Primary category
The main category on a Google Business Profile. It is one of the strongest signals for which searches your business can appear in. See example →
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Local SEO Glossary
The words you’ll hear around Local SEO, Google Maps and ads — explained in plain English, with links to real examples.
A
Additional categories
Extra categories on a Google Business Profile (up to 9) that describe other things a business genuinely offers, alongside its primary category. See example →
B
Backlink
A link from another website to yours. Relevant, trustworthy backlinks help search engines see your site as an authority.
C
Citation
Any online mention of a business’s name, address and phone number — for example on Justdial, Facebook or industry directories. Consistent citations build local trust. See example →
Click-through rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who click on a result or ad after seeing it. A higher CTR usually means your title, description or ad matches what people want.
Click-to-call
A phone number or button that starts a call when tapped on a mobile phone. Calls from Google Business Profile are one of the most valuable local actions.
Conversion
A valuable action a visitor takes — a call, a form submission, a booking, a WhatsApp message or a purchase.
Conversion rate
The percentage of visitors who complete a conversion. Improving it means getting more customers from the same traffic.
Cost per lead (CPL)
How much you spend on advertising for each enquiry you receive. Lower CPL means your ads are working more efficiently. See example →
D
Direction requests
The number of people who tap “Directions” on your Google Business Profile — for shops and clinics, a strong sign of an upcoming visit. See example →
Duplicate listing
Two or more Google Business Profiles for the same business. Duplicates split reviews and rankings and should be merged or removed.
G
Google Ads
Google’s paid advertising platform. Ads can appear in Google Search, Maps, YouTube and across websites, and you pay when people click. See example →
Google Business Profile (GBP)
Google’s free business listing (formerly Google My Business) that appears in Search and Maps, showing your hours, photos, reviews, products and contact options. See example →
Google Maps 3-pack
The three businesses Google shows with a map at the top of many local searches. Also called the local pack or map pack — the main goal of Local SEO.
Google Posts
Short updates (offers, news, events, products) published on your Google Business Profile. They keep your profile active and give customers a reason to choose you. See example →
K
Keyword
A word or phrase people type into Google, such as “dentist near me”. Choosing the right keywords means showing up for searches that bring customers.
Keyword clustering
Grouping related keywords so that one page targets one clear topic, instead of many pages competing for the same searches. See example →
L
Landing page
A focused web page built for one service or offer, designed to turn visitors from search or ads into enquiries.
Local rank grid
A way of checking your Google Maps ranking at many points across your service area (for example a 7×7 grid), because rankings change depending on where the searcher is. See example →
Local SEO
Improving a business’s visibility in location-based Google searches and Google Maps so nearby customers can find, trust and contact it. See example →
Long-tail keyword
A longer, more specific search such as “Airbnb cleaning service in Dubai Marina”. Fewer people search it, but they are usually closer to buying.
M
Meta Ads
Paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram, managed through Meta’s Ads Manager. See example →
Meta description
The short summary of a page that often appears under its title in Google results. A clear one can improve click-through rate.
N
NAP
Short for Name, Address, Phone number. Keeping your NAP identical across your website, Google profile and directories helps Google trust your business details.
O
On-page SEO
Improvements made on your own web pages — titles, headings, content, images and internal links — so search engines understand them better.
Organic traffic
Visitors who arrive from unpaid search results rather than ads. See example →
P
Place ID
A unique code Google uses to identify a place on Google Maps. It can be used to create a direct link for leaving a Google review. See example →
Profile interactions
Actions people take on your Google Business Profile — calls, direction requests, website clicks, messages and bookings.
R
Remarketing
Showing ads to people who have already visited your website or engaged with you. Also called retargeting. See example →
Review link
A direct link that opens the “write a review” box for your business on Google, making it one tap for customers to review you. See example →
ROAS
Return on ad spend — the revenue earned for every rupee or dollar spent on ads. A ROAS of 4x means ₹4 in sales for every ₹1 spent. See example →
S
Schema markup
Structured data added to a web page’s code that tells search engines and AI assistants exactly what the page is about — a business, a product, an FAQ or an article.
Search Console
Google’s free tool that shows how your website performs in Google Search — which searches you appear for, your clicks and any technical problems.
Service area business
A business that serves customers at their location (like plumbers or cleaners) rather than at a shop. On Google, it can show a service area instead of an address.
U
UTM parameters
Tags added to the end of a link so Google Analytics can show where visitors came from — for example, your Google Business Profile. See example →
W
WhatsApp click-to-chat
A link (wa.me) that opens a WhatsApp chat with a business, optionally with a pre-filled message. See example →
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