Local SEO glossary: geographic ranking terms for Wix businesses

Local SEO has its own specialised vocabulary that is essential for any Wix site serving customers in a specific geographic area. Understanding these terms allows you to communicate effectively about local ranking strategies, evaluate your local search performance, and implement the tactics covered in Module 9 with precision. Each entry includes a clear definition, how to apply it on your Wix site, common mistakes to avoid, and related terms.

Local Pack (Map Pack / 3-Pack)

The prominent Google SERP feature displaying three local business listings with map, ratings, address, and contact information in response to queries with local search intent. The Local Pack typically appears above organic results and receives a substantial share of clicks. Ranking in the Local Pack is primarily determined by proximity to the searcher, relevance of the business category, and prominence signals from your Google Business Profile and citations.

Usage Context

The Local Pack is distinct from organic search results. Ranking in the Local Pack requires a strong Google Business Profile, not just a well-optimised Wix website. Many Wix local business owners focus exclusively on their website and neglect the GBP optimisation that drives Local Pack rankings.

How to Apply on Wix

Ranking in the Local Pack with a Wix business site

• Claim and verify your Google Business Profile at business.google.com — this is the foundation of Local Pack ranking.
• Complete every field in your GBP: business description, categories, services, hours, photos, attributes.
• Link your GBP to your Wix website URL.
• Add LocalBusiness schema to your Wix homepage using Custom Code — include NAP, hours, and coordinates.
• Build consistent NAP citations across key directories: Yelp, Yell, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Bing Places.
• Generate Google reviews systematically — ask satisfied customers via follow-up email or in-person.
• Publish weekly GBP posts to signal an active, engaged business listing.
• Create location-specific service pages on your Wix site targeting "[service] [city]" queries.

Common Mistakes

• Neglecting Google Business Profile in favour of only optimising the Wix website
• Using inconsistent business name or address across GBP, citations, and the Wix site
• Not generating reviews — review quantity and recency are major Local Pack ranking factors
• Selecting the wrong primary GBP category

Related Terms

• Google Business Profile
• NAP
• Citation
• Proximity
• Prominence

Google Business Profile (GBP)

Google's free business listing platform (formerly Google My Business) that allows businesses to manage their presence in Google Search and Google Maps. An optimised GBP is the single most important factor for ranking in local search results. Key optimisation areas for Wix local businesses include accurate NAP data, primary and secondary business categories, compelling business description with local keywords, high-quality photos, regular posts, and consistent responses to customer reviews.

Usage Context

GBP and your Wix website work together for local SEO. Your Wix site provides the depth of content and authority; your GBP provides the direct local ranking signal and the customer-facing listing in Maps and local results. Neither alone is sufficient for strong local search visibility.

How to Apply on Wix

Connecting and optimising GBP with your Wix site

• Claim your GBP at business.google.com and complete the verification process.
• Ensure your Wix website URL is entered in the GBP website field.
• Write a 750-character business description that naturally includes your primary local keywords.
• Upload at least 10 high-quality photos: exterior, interior, team, products/services.
• Select the most accurate primary category — this is the strongest relevance signal for Local Pack.
• Add all relevant secondary categories.
• Keep your GBP hours perfectly synchronised with your Wix contact page and LocalBusiness schema.
• Respond to every review, positive or negative, within 24-48 hours.

Common Mistakes

• Using a different business name format in GBP versus your Wix site — exact match is important
• Leaving the business description blank or under-optimised
• Not responding to reviews — response rate is a trust signal in the local algorithm
• Selecting inaccurate primary categories that do not match your actual business type

Related Terms

• Local Pack
• NAP
• Review Signals
• LocalBusiness Schema
• Proximity

NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)

The core business contact information that must be accurate, consistent, and identical across all online citations, directories, and mentions. Google uses NAP consistency as a key trust signal when determining local search rankings. Inconsistencies in business name formatting, address variations, and phone number formats across directories can confuse search engines and suppress local rankings. Add LocalBusiness schema to your Wix homepage with complete NAP data.

Usage Context

NAP consistency is evaluated across your Wix website, Google Business Profile, all directory listings, and social media profiles. Even minor variations — "Road" vs "Rd", "+44" vs "0044", abbreviating your business name — create inconsistency that dilutes local trust signals.

How to Apply on Wix

Ensuring NAP consistency for your Wix local business

• Decide on the exact, official format for your business name, address, and phone number.
• Add your NAP to your Wix homepage footer, contact page, and in LocalBusiness schema markup.
• Copy the exact same NAP format to your Google Business Profile.
• Conduct a citation audit using BrightLocal or Whitespark to find all existing directory listings.
• Update any listings with incorrect or inconsistent NAP information.
• Create a NAP master document and reference it when creating new directory listings.
• Perform a quarterly NAP audit to catch any new inconsistencies that appear.

Common Mistakes

• Using different phone number formats (local vs international) across different directory listings
• Listing your full trading name in some places and an abbreviated version in others
• Not updating old citations after moving to a new address or changing phone number

Related Terms

• Citation
• Google Business Profile
• LocalBusiness Schema
• Local Pack
• Prominence

Citation

Any online mention of your business's NAP information on a website other than your own. Citations in directories like Yelp, Yell, Thomson Local, and industry-specific directories are important local ranking signals. The quantity, quality, and consistency of citations across the web signals to Google that your business is established, legitimate, and prominent in your service area.

How to Apply on Wix

Building citations for your Wix local business

• List your business on the major universal citation sources: Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Facebook.
• Submit to industry-specific directories relevant to your business type.
• Submit to local area directories: local chamber of commerce, local business associations, town guides.
• For UK businesses: Yell.com, Thomson Local, FreeIndex, Scoot, Hotfrog.
• For US businesses: Yelp, Yellow Pages, BBB, Angi, Manta.
• For Australia: Yellow Pages AU, True Local, Hotfrog AU, Local Search.
• Use consistent NAP format across every citation.
• After building citations, monitor them quarterly for accuracy using a citation audit tool.

Common Mistakes

• Building citations with inconsistent NAP data — consistency is more important than quantity
• Focusing only on quantity of citations without prioritising quality and relevance
• Leaving old, outdated citations from previous business addresses uncorrected

Related Terms

• NAP
• Local Pack
• Google Business Profile
• Prominence
• LocalBusiness Schema

LocalBusiness Schema

Structured data markup that provides search engines with detailed information about a local business including its name, address, phone number, business hours, price range, and service area. Implementing LocalBusiness schema on your Wix homepage and location pages strengthens local SEO signals and can enable rich results like business hours and ratings in search results.

How to Apply on Wix

Implementing LocalBusiness schema on Wix

• Create your LocalBusiness JSON-LD schema — include @type (e.g. "Plumber", "Restaurant", "LocalBusiness"), name, address, telephone, url, openingHours, and geo coordinates.
• Go to Wix Dashboard > Settings > Custom Code.
• Add Custom Code in the Head section with your JSON-LD in a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag.
• Set the code to load on "Home Page" — or select specific location pages for multi-location businesses.
• Validate your schema at search.google.com/test/rich-results.
• Monitor Google Search Console Enhancements section for LocalBusiness schema errors.
• Update the schema if business hours, address, or phone number changes.

Common Mistakes

• Using generic "LocalBusiness" type when a more specific type exists (Restaurant, Dentist, Plumber, etc.)
• Not keeping schema data synchronised with your Google Business Profile when details change
• Implementing LocalBusiness schema sitewide on all pages rather than only on the homepage/location pages

Related Terms

• Schema Markup
• NAP
• Rich Results
• Google Business Profile
• JSON-LD

Proximity, Relevance, and Prominence

Google's three core local ranking factors. Proximity is the physical distance between a searcher's location and your business — you cannot control this, but accurate service area configuration helps. Relevance is how well your business matches what the searcher is looking for — controlled by categories, keywords, and content. Prominence is how well-known your business is online — built through backlinks, reviews, citations, and GBP activity.

Usage Context

When a Wix local business is not ranking in the Local Pack, the issue is usually relevance (wrong GBP categories, insufficient local keyword content on the site) or prominence (insufficient reviews, citations, or backlinks). Proximity cannot be changed unless you open a new location.

How to Apply on Wix

Improving all three local ranking factors for your Wix site

• Relevance: Select precise GBP categories, write keyword-rich Wix location pages, add LocalBusiness schema with service details.
• Prominence: Build citations, earn Google reviews, get backlinks from local publications and organisations.
• Proximity: Define accurate service areas in GBP if you are a mobile/service area business.
• Create individual Wix location pages for each suburb or neighbourhood you serve to extend your relevance radius.
• Use GBP posts weekly to signal active engagement, which contributes to prominence.

Common Mistakes

• Focusing exclusively on proximity while neglecting relevance and prominence signals
• Not creating location-specific content pages on your Wix site for the areas you serve
• Expecting to rank nationally for local queries — local rankings are inherently geographically bounded

Related Terms

• Local Pack
• Google Business Profile
• Review Signals
• Citation
• NAP

Review Signals

Customer reviews on Google Business Profile and other platforms that contribute to local search rankings through their quantity, quality, recency, and the business's response patterns. Review signals are a significant local ranking factor. Encourage satisfied customers to leave Google reviews, respond to all reviews professionally, and embed review widgets on your Wix site to build social proof.

How to Apply on Wix

Building a review generation system for your Wix local business

• Create a direct Google review link: search for your business in Google Maps, click the reviews section, and copy the "Write a review" link.
• Shorten the link using bit.ly and add it to your Wix website footer, contact page, and email signature.
• Add an automated follow-up email sequence in Wix Ascend or your email marketing tool that asks for a review 3-7 days after service delivery.
• Print QR codes linking to your review page and display them at your premises, on receipts, or on business cards.
• Respond to every Google review within 48 hours — responses signal active management and improve prominence.
• Add a review collection widget or import/embed Google reviews on your Wix site using an app or custom embed.

Common Mistakes

• Asking for reviews in bulk at one time — a sudden spike of reviews looks manipulative and may be filtered
• Offering incentives for reviews — this violates Google's review policies
• Ignoring negative reviews — unresponded negative reviews have an outsized negative impression on potential customers

Related Terms

• Prominence
• Google Business Profile
• Local Pack
• E-E-A-T
• Trust Signals

Multi-Location SEO and Service Area Business (SAB)

Multi-location SEO is a strategy for businesses with multiple physical locations, designing each location to rank independently in local search results. Multi-location Wix sites need unique, locally optimised landing pages for each location. A Service Area Business (SAB) serves customers at their locations rather than at a fixed business address. SABs should define service areas in GBP rather than displaying a specific address.

How to Apply on Wix

Creating multi-location or SAB pages on Wix

• Create a unique Wix page for each location with a unique URL (e.g. /plumber-manchester, /plumber-leeds).
• Write unique, locally relevant content for each location page — do not duplicate the same text.
• Include the location-specific NAP details on each page and in LocalBusiness schema.
• Create a separate Google Business Profile for each physical location.
• For SABs: do not display your home address on GBP — hide it and define your service area instead.
• Build local citations and backlinks specifically for each location.
• Link from the homepage to all location pages and from location pages back to the homepage.

Common Mistakes

• Creating near-identical location pages that only differ in the city name — these are thin content and will not rank
• Using one GBP listing for multiple locations instead of creating individual verified listings
• SABs displaying their residential address on GBP, which violates GBP guidelines

Related Terms

• Local Pack
• Google Business Profile
• NAP
• LocalBusiness Schema
• Proximity