If you feel invisible in local search results, you’re not alone. The good news is that getting found doesn’t require a massive budget or a complicated marketing stack.
This Vancouver local SEO checklist breaks down the core steps service-based businesses can take to improve local visibility—focusing on what actually moves the needle, not every new trend.
.png)
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the process of improving how your business shows up in local search results—especially on Google Maps and in searches with location intent.
When someone searches for a service “near me” or includes a city or neighbourhood in their query, Google prioritizes businesses it understands as relevant, trustworthy, and local. Local SEO helps send those signals clearly.
Showing up in these moments leads to more calls, bookings, and walk-ins.
Who Needs Local SEO?
If your business serves customers in a specific area, local SEO matters.
This includes service-based businesses like clinics, consultants, contractors, agencies, professional services, and multi-location teams—whether you operate from an office, storefront, or at a customer’s location.
If customers can:
- Visit you,
- call you,
- book you,
- or expect you to serve a defined geographic area…
Then local SEO plays a role in how easily they find you online.
Your Ultimate Vancouver Local SEO Checklist
Ready to get started? Here are five straightforward steps you can take to start climbing the local search rankings and connect with your Vancouver audience.
Step 1: Get Your Google Business Profile Right
Your Google Business Profile is one of the biggest drivers of local visibility. It’s what appears in Google Maps and local search results, and for many people, it’s the first interaction they’ll have with your business.
If this profile is incomplete, outdated, or inconsistent, it becomes much harder to show up in local searches, no matter how strong the rest of your website or marketing is. Getting this right creates a solid foundation for everything else in your local SEO strategy.
Here’s how to get your GBP set up:
- Claim and Verify Your Profile: First things first. Head over to google.com/business to claim your listing. Google needs to know you’re real, so they’ll usually mail a postcard with a verification code to your physical address.
- Perfect Your NAP: This is non-negotiable. Your Name, Address, and Phone number need to be 100% correct and exactly the same everywhere online.
- Choose the Right Categories: Pick a primary category that nails what you do (like "Coffee Shop" or "Non-Profit Organization"). Then, add other categories that fit, like "Bakery," "Event Venue," or "Community Center." This helps Google understand the different hats you wear.
- Detail Your Services/Products: Don't just stop at categories. Use the Services or Products section to spell out what you actually offer. A Vancouver physio clinic could list things like "Sports Injury Rehab," "IMS Treatment," and "Pelvic Floor Physio." Be specific!
- Upload photos and videos: Add images of your storefront, space, team, and work in action. Updated visuals help build trust and signal activity.
- Use Google Posts: Think of this as a mini-blog for your profile. Regularly share updates, events, or news. It shows Google (and customers) that you're active. Announcing a new menu item or highlighting a successful fundraiser are perfect uses for Posts.
Step 2: Use Local Keywords People Actually Search For
Local SEO only works if you’re using the same language your customers use when they search. That means going beyond generic service terms and paying attention to location-based intent.
Most people don’t search for “accounting services” or “physiotherapy clinic.” They search for “accountant in Yaletown,” “physio near Commercial Drive,” or “plumber in East Van.” They are likely to choose whichever results show up on Google’s front page, since they are looking for fast results.
That’s where you want to show up.
To find the right local keywords, start here:
- List your core services
- List the areas you serve (neighbourhoods, cities, or regions)
- Combine the two in natural, everyday language
Examples:
- Bike repair Kitsilano
- RMT near Olympic Village
- Interior designer Main Street
- IT support Downtown Vancouver
- Plumber East Van
These are the searches that tend to drive calls, bookings, and form fills.
Once you’ve identified your local keywords, use them where they matter most:
- Page titles and main headings
- Service pages and location pages
- Body copy, where it fits naturally
- Image alt text
- Internal links between related pages
The goal isn’t to repeat keywords everywhere. Clear, natural language usually performs better than forcing exact phrases into every paragraph.
If your business serves customers at their location—rather than from a storefront—local keywords still matter. Many searches include “near me” or reference service areas instead of addresses. Make it clear which areas you serve and how far you’re willing to travel.
Step 3: Create Local Landing Pages for the Areas You Serve
Once your keywords are clear, your website needs a place for them to live.
Local landing pages are pages on your site designed around a specific service and a specific location. They help Google understand where you operate—and help customers quickly see that you serve their area.
This is especially important if you serve multiple neighbourhoods or cities across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
Local landing pages typically work best when they include:
- A clear service + location focus (for example, Physiotherapy in Mount Pleasant or IT Support in Burnaby)
- Plain-language descriptions of your services
- Mentions of the specific areas you serve
- Relevant local context, where it makes sense
- Clear calls to action
These pages should be genuinely useful, not copied-and-pasted templates with the city name swapped out.
Step 4: Build Consistent Vancouver Business Citations
A "citation" is just any online mention of your business's Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP). Think of them as little votes of confidence from around the web. When Google sees your exact NAP listed over and over on trustworthy sites, it believes you are who you say you are. If your info is a mess, it creates doubt and can hurt your ranking.
Your mission is to build accurate and consistent Vancouver business citations. Start by checking your current listings for errors, then add new ones.
- Key Canadian Directories: Make sure you’re listed correctly on the big players:
- Yelp.ca
- Yellow Pages (thepattisongroup.com)
- CanadaOne
- ProfileCanada.com
- Local & Industry-Specific Directories: Don't stop there. Look for directories that are specific to Vancouver or your field:
- The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
- Your local Business Improvement Association (BIA) directory
- Industry sites (like TripAdvisor for tourism, Houzz for home services, or CharityVillage for non-profits).
Step 5: Cultivate and Respond to Local Reviews
Reviews are today’s word-of-mouth, and they are incredibly powerful. Google sees them as proof that you’re a real, active organization that people are engaging with. Even more importantly, they help potential customers and supporters feel confident choosing you.
Your goal is to get a steady stream of real reviews on your Google Business Profile and other sites like Yelp or Facebook.
- Make it Easy to Leave a Review: Most happy customers are willing to leave a review—they just forget. Make it ridiculously easy for them. Share your review link in a follow-up email, put a QR code on your receipts, or just ask nicely at the end of a great conversation.
- Respond to Every Review (Especially the Negative Ones): Always say thank you for good reviews. For the not-so-good ones, respond quickly and professionally. A thoughtful reply shows everyone else that you care and can often turn a bad experience around.
- Never Buy Fake Reviews: Just don't. It can get you penalized by Google and it completely destroys the trust you’re working so hard to build.
Want to Show Up In More Local Searches? Start Here
Local SEO compounds when the fundamentals are done right.
After working with Brandcamp Digital, Pro Works Painting grew from 150 to 1,600 monthly organic clicks in one year, expanded to 900 ranking keywords, and reported over $3 million in revenue across franchise locations.
If you want a partner to help you build, refine, and scale your SEO strategy, Brandcamp Digital is here to help. Contact us to get started.
.png)
