Guide · 11 min · Updated 20/05/2026
Local SEO in 2026: GBP, citations, reviews
Google Business Profile is now 70% of local pack. The other 30% is structured citations and review velocity.
GBP fully optimised first
Categories, services, attributes, products, hours, posts, Q&A. Fill every field. Add 30+ photos. Reply to every review. Post weekly. The platform rewards activity.
Citations — quality over quantity
Top 20 industry-specific directories beat 200 generic ones. NAP consistency matters; use a citation tracker (BrightLocal, Whitespark) and clean variants quarterly.
Reviews — velocity is the lever
Steady review velocity > review volume. Sites with 3+ new reviews per month outrank sites with more reviews but no recency.
Common questions
Does GBP suspension recover?
Yes, but slowly. Submit appeal with documentation; expect 2–4 weeks. Avoid keyword-stuffed business names — the most common cause.