NAP. Citations. Local pack. Prominence. Geo-grid.
If you’ve ever read a local SEO guide or sat through an agency call and nodded along without really knowing what half the words meant, you’re not alone.
Local SEO comes with its own language, and that jargon makes a simple goal (getting found by nearby customers) feel harder than it is.
This glossary fixes that.
You’ll find 60+ local SEO glossary terms explained in plain English, organized A to Z, with real examples from US businesses and links to deeper guides when you want to go further.
Start with the 10 most important terms below, then use the full list as a reference whenever a new word pops up.
FoundHint Local SEO WordPress
Optimize your Google Business Profile without leaving WordPress
Connect your GBP profile, compare it with your website and fix the gaps FoundHint finds.
- Business Profile audit and optimization
- Google Post scheduling
- Review management and replies
- Local rank tracking on a map grid
The 10 Local SEO Terms to Know First
Short on time? These are the terms you’ll hear most often. Learn these and the rest of local SEO gets much easier to follow.
| Term | What it means in one line |
|---|---|
| Local SEO | Getting your business found by people searching nearby |
| Google Business Profile | Your free business listing on Google Search and Maps |
| Local pack | The map and top three businesses shown for local searches |
| NAP | Your business Name, Address, and Phone number |
| Citation | Any online mention of your business details |
| Reviews | Customer ratings and comments on your profile |
| Relevance, distance, prominence | The three things Google says it uses to rank local results |
| Primary category | The main category that describes your business on Google |
| Local keywords | Searches with a place or “near me” in them |
| Location page | A web page built for one city or area you serve |
Local SEO Terms: A to C
AI Overviews
AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of some Google searches. For local queries, they can pull from Business Profiles, reviews, and websites to recommend businesses. A complete profile and clear service pages give AI more accurate information to use.
AI Mode
A conversational search experience from Google where people can ask follow-up questions. Local businesses can appear in AI Mode answers based on the same signals that power regular local results.
Ask Maps
A Gemini-powered feature in Google Maps that lets people ask questions in plain language, like “Where can I get a vegan birthday cake in Portland this weekend?” It answers using profile details, reviews, photos, and website content.
Attributes
Extra details you can add to your Google Business Profile, like “wheelchair accessible,” “outdoor seating,” “free Wi-Fi,” or “veteran-owned.” Attributes help customers choose you and help Google match you to specific searches. FoundHint lets you edit attributes from WordPress and send them to Google.
Backlink
A link from another website to yours. In local SEO, the best backlinks come from local, relevant sources like your chamber of commerce, a local newspaper, or a nearby business partner.
Learn more in our guide to local SEO link building.
Branded Search
A search that includes your business name, like “Joe’s Pizza Brooklyn.” Growth in branded searches is a good sign that people know and trust your business.
Business Description
The short paragraph on your Google Business Profile that explains what you do. Write it for customers, mention your main services and area naturally, and skip promotional fluff or links.
Business Name
Your real-world business name as it appears on your sign, website, and paperwork. Google’s guidelines don’t allow adding extra keywords or locations to it.
Categories (Primary and Secondary)
The labels that tell Google what type of business you are. Your primary category, such as “Plumber” or “Italian restaurant,” has a big impact on which searches you show up for. Secondary categories cover other things you offer.
See our guide to Google Business Profile categories.
Citation
Any online mention of your business name, address, and phone number, such as a listing on Yelp, Apple Maps, the Better Business Bureau, or an industry directory. Structured citations are business listings in directories. Unstructured citations are mentions in articles, blogs, or news stories.
Read more about local citations.
FoundHint’s citation feature shows directories that fit your business category, where you’re already listed, and where you’re missing.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who click your listing after seeing it. If 1,000 people see your profile and 50 click to your website, your CTR is 5%. Strong photos, reviews, and titles help raise it. See how to improve local SEO CTR.
Conversion
An action you want a visitor to take, like calling, booking, requesting a quote, or asking for directions. Local SEO is ultimately measured by conversions, not just rankings.
Core Web Vitals
Google’s measures of real-world page experience: how fast the main content loads (LCP), how quickly the page responds to taps (INP), and how stable the layout is (CLS). They matter most on mobile, where many local searches happen.
Local SEO Terms: D to G
Direction Requests
The number of times people ask Google Maps for directions to your business from your profile. It’s one of the clearest signs that local search is bringing in real visits.
Directory
A website that lists businesses, like Yelp, Angi, Yellow Pages, or a local chamber of commerce site. Directories are a common source of citations. See our list of the best local business directories.
Distance (Proximity)
How far a business is from the searcher, or from the location named in the search. Google says distance is one of its three main local ranking factors. You can’t change it, but you can strengthen relevance and prominence to compete beyond your immediate area.
Doorway Pages
Low-quality pages created only to rank for many city names, like 50 near-identical pages that swap “Dallas” for “Plano.” Google treats them as spam. Build fewer, genuinely useful local landing pages instead.
E-E-A-T
Short for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s a framework Google uses to describe helpful, reliable content. For a local business, real photos, team bios, licenses, and detailed reviews all help show it.
Entity
A real thing Google understands, like a specific business, person, or place. Google connects your Business Profile, website, reviews, and mentions into one entity. The clearer and more consistent your information, the better Google understands who you are.
Geo-Grid (Local Rank Grid)
A map-based way to track rankings. Instead of checking your rank from one spot, a geo-grid checks it at many points across your area and shows the results as a grid of numbers. It reveals where you’re strong and where competitors win.
FoundHint’s Ranking Grid does this for your target keywords across your chosen location, right inside WordPress.
Geotagging
Adding location data to photo files. It’s often recommended as a ranking trick, but there’s no solid evidence it helps. Focus on uploading real, high-quality photos instead.
Google Business Profile (GBP)
Your free business listing on Google Search and Google Maps, formerly called Google My Business. It shows your hours, address, phone, photos, reviews, and more, and it’s the single most important tool in local SEO.
With FoundHint, you can connect your Google Business Profile to WordPress without an API key and manage it from your site.
Google Maps
Google’s map app and website, where many local searches happen. Ranking well in the map results usually depends on your Business Profile. Learn more in our Google Maps local SEO guide.
Google Search Console
A free Google tool that shows how your website performs in search: which queries bring impressions and clicks, which pages are indexed, and any technical issues.
Google Merchant Center
Google’s platform for product data. Retailers can use it to show in-store product availability in free local listings and local inventory ads. It’s especially useful for local SEO for ecommerce.
Local SEO Terms: H to L
Hours and Special Hours
Your regular opening hours plus temporary changes for holidays, events, or closures. Wrong hours lead to angry customers and lost trust. Here’s how to change your business hours on Google. FoundHint lets you update both regular and special hours from WordPress.
Hyperlocal
Targeting a very small area, like a neighborhood or a few blocks. Examples include “coffee shop in Wicker Park” or “dog groomer near Uptown Charlotte.”
Impressions
The number of times your listing or web page appeared in search results or on Maps. Impressions show visibility, but they don’t mean anyone clicked.
Keyword Stuffing
Cramming keywords unnaturally into business names, titles, or page text. It makes content hard to read and can lead to a suspended profile or lower rankings. See where to put city names without overdoing it.
Knowledge Panel
The box on the right side of desktop Google results (or at the top on mobile) that shows details about a business, including its map, hours, photos, and reviews. For local businesses, it’s powered by your Business Profile.
Local Citation
See Citation above.
Local Finder
The expanded list of local results you see after clicking “More places” under the local pack. It shows many more businesses with a larger map.
Local Intent
When a search shows the person wants something nearby, like “emergency vet,” “tacos near me,” or “roofer in Tampa.” Google often shows local results for these even without a city name. Read more about what local search is.
Local Keywords
Search terms that include a location or local intent, such as “Denver HVAC repair” or “best bakery near me.” Our guide to local SEO keyword research shows how to find them.
Local Pack (Map Pack or 3-Pack)
The box of usually three business listings with a map that appears near the top of Google for local searches. Getting into the local pack is one of the main goals of local SEO.
Local SEO
The process of improving your visibility in local search results, including Google Maps, the local pack, and local organic results. It covers your Business Profile, reviews, website, and citations. Here’s why local SEO matters, and how it differs in local SEO vs SEO.
Local Services Ads (LSA)
Paid ads from Google for service businesses like plumbers, lawyers, and electricians. They appear at the top of some searches, often with a “Google Guaranteed” or “Google Screened” badge, and you usually pay per lead rather than per click.
LocalBusiness Schema
A type of structured data code that tells search engines your business name, address, phone, hours, and more in a format they can read easily. See our guide to LocalBusiness schema for WordPress.
Location Page (Local Landing Page)
A page on your website built for a specific city or area you serve. A good one includes real local details, like neighborhoods served, local projects, and directions, not just a swapped city name.
Local SEO Terms: M to P
Map Pack
Another name for the local pack. See Local Pack above.
Meta Description
The short summary under your page title in search results. It doesn’t directly affect rankings, but a clear one that mentions your service and area can earn more clicks. See our tips on local SEO title tags and meta descriptions.
Mobile-First Indexing
Google mainly uses the mobile version of your site to understand and rank it. If your site is slow or hard to use on a phone, it will hurt your local visibility. Learn more about mobile optimization for local SEO.
Multi-Location SEO
Local SEO for businesses with more than one location, like a chain of dental offices or a franchise. Each location needs its own Business Profile and location page. See our guides to multi-location local SEO and franchise local SEO. FoundHint lets you manage multiple locations from one WordPress dashboard.
NAP (and NAP+W)
Short for Name, Address, and Phone number. NAP+W adds your website. These details form the core of every citation. Read what NAP means in local SEO.
NAP Consistency
Keeping your name, address, and phone number exactly the same everywhere online. If one directory lists “Suite 200” and another lists an old address, Google and customers may get confused. See our guide to NAP consistency.
Near Me Searches
Searches like “pharmacy near me” or “oil change near me open now.” Google uses the searcher’s location to show nearby results, so you don’t need to put “near me” on your pages. Learn how to rank for near me searches.
Organic Results
The regular, unpaid website listings below the ads and local pack. Local businesses can rank here with strong service and location pages.
Photos
Images on your Business Profile, such as your storefront, interior, team, products, and completed work. Real, recent photos build trust and give customers a reason to choose you. See our Google Business Profile photos guide. FoundHint lets you add and remove profile photos from WordPress.
Posts (Google Business Profile Posts)
Short updates you publish on your profile, like offers, events, news, or new products. They keep your profile active and give customers fresh reasons to contact you. Learn more about Google Business Profile posts. FoundHint lets you create posts and schedule them ahead of time.
Products and Services
Sections of your Business Profile where you list what you sell or offer, with descriptions and sometimes prices. See Google Business Profile products and services. If you run WooCommerce, FoundHint can sync your products to your profile and add services.
Prominence
How well-known and trusted your business is, online and offline. Google says reviews, links, articles, and directory mentions all play a part. It’s one of Google’s three main local ranking factors.
Proximity
See Distance above.
Local SEO Terms: Q to S
Q&A (Questions and Answers)
A section on Business Profiles where customers could ask questions and anyone could answer. Google has been phasing it out in favor of AI-generated answers that draw on your profile, reviews, and website. That makes a clear FAQ section on your site more useful than ever.
Query
The words someone types or speaks into a search engine. “Best brunch in Nashville” is a query.
Ranking Factors
The signals Google uses to decide which businesses to show and in what order. For local results, Google groups them into relevance, distance, and prominence. Read our breakdown of local SEO ranking factors.
Rank Tracking
Monitoring where your business appears for chosen keywords over time. For local SEO, tracking across your service area (with a geo-grid) gives a far more accurate picture than one check from your office.
Relevance
How well your business matches what someone searched for. Your categories, services, description, website content, and reviews all shape relevance.
Review
A customer’s rating and written feedback on your Business Profile or another site. Google reviews are rated from 1 to 5 stars. The number, recency, and content of reviews all matter. See our guide to Google Business Profile reviews.
Review Gating
Only asking happy customers for reviews, or filtering unhappy ones away before they can post. Google doesn’t allow it, and the FTC’s rule on fake reviews also bans suppressing negative reviews. Ask every customer the same way.
Review Link
A short link that takes customers straight to the review form on your Business Profile. Learn how to get more Google reviews. FoundHint generates a Get More Google Reviews link and QR code you can print on receipts, cards, or counter signs.
Review Response
Your public reply to a customer review. Replying to every review, positive or negative, shows you care and gives Google more context. See how to respond to Google reviews. FoundHint lets you reply to all reviews from WordPress, set auto-replies for each star rating, and use AI to draft personalized replies.
Review Velocity
How steadily you get new reviews over time. A business that earns a few reviews every month usually looks more trustworthy than one that got 40 in one week and none since.
Schema Markup (Structured Data)
Code added to your website that helps search engines understand details like your business type, address, hours, and reviews. LocalBusiness schema is the most common type for local SEO.
Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
The page you see after searching. A local SERP can include ads, AI answers, the local pack, organic results, and more.
Service Area Business (SAB)
A business that serves customers at their location instead of at a storefront, like a mobile dog groomer, a plumber, or a house cleaner. SABs can hide their address on Google and list the areas they serve. Read more about service area business SEO.
Suspension
When Google removes or restricts your Business Profile for breaking its guidelines, often for keyword-stuffed names, fake addresses, or suspicious edits. If it happens, here’s what to do when your Google Business Profile is suspended.
Local SEO Terms: T to Z
Title Tag
The clickable headline of your page in search results. For local pages, a good title names the service and the area, like “Emergency Plumber in Phoenix | Rivera Plumbing.”
UTM Parameters
Tags added to the end of a URL so you can track where visits come from in Google Analytics. Adding UTMs to your Business Profile website link shows exactly how much traffic your profile sends. Learn how in our guide to UTM tracking for Google Business Profile.
Verification
The process of proving to Google that you own or manage a business before your profile goes live. Google chooses the method, which can include a phone call, text, email, video recording, or postcard (Google help).
Virtual Office
A rented address or mailbox where you don’t actually work or meet customers. Google doesn’t allow virtual offices as Business Profile addresses unless the location is staffed during business hours.
Voice Search
Searching by speaking to a phone, smart speaker, or car assistant, like “Hey Google, find a tire shop near me that’s open now.” Voice searches are often longer and more conversational. See our guide to voice search local SEO.
Website Clicks
The number of people who click through to your website from your Business Profile. It’s one of the core local SEO metrics to watch.
WooCommerce Local SEO
Optimizing a WooCommerce store so nearby shoppers can find your products and visit or buy locally. Learn more in our WooCommerce local SEO guide.
WordPress Local SEO Plugin
A plugin that adds local SEO tools to a WordPress site. FoundHint is one example: it connects your Google Business Profile to WordPress so you can manage your listing, reviews, posts, and rankings from your dashboard.
See our WordPress local SEO checklist for the full setup.
Zero-Click Search
A search where the person gets their answer without clicking any website, such as calling straight from the local pack or reading an AI answer. For local businesses, a zero-click search can still be a win if it ends in a call or a visit, which is why your Business Profile matters so much.
Putting These Terms to Work With FoundHint
Knowing the vocabulary is step one. Putting it into practice every week is what gets results.
FoundHint, a local SEO plugin for WordPress, turns many of the terms above into tasks you can handle from your own dashboard.
| Glossary term | What you can do with FoundHint |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Connect it to WordPress with no API key or Google Cloud setup |
| Business info, hours, attributes | Edit business details, address, hours, special hours, social links, attributes, and services, then send them to Google |
| Posts | Create posts and schedule them in advance |
| Photos | Add and remove profile photos |
| Products and services | Sync WooCommerce products and add services |
| Review response | Reply to all reviews, set auto-replies by star rating, and use AI to draft personalized replies |
| Review link | Generate a Get More Google Reviews link and QR code |
| Geo-grid | Check map rankings for target keywords across your area with the Ranking Grid |
| Citations | See relevant directories for your category, where you’re listed, and where you’re missing |
| Multi-location SEO | Manage every location from one place |
If you’re new to all this, start with the basics: a complete profile, steady reviews, and fresh posts and photos.
Our guide on connecting Google Business Profile to WordPress walks you through setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important local SEO terms to know?
Start with Google Business Profile, local pack, NAP, citations, reviews, categories, and Google’s three ranking factors: relevance, distance, and prominence. These cover most of what you’ll discuss with an agency or read in guides.
What does NAP stand for in SEO?
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. Keeping it identical across your website, Business Profile, and directories helps Google trust your business information.
What’s the difference between the local pack and organic results?
The local pack is the map with usually three business listings, powered mainly by Business Profiles. Organic results are the regular website listings below it, powered mainly by your web pages.
What’s the difference between a citation and a backlink?
A citation is any mention of your business details, with or without a link. A backlink is a link from another site to yours. A Yelp listing is a citation, and it may also include a backlink.
Is Google My Business the same as Google Business Profile?
Yes. Google renamed Google My Business to Google Business Profile in 2021. Many people still use the old name.
What is a service area business?
A business that travels to customers instead of serving them at a storefront, like a mobile mechanic or a landscaper. It can hide its address on Google and list the areas it serves.
What is a geo-grid in local SEO?
A way of tracking rankings at many points across a map, so you see how you rank for customers in different neighborhoods, not just from your own location.
Conclusion
Local SEO jargon can make a simple goal sound complicated. Once you know the core terms, like Google Business Profile, local pack, NAP, citations, and reviews, the strategy behind them makes sense: be accurate, be active, and earn trust in your community.
Bookmark this glossary and come back whenever a new term comes up. When you’re ready to act on it, FoundHint can help you manage your Business Profile, reviews, posts, rankings, and citations right from WordPress.
