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When Singaporeans search for a local service, they still most often turn to Google to search for the relevant businesses nearest to them. How your brand can appear in these coveted search results is where local SEO comes in. Whether you manage a clinic in Novena or a B2B business in the CBD, local SEO increases the likelihood that your business appears in search results when customers are searching using location-specific keywords, e.g. dentist novena, accounting services Singapore. But how can a business get started with implementing local SEO? Dominating local search requires a combination of technical steps and active reputation management. This guide outlines the practical steps to move your business up the Singapore map rankings and capture more high-intent leads.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a strategic process focused on increasing your business’s visibility for location-based search queries. These searches occur when users look for products or services within a specific geographical area. In Singapore, Local SEO is highly effective because most customers perform searches while commuting or planning visits to specific districts. Unlike general SEO, which aims for global reach, Local SEO prioritises showing your business to people physically close enough to convert into customers.
Local SEO 3-Pack: The Coveted Placement
The most visible outcome of Local SEO is appearing in the “Local 3-Pack.” This section appears at the very top of Google’s search results for queries with local intent. It is positioned above the standard organic links, making it the primary focal point on both desktop and mobile devices.
The 3-Pack features an interactive map and three business listings that Google identifies as the most relevant matches. Each listing provides immediate data: business name, star rating, address, and operating hours. For mobile users, this section includes “Call” and “Get Directions” buttons.
The Expanded Map Results: A Realistic Goal
While the Local 3-Pack is an ideal goal, it is highly competitive in a dense market like Singapore that appearing higher in the expanded map results is a more realistic objective for most businesses. Singaporean consumers are meticulous and often click “More places” to compare multiple service providers and vet through reviews before making a decision.
Ranking well in the expanded view is crucial because map rankings shift as users move through different neighborhoods or zoom into specific districts. Furthermore, climbing these rankings builds the necessary authority to eventually break into the top three. Every upward move increases your digital impressions and the likelihood of a direct “click-to-call” action.
Key Local SEO Ranking Factors
To appear higher in the local pack or map results, Google looks at these primary pillars:
- Relevance: How well your business profile and website matches the specific terms used in the search.
- Distance: How far your business is located from the person searching or the location specified in the query.
- Prominence: How well-known your business is, determined by information Google has from across the web like links, articles, and directories.
- Reviews: How many reviews your business profile has and the average rating. As Google prefers to recommend the “best” businesses, those with the most reviews and highest ratings usually gets recommended higher in the lists.
How to Improve Your Local SEO: A Checklist
1. Conduct Hyper-Local Keyword Research
Keyword research for local SEO is about identifying the specific category and location terms that your customers use to search for your business.
- Identify your target keywords: Gather a list of the exact phrases people type when they are looking for a business or service like yours. If your customers mostly come from specific neighbourhoods, also identify the most relevant location terms (Singapore and/or a specific neighbourhood). Prioritise the most relevant keywords with the highest search volumes.
- The Keyword Formula: A common search structure is “Business category + location.” Examples include “lawyer singapore” or “vet tampines.”
- SEO Platforms: To get started with keyword research, use SEO platforms like Semrush, Ubersuggest, Moz, or Ahrefs. Some of these platforms offer limited free plans.
Example of keyword research using Ahrefs
2. Optimise Your Google My Business Profile (GBP)
Your Google Business Profile acts as your digital storefront. It is often the first interaction a customer has with your brand before they even click on your website. A complete and active profile signals to Google that your business is legitimate and operational.
- NAP Accuracy: Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are accurate and match up with the information on your website.
- Profile Completion: Fill out every available section, including business descriptions
- Services : Ensure to select every relevant service categories relevant to your business to increase the possibility of appearing in all possible relevant search terms
- Appointment Booking: If you’re an appointment or enquiry-based business, add a booking or whatsapp messaging link to increase the chance of customers reaching out.
- Keyword Integration: Include your primary service keywords naturally within your business description
- Photos & Videos: Upload high-quality photos of your interior, exterior, products or team members to build trust and attract enquiries
- Holiday Management: Regularly update your hours for public holidays or scheduled closures.
3. Build a Review Growth Engine
Reviews are a powerful trust signal for both Google and your potential customers. Businesses with the highest number of reviews and average ratings tend to appear higher in the local search results. For Singaporean consumers, the number of reviews and ratings often become the deciding factor when comparing many competing businesses.
- Operationalise Review Requests: Create a formal process for asking satisfied customers for a Google review immediately after completing their purchase or service.
- Active Engagement: Respond to every review. Replying to positive reviews builds loyalty, while professional responses to negative reviews demonstrate accountability.
- Beyond Google Reviews: Build a presence on other relevant sites relevant to your industry. For example, HungryGoWhere for F&B and TripAdvisor for the hospitality sector.
4. Optimise Your Website for Local SEO
Your website must provide technical and content-based signals that confirm your location. Google cross-references your website data with your GBP to ensure consistency. This helps the search engine feel confident in recommending your business to local users.
- Local Keyword Placement: Include “Singapore” or when relevant to your business, neighborhood-specific keywords like “Tampines,” “Holland Village,” or “Orchard” within your website copy and Metadata. This is one of the key signals for appearing in the location-based search results.
- NAP Consistency: List your business address and contact information clearly for all your outlets in the footer or on a dedicated contact page. Ensure this data matches your Google Business Profile exactly.
5. Strategic Local Linkbuilding
Backlinks from local websites carry more weight for local SEO than generic global links. A link from a Singaporean platform or blogger tells Google that you are a trusted entity within that specific community. These become “reputation signals” to Google that can help improve your rankings in the search and local pack results. These backlinks can also improve your brand’s exposure and website traffic generally.
- Business Directories: Get listed in as many directories as possible that are relevant to your business, from the Yellow Pages, HungryGoWhere (for F & B), SingSaver to TripAdvisor.
- “Best Of” Features: Actively reach out to local publishers who create “Best of Singapore” lists. Ask for the requirements to be included in their next update to earn high-authority local mentions.
6. Leverage Google Ads for Instant Visibility in the Local Pack
While SEO efforts usually take time to generate results, for businesses who need faster results Google Ads provides a way to bypass the organic queue and appear directly at the top of map results. This is particularly useful for new businesses or those in highly competitive areas like the CBD.
- Location Assets: Link your Google Business Profile to your Google Ads account to show your address and distance within your search ads.
- Radius Targeting: If your customers usually only come from a specific neighbourhood rather than the entire Singapore, set your ads to appear only to users within a specific distance from your shop to ensure your budget targets people who can actually visit you.
7. Improve Technical Performance: Website Speed & Mobile Friendliness
Having a fast-loading website that is also mobile friendly are also key SEO ranking factors, as Google and search engines prefer to recommend websites that provide a positive user experience.
Additionally, local searches often happen on mobile devices while users are commuting or walking. If your website is too slow to load or difficult to use on a phone, today’s visitors tend to simply close the page and search for alternative options.
Check your website’s page speed for free with Google’s Page Speed Insights.
8. Add Local Business Schema Markup
Schema markup is a piece of code that acts as a translator for search engines. It explicitly tells Google your business name, address, phone number, and opening hours in a structured format. This reduces the risk of Google misinterpreting your data and improves your chances of appearing in rich search results.
To add Local Business schema markup, generate a JSON-LD script using tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper with your business name, address, phone, and hours. Insert this script into thesection of your website’s homepage. An alternative, no-code way is to use a plugin appropriate for your website platform, such asRankmath.
Example of a schema markup setting on Rankmath
If you’d like expert help from a trusted SEO agency, 2Stallions has worked with countless Singapore SMEs to boost their local and general SEO/GEO, as well as sales and enquiries. Our modern SEO framework is designed to boost your visibility on both search engines and AI platforms. Speak to our expert team for a free, no-strings-attached site audit and consultation.
How to Analyse & Track Local SEO Results
How can you know if your local SEO efforts are bearing fruits? Use the following platforms to track for increases in customer interaction metrics such as website visits, profile clicks, phone calls to direction requests.
- GMB Performance Reports: If you are a registered admin of your Google My Business profile, you would automatically receive monthly reports on how many people interacted with your profile.
- Google Search Console: Check on any increases in local keywords clicks that are bringing users to your website.
- Professional SEO Tools: Use the local tracking features in Ahrefs or Semrush to track the positions your website or GMB is ranking for your target keywords, e.g. “dentist tampines”
Conclusion: Achieve Sustainable Growth through Local SEO
While implementing local SEO demands significant time and effort initially, for many businesses it can be one of the most profitable channels in the long term. Unlike paid advertising, which stops working the moment you stop paying, the authority you build through local SEO continues to attract customers over time without extra costs and minimal ongoing marketing efforts.
If you would like to outsource your local SEO efforts, explore our SEO services or book a free SEO audit with us today.
2Stallions: Who We Are
2Stallions is an award-winning, full-service digital marketing agency with offices in Singapore and Malaysia. Since 2012, we’ve helped brands of all sizes turn strategy into growth through SEO services, SEM services, social media marketing services, content marketing services, to website design and development.
Need funding support? We’ve got that covered too. 2Stallions is a pre-approved vendor for the PSG Digital Marketing Grant, allowing eligible Singaporean SMEs to claim up to 50% off our services. We are also a registered vendor of the Digi-TAC Grant.
Our results-oriented approach has earned us various industry accolades, from the Marketing Excellence Awards, Asia eCommerce Awards, the Drum Awards for Digital Advertising APAC to Quantum Leap in AI & Digital. We’re also certified partners with Google, TikTok, and Shopify, giving you direct access to the tools, insights, and support that drive real digital performance.
Let’s grow your business. Book a free strategy consultation and get your custom roadmap to digital success.
