Last Updated on March 7, 2026 by Jessie Connor
It has been a fast moving year in digital marketing, full of developments and adjustments, and local SEO has certainly not been left behind. As competition in local markets continues to grow and users demand faster and more relevant information, search engines have evolved to better meet these expectations.
Businesses, local SEO specialists, and digital agencies now have access to a wider range of tools, deeper data insights, and easier ways to analyse performance and customer behaviour. These resources make it possible to refine strategies, track results more accurately, and respond more quickly to changes in local search trends.
At the same time, the general public is benefiting from these improvements. Users now enjoy a richer and more intuitive local search experience, with results that are more relevant, informative, and visually engaging. Whether people are looking for nearby services, reviews, directions, or opening hours, search engines are delivering the information they need in a faster and more seamless way than ever before.
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Local Search Has Been Disrupted by Google and Changing Consumer Buying Habits
Many of this year’s top local search upgrades have come from Google, which isn’t surprising.
Google reacted fast to changing customer buying behaviors as a result of the pandemic and continues to be the market leader.
- Google presently has a global market share of about 92.4 percent in the search engine arena.
- Local shoppers utilize Google Search to find information about local businesses, with 90% making a purchase within one week of their original search.
- In 2020, Google will have facilitated 2 billion monthly connections between US businesses and shoppers, such as reviews and bookings.
- In 2021, searches for [available near me] climbed by 100 percent; searches for [now near me] increased by 200 percent in 2021; and searches for [along my route] increased by 1000 percent in 2020.
Businesses can’t afford to neglect local SEO with figures like these. Capturing even a small percentage of these searches can be game-changing for any company, and life or death for those who are struggling.
That requires paying attention to how local search evolves in 2021 and modifying your local SEO approach for 2023 accordingly. So, what do you need to know about the numerous updates and adjustments that will occur in 2021?
1. Local SEO Has Become More Convenient For Businesses Thanks To Google Business Profile
When Google rebranded Google My Business as Google Business Profile, the change introduced a variety of new features and updates aimed at simplifying local business management.
One of the most notable improvements is that business owners no longer need to navigate a separate dashboard or dedicated app to manage their listings. Instead, many updates can now be made directly from Google Search or Google Maps. This allows businesses to quickly edit contact details, adjust opening hours, upload photos, respond to reviews, and manage other important profile information in a much more streamlined way.
The process of verifying a business and resolving common issues has also become more accessible. Tasks such as completing verification or dealing with problems like search related suspensions can now be handled more efficiently. As a result, businesses can maintain accurate listings and strengthen their visibility in local search results with far less friction than before.
2. Google Has Made It Easier To Find And Read The Most Recent Local News
Google introduced elements to the local SERPs to make local news easier to locate and publish after searches for [news near me] tripled over five years around the world.
Google has established two programs to assist journalists in incorporating local data and information into their stories:
Project Census Mapper
Gather, analyze, and visualize data about a local area collected and processed by The Associated Press.
Project on Common Knowledge
For data analysis at the county, state, and national levels, use geographic comparisons, charts, and visualizations.
With these modifications, the search engine made it easier to find local news headlines in the SERPs:
- Local News Carousel: Local news stories relevant to a user’s query now display at the top of the SERPs, making them easier to access while also increasing the visibility of local journalists and publications.
- Top Stories Carousel: Alongside the major publications that used to dominate this section of the SERPs, authoritative local news sources now display alongside them.
- More News in Search: Google’s ability to relate news to broad topic queries has improved.
- Local Tweets: Rather than only published pieces, local publications and journalists appear in local news via tweets.
3. More Visual Elements And Rich Results Have Been Added To Bing
Microsoft Bing released five changes in March 2021 aimed at creating a richer experience for local searchers by increasing the integration of visual components with its text-based search results.
- When consumers hover over a result in an expandable carousel, they can get more information.
- Searchers utilizing broad queries are now enticed to explore deeper into a topic by infographic-like results.
- Intuitive highlights gather information from a page such as ingredient lists, calorie counts, and nutritional information without forcing the user to visit a website.
- By using the integrated visual search button, users can visually search for products that are similar in appearance.
Why are these details important to local SEO experts? These same ideas were implemented into Bing’s local search results.
Instead of a plain image carousel or text-based facts, Microsoft Bing provides a visually-rich SERP for local inquiries that includes relevant resources from Bing Maps, top photographs, visitor evaluations, and other sources.
Because of these changes, concentrating some local SEO efforts on Bing has become a more appealing prospect. If creative businesses are prepared to be innovative with the many local search options, they can own the local search arena.
So, if you haven’t already, add a variety of media kinds and material to your site and listings, including user-generated content.
Don’t forget to employ schema as well.
4. Everyone Gets New Attributes
Attributes are clearly displayed on Google Business Profiles and help answer many of the common questions people have about a specific type of business before they even visit the website. These attributes provide quick insights into what a business offers, helping potential customers make faster and more informed decisions.
Google continues to introduce new features because it is always looking for ways to help businesses differentiate themselves while also improving the experience for search users. Attributes allow businesses to highlight important details that might matter to customers when choosing where to spend their money.
For example, features such as “Black owned” or “Women owned” help searchers support businesses that align with their values. These types of attributes make it easier for users to find companies that share their priorities and build stronger connections with local communities.
In early 2021, Google also introduced several health, safety, and pandemic related attributes. These allowed local businesses to communicate important safety practices and highlight updated services such as curbside pickup, contactless delivery, or dine in availability. By displaying this information directly in the profile, customers could quickly see how businesses were adapting to changing circumstances.
Additional attributes introduced during this time included options for online appointments, price estimates, virtual classes, and digital consultations. These features helped many businesses expand their services beyond traditional in person interactions.
Google also improved customer engagement tools within business profiles. Features such as call tracking, messaging, and call logging allow businesses to monitor incoming calls, respond to missed contacts, and stay connected with potential customers more effectively. At the same time, new insights and performance data available through Google Search and Google Maps provide businesses with better visibility into how people interact with their listings.
For busy business owners, these tools can make a meaningful difference in how they manage their online presence and connect with customers. If you have not reviewed the available attributes recently, one of the first local SEO tasks worth completing is exploring the latest profile features and updating your listing to reflect the services and values your business offers.
5. Pointy Has Boosted Local Ecommerce
50% of US customers stated they planned to check online to verify if an item was in stock before purchasing holiday items in June 2021. However, even before that, searches for “in stock” soared by 800%.
This means that listing your products on your Google Business Profile and keeping your inventory current are both very beneficial. Even so, it’s a time-consuming feature that companies don’t always have time for as sales grow.
Google launched Pointy integration to make things easier.
Eligible US shops can now have their in-store product inventory automatically linked to Google with this new function.
Then it’s updated every time you sell an item, so searchers always know what you have in stock.
6. The Mobile-First Indexing Rollout is Still Happening
Ever since Google first announced mobile first indexing at the end of 2017, the shift has been gradually unfolding across the web. Over the years there have been several updates, pauses, and adjustments to the rollout timeline. In fact, Google confirmed in September 2020 that the full implementation would be delayed until at least March 2021, giving website owners additional time to prepare.
The delay happened for several reasons. According to Google, a number of technical issues were still affecting many websites. These included problems with robots meta tags, improperly implemented lazy loading, blocked assets, missing primary content on mobile pages, and differences in how images or videos appear on mobile versions of websites.
Despite these challenges, the overall direction is clear. Google is prioritising the mobile version of websites when determining how pages are indexed and ranked. Because of this, businesses should avoid being caught unprepared. If your website does not currently provide a smooth and fully functional mobile experience, improving it should be a priority.
The importance of mobile search is supported by Google’s own data. Around 76 percent of people who search for something nearby during the day use their smartphones. Even more importantly, about 28 percent of those searches lead to a purchase or another form of transaction. This shows just how closely mobile search behaviour is connected to real world business results.
So how can businesses prepare for this shift? Google’s advice for local companies and marketers is straightforward. Focus on creating a strong mobile experience for users who are searching while on the move. This means ensuring that pages load quickly, content is fully accessible on mobile devices, navigation is simple, and important information such as contact details, directions, and services can be easily found.
By prioritising mobile usability and performance, businesses can not only adapt to mobile first indexing but also provide a better experience for local customers who rely on their smartphones to find nearby products and services.
7. New Local SEO Tools And Insights Are Now Available For Free
Local businesses and SEO specialists who want to stay on top of the latest developments now have access to some new free tools.
The Local-Pack-O-Meter, created by Local SEO Guide, is one of these tools. Local packs, information panels, shopping, job posts, and adverts, to mention a few, are among the 10 categories of Google search features that SEO and business professionals can watch data for.
The tool is based on Traject Data’s analysis of around 60 million US search searches. As a result, it has a significantly bigger sample size and is more representative of all inquiries in the United States.
Users may examine the data for fascinating trends and insights to power their strategy moving ahead, with data extending back to May 2020.
A research paper from Milestone Inc, which studied 500 location-based businesses, their sessions, and page visits to better understand which channels had more profits at the best ROI, was also issued this year.
The following are some of the key takeaways:
- Referral traffic ranked third in terms of return on investment, after organic and local search.
- Referral traffic, on the other hand, had a higher rate of interaction.
- Local search has the best return on investment and the most page views each session.
Meanwhile, Rio SEO has been monitoring aggregate GMB success indicators from their platform’s over 200,000 U.S. business locations. Every month, the company produces a new report that includes vertical-specific standards for Search Views, Clicks to Call, Clicks to Website, and other metrics.
If you’re seeking for data to help you plan your local SEO strategy for 2026, keep an eye out for these and other chances.
Key Considerations for a Successful Local SEO Strategy in 2026
While the seven updates outlined earlier are essential for refining your local search strategy in 2026, they are far from the only factors to consider. A comprehensive approach requires attention to several other critical elements to ensure your business stands out in local search results.
For those new to local SEO, it’s important to properly set up Products in Google Search. Doing so not only improves visibility but can also boost conversions by making your offerings more discoverable to nearby customers. Similarly, leveraging Google Maps effectively is vital for any business aiming to capture local traffic, as it drives both online engagement and in-person visits.
For larger companies with multiple locations, using the data available in Google Merchant Center can be a game changer. This data can power local SEO campaigns, provide insights into product performance, and help optimise listings across various locations to maintain consistency and accuracy.
Additionally, businesses should be aware of enterprise-level local SEO challenges, such as managing multiple profiles, avoiding duplicate listings, and ensuring accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across platforms. Companies operating as Service Area Businesses (SABs) also face unique issues, such as correctly setting service areas, maintaining compliance with local guidelines, and ensuring visibility in relevant searches without a physical storefront.
By addressing these considerations alongside the latest updates, businesses can build a robust local SEO strategy that drives visibility, engagement, and growth throughout 2026.
