If you run a business in London, you aren't just competing with the world; you are competing with the shop down the street. When a potential customer stands on a pavement in Islington and types "best coffee shop near me" or "emergency plumber Hackney" into their phone, Google makes a split-second decision about who to show.
This is Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). It is the art of proving to Google that you are not only relevant to the search query but also physically located nearby. For small to medium-sized businesses, mastering local search is often far more lucrative than chasing broad, global keywords. At Custom Coded Websites, we build local SEO foundations directly into our code. Here is how you can optimise your website to capture that high-intent local traffic.
1. Master Your Google Business Profile
Before touching your website, look at your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). This is the source of truth for Google Maps and the "Local Pack" (the three businesses shown at the top of search results).
The Strategy:
- Verification: Ensure you are verified. Unverified listings rarely rank.
- Completeness: Fill in every field. Add your services, opening hours, and attributes (e.g., "Wheelchair accessible").
- Reviews: Actively ask satisfied clients for reviews. Reply to every review, good or bad. It shows Google (and customers) that you are active and engaged.
2. Implement "Schema Markup" (The Technical Edge)
This is where custom development offers a massive advantage over basic templates. Schema markup is a piece of code (specifically JSON-LD) that goes in the background of your website. It speaks directly to search engines in a language they understand.
Why it matters: Standard websites hope Google figures out their address. On our custom Python/Django sites, we hard-code "LocalBusiness" schema that explicitly tells Google: "This is our exact latitude/longitude, this is our opening time, and this is our price range." This clarity helps you rank higher and can even generate "rich snippets" in search results.
3. Create Location-Specific Landing Pages
If you serve multiple areas—say, you are a builder covering Fulham, Chelsea, and Kensington—you need more than just a single "Contact" page.
The Strategy: Create dedicated pages for each key location (e.g., yourdomain.com/builders-chelsea). However, avoid the trap of "doorway pages" (copy-pasting the exact same text and just changing the city name). Google hates duplicate content. Instead, write unique content for each area, mentioning local landmarks, specific services popular in that borough, or case studies from that neighbourhood.
4. NAP Consistency is Key
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. Google compares the data on your website with data on Facebook, Yell, Yelp, and other directories.
If your website says "10 High Street" but your Facebook page says "10 High St, Unit 4," Google gets confused. Confusion leads to a drop in rankings. Ensure your NAP data is character-perfect across the entire internet.
5. Optimise for "Near Me" Mobile Searches
Local search is almost entirely mobile. If someone is looking for a restaurant or a locksmith, they are likely doing it on a smartphone while in a hurry.
The Speed Factor: We have mentioned it before, but speed is critical here. If your site takes 5 seconds to load on 4G, the user will back out and click the next result. Custom-coded websites, free from the bloat of heavy page builders, load instantly. This reduced bounce rate signals to Google that your site is a high-quality answer for local searchers.
6. Local Link Building
Backlinks (other websites linking to yours) are a vote of confidence. For local SEO, relevance beats authority. A link from a local London community blog, a parish council, or a fellow local business partner is often more valuable than a link from a generic directory.
Action Step: Sponsor a local sports team, get featured in a local digital newspaper, or partner with a complementary business for a guest blog post to earn these hyper-local signals.
Conclusion
Local SEO isn't about tricking the system; it's about being the most relevant, accessible, and trustworthy result for your community. By combining a verified Google profile with the clean, schema-rich code of a custom website, you can ensure that when London calls, your business is the one that answers.
Ready to dominate your local market? Contact Custom Coded Websites today to discuss an SEO-optimised build for your business.