WHITE CAT SEO
Newbie
- Jul 29, 2026
- 23
- 8
I've noticed some local rankings moving around a lot lately. I'm curious what people are focusing on now. Are reviews, GBP activity, local links or on-page signals making the biggest difference for you?
What is working for local SEO after the latest Google changes?
- Thread starter WHITE CAT SEO
- Start date
-
- Tags
- gbp local links local rankings
- Apr 19, 2014
- 2,211
- 1,023
One that quickly pushes the ranking is recent reviews flow. The next is a fully filled and optimized GBP profile, followed by local backlinks.
- May 3, 2013
- 949
- 257
For a local business I’d still build both assets together: a complete GBP and a simple website with matching name, address and phone details. Recent genuine reviews can help visibility, but the website gives Google and customers a stable place to verify the business.
- Jun 9, 2020
- 6,603
- 3,266
Keyword-rich reviews make the most impact on local businesses.
andrea_merry
Newbie
- Jan 17, 2024
- 16
- 4
relevance and strong local signals still matter most. focus on keeping gbp active and accurate building relevant local links and useful location based content.
lindarose2026
Newbie
- Jul 9, 2026
- 46
- 16
In my experience, reviews and on page signals still have the biggest impact. Being active on GBP is also helpful, but I wouldn’t rely solely on posting. Local links seem to carry more weight if they are relevant and trustworthy.
- May 27, 2016
- 11,925
- 2,747
You need to have both GBP completely optimized as well as your site. Also if you can get some high quality reviews on your GBP they will serve you greatly.
gabiditullio
Newbie
- Jan 20, 2024
- 14
- 6
a properly optimized gbp still make one of the biggest opportunity for local visibility
I think reviews and Google Business Profile activity are making the biggest difference right now. On-page signals and local links still help, but consistent reviews and GBP updates seem to have a stronger impact.
marco.alem
Newbie
- Jul 17, 2026
- 11
- 5
Absolutely 100 percent agreed with you. Even if a GBP is perfectly optimized, there will be many opportunities for increased visibility through it. This is one of those basic things that can easily be overlooked.