offers, or tips—Google treats fresh content as a ranking signal
💡 Bonus tip: Encourage happy customers to leave reviews mentioning your suburb. That reinforces your local relevance in Google’s eyes.
Put Your Suburb in the Right Places on Your Website
Think of your website as your digital shopfront. If someone lands on it, can they instantly tell you’re based in Parramatta or Bondi? Search engines want that clarity too.
Add your suburb:
- In your homepage’s H1 tag
- In meta titles and descriptions
- In your footer (e.g. “Serving Blacktown and surrounding suburbs”)
- On a dedicated Location or Service Area page
But don’t overdo it—Google’s smarter than keyword stuffing. Use your suburb naturally where it fits.
Create a Suburb-Specific Landing Page
If you serve multiple suburbs, don’t cram them all into one page. Instead, create a dedicated page for each suburb you want to rank in.
For example:
yourbusiness.com.au/plumber-campbelltown
yourbusiness.com.au/plumber-liverpool
Each page should be unique and locally relevant. Add:
- Customer testimonials from that suburb
- Local imagery or landmarks
- Info on your services tailored to that area
- FAQs or common problems you solve there
According to Moz, unique local landing pages can drastically improve your visibility in local pack results.
List in Local Directories (But Only the Right Ones)
You’ve probably seen your competitors pop up in directories like Yellow Pages, TrueLocal, or OneFlare. While some directories are past their prime, local citations still matter—especially for building consistency.
Here’s what to focus on:
- Your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) should match exactly across listings
- Start with the top Australian directories like Hotfrog, StartLocal, and dLook
- Avoid spammy or low-quality directories
Here’s a quick comparison to help you prioritise:
| Directory | Domain Authority (DA) | Free to List | Location-Specific? | Worth It? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Pages | 88 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| TrueLocal | 82 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| OneFlare | 57 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Gumtree | 80 | ✅ | ❌ (More general) | ⚠️ |
| Yelp AU | 91 | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ |
| Yellow Pages | 88 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| TrueLocal | 82 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| OneFlare | 57 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Gumtree | 80 | ✅ | ❌ (More general) | ⚠️ |
| Yelp AU | 91 | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ |
✅ = Recommended | ⚠️ = Use cautiously depending on niche
Get Local Backlinks
Backlinks are still a top-ranking factor, but not all links are created equal. If you want to rank locally, you need local links.
How? Try:
- Sponsoring a local sports club or school and getting a link on their website
- Being featured in a local newspaper or online publication
- Writing a guest post for a local blog or community site
- Joining your local Chamber of Commerce or business group
Local links show Google that you’re part of the community, not just another generic business.
Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)
This one might sound techy, but hear us out—it’s a hidden gem. Local Business Schema is a bit of code you add to your site to help Google understand:
- Who you are
- Where you’re located
- What services you offer
- Your opening hours, reviews, and more
Adding schema doesn’t directly boost rankings, but it improves visibility in search results (think stars, address, hours showing directly in the snippet).
If you’re using WordPress, plugins like Rank Math or Yoast SEO make it easy to set this up without coding.
Mobile Optimise Everything
It’s 2025—if your website doesn’t work perfectly on a phone, you’re invisible.
Google’s mobile-first indexing means your mobile version is what’s ranked, not the desktop one. And considering most local searches happen on mobile, a slow or broken mobile site is a deal-breaker.
Make sure:
- Your site loads in under 3 seconds
- Your contact details are tappable (click-to-call, tap-to-email)
- Buttons are easy to use with thumbs
- Your local pages are easy to navigate on small screens
Use Google’s free Mobile-Friendly Test to check your pages.
Wrapping Up: Don’t Overthink It, Just Start Local
Ranking in your suburb doesn’t require fancy tools or agency-level budgets. It’s about consistency, relevance, and community signals. Think like your customer—what would they search for if they needed your service right now?
Start with these 7 quick wins:
- Optimise your Google Business Profile
- Mention your suburb in key website areas
- Build suburb-specific landing pages
- List in trusted local directories
- Earn local backlinks
- Add schema markup
- Make mobile your top priority
Over time, these small tweaks compound. You’ll climb higher in the local search pack, bring in more leads, and stay ahead of competitors who still haven’t figured this out.
