How To Choose A Local SEO Agency In The UK: What To Expect In 2025
If you're comparing local SEO partners, the options can feel overwhelming. This guide explains what a good local SEO agency does, how to assess proposals, and the questions to ask before you sign.
You'll see exactly what to expect in the first 90 days, how delivery should look month to month, and what red flags to avoid.
By the end, you'll know how to shortlist the right agency, set clear expectations, and hold your partner accountable to enquiries, bookings, and footfall - not just rankings.
Quick answers to the big local SEO questions
What does a local SEO agency actually do?
They optimise your Google Business Profile, your website, your local citations, reviews, and local link profile to increase visibility and conversions from nearby customers.
How do I choose the right agency?
Look for a clear plan, sector-relevant examples, measurable goals, transparent reporting, and flexible terms. Avoid guarantees and vague deliverables.
What should I expect in the first 90 days?
Research and strategy, profile upgrades, technical fixes, citation work, review process setup, and initial content and link outreach.
What should a solid local SEO engagement include?
A dependable agency should cover these pillars:
SEO Strategy and research
Market and competitor review, keyword mapping per service and area, and clear success metrics tied to calls, forms, bookings, and directions.
Google Business Profile optimisation
Categories, services, products/menus, images, UTM tracking, posts, and a proactive review plan.
On-page improvements
Titles, headers, internal linking, local schema, and service-area landing pages to match search intent.
Technical SEO
Speed, mobile experience, indexation, crawl health, and site structure; Core Web Vitals improvements where they impact users.
Citations and data accuracy
Build and clean Name, Address, Phone details across high-quality and niche directories.
Reviews and reputation
Templates, training, and response workflows; escalation for negative feedback.
Local links and PR
Community sponsorships, suppliers, local news, and relevant organisations.
SEO Content
Helpful pages and posts that answer pre-enquiry questions and reduce friction.
Reporting and communication
Plain-English updates, call and booking tracking, and agreed KPIs.
If an agency omits two or more of these areas, question the fit.
How to compare local SEO agencies quickly
Use this five-step checklist:
Scope: Does the plan include strategy, GBP, on-page, technical, citations, reviews, links, and content? Any gaps?
Activity per month: Are outputs specific (pages, posts, citations, links, hours)? Vague promises are a warning sign.
Reporting: Will you see calls, directions, enquiries, bookings, and revenue estimates not just rankings?
Proof: Ask for sector case notes or anonymised examples that match your situation and location type.
Terms: Can you scale after three months? Is there a clear 90-day roadmap and regular review cadence?
Questions to ask before you choose
Discovery and goals: How will you align activity to my top services, locations, and seasonality?
Local intent coverage: Which service-area pages and FAQs will you create first, and why?
Google Business Profile: What changes will you make in week one, and how often will posts/photos go live?
Reviews: How do you help staff ask for reviews ethically, and who replies to them?
Links: Where do you source local link opportunities, and how do you measure quality?
Content: Who writes it, who approves it, and how will you demonstrate helpfulness and expertise?
Technical: What's your process for diagnosing and fixing site issues without disrupting sales or bookings?
Tracking: How will you attribute calls, forms, bookings, and direction requests? Will you set up UTM tags and call tracking?
Communication: Who is my day-to-day contact? What's the meeting rhythm and SLAs?
Success: Which KPIs matter in the first 30, 60, and 90 days? How do you forecast impact?
What to expect in the first 90 days and beyond
Days 1-10: Audit and plan
Kick-off, data and access setup, analytics and call tracking
Competitor review and keyword mapping per service and area
GBP audit and quick wins (categories, services, UTM, images)
Technical crawl and prioritised fixes
Days 11-90: Build and optimise
Launch core service-area pages and FAQs
Citation build/cleanup and consistency checks
Review request templates and team training; response playbook
Initial local link outreach (partners, suppliers, community)
Weekly GBP posts; photo refreshes
Days 90+: Prove and iterate
Baseline report vs. benchmarks (calls, directions, enquiries)
A/B test titles/CTAs; refine internal linking
Plan next quarter's content and outreach based on gaps
Delivery rhythms you should see each month
Content and on-page: focused pages/posts tied to commercial intent; internal link refreshes
GBP activity: Weekly posts, image updates, product/menu updates where relevant
Reviews: Ongoing requests, responses within agreed SLAs, monthly sentiment review
Citations: New quality listings and periodic cleanup checks
Links and PR: Prospecting and outreach to local sources; track new placements
Technical: Ticketed fixes; speed and indexation monitoring
Reporting: A clear, non-jargon summary with actions tied to lead metrics
Red flags to avoid
Guaranteed rankings and/or map-pack positions
Bulk directory submissions with no relevance
Hidden outsourcing with no named team members
No clear plan for tracking calls, bookings, or direction requests
One-and-done fixes with no ongoing iteration
Heavy jargon without tying work to revenue-related outcomes
Examples of how sector nuance changes the approach
Local SEO for PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS, home services
Expect: Service-area pages, emergency-intent optimisation, fast review velocity, before/after galleries
Ask: How will you handle out-of-hours review alerts and photo uploads?
Local SEO for hospitality, restaurants, cafes, bars
Expect: Menu/product updates in Google, event/seasonal content, high-quality photos, rapid review responses
Ask: How will you track calls, bookings, and direction requests separately?
Local SEO for retail and multi-brand shops
Expect: Product highlights on GBP, local inventory pages, offer posts, partnerships with nearby businesses
Ask: How will you handle seasonal footfall changes and display updates?
Local SEO for accountants, solicitors, and professional services
Expect: Author bios, credentials, trust signals, compliant review strategy, depth of content
Ask: How will you balance compliance with conversion-focused copy?
How to assess local SEO proposals without pricing bias
Compare the scope of work line by line against the pillars above
Score clarity of monthly outputs and SLAs
Validate tracking setup for calls, forms, bookings, and directions
Check sector relevance and location type experience (city centre vs. towns)
Weigh communication style: concise, plain-English reporting wins
What great reporting looks like
Source-based lead tracking: Calls, forms, bookings, directions from organic and Maps
GBP insights: Views, actions, photo performance, and post engagement
Content impact: Pages created, queries captured, entry-to-enquiry conversion
Link and citation growth: Quality over volume, with examples
Next steps: Specific actions for the next month and blockers
When to invest more time and attention
New location or rebrand: Heavier first 90 days to establish presence quickly
Strong national chains nearby: More content, reviews, and local links to stand out
Seasonal peaks: Pre-peak campaigns for hospitality and retail
Slow months: Content, offers, and review pushes to spark demand
In summary
A strong local SEO agency will be transparent about scope, proactive with Google Business Profile, rigorous on technical SEO, consistent with content and links, and accountable to calls, enquiries, and footfall. Compare proposals by scope, activity detail, reporting quality, proof of sector fit, and flexible terms. Avoid guarantees and spam tactics, and choose partners who tie every task to measurable outcomes.
Next step: Get clarity with a free consultation
If you're looking for straightforward answers and a tailored plan that suits your market, request a complimentary, no-pressure consultation with one of our local SEO experts.
This brief intro call will help us to better understand your business needs, where you’re up to with marketing, and to see if we’re a good fit. If what we cover in our initial call is of interest, the next step is to schedule a time for a short presentation including a low-level audit on your site to see where it needs work and why it’s not performing in search, how our process works, a proposed SEO strategy and marketing plan for your website, details of pricing, and an estimate on timeframes.
Book an intro call today.