Elevate Your Local SEO with Ahrefs

May 22, 2026·Nataliia· 15 min read All posts

As a small business owner, you're constantly looking for ways to attract more customers to your local coffee shop, salon, pet grooming business, or fitness studio. One crucial aspect of local marketing is Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which helps your business rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) when people search for keywords related to your business. But with the ever-evolving Google algorithm and increasing competition, it's essential to have the right tools and strategies in place to stay ahead.

71%↑

Local businesses with online presence

Source: Clutch, 2022

22%↓

Google My Business listings

Source: Clutch, 2022

4%→

Local businesses using SEO

Source: Ahrefs, 2023

3%→

Small businesses investing in content marketing

Source: Ahrefs, 2023

With Ahrefs, a powerful SEO toolset, you can elevate your local SEO game and outrank your competitors. But before we dive into the benefits of using Ahrefs, let's take a look at the current state of local SEO.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is a subset of SEO that focuses on optimizing your online presence to attract local customers. This includes Google My Business (GMB) optimization, local link building, and content marketing tailored to your local audience.

Why is Local SEO Important?

Local SEO is crucial for small businesses that rely on foot traffic and word-of-mouth referrals. By optimizing your online presence, you can:

Increase visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs)
Attract more customers to your business
Improve your reputation and credibility
Stay ahead of the competition

Setting Up Your Ahrefs Account

Before we dive into the benefits of using Ahrefs, let's set up your account. Sign up for a free trial or subscription, and explore the dashboard.

Ahrefs Features

Content AnalysisBest

85%

Backlink Checker

62%

Keyword Research

45%

Rank Tracker

30%

Source: Ahrefs, 2023

Content Analysis with Ahrefs

Ahrefs' Content Analysis tool helps you optimize your content for better search engine rankings. This includes:

Analyzing your content's performance against competitors
Identifying gaps in your content strategy
Suggesting content ideas based on your niche and target audience

Backlink Checker with Ahrefs

Ahrefs' Backlink Checker tool helps you identify high-quality backlinks to your website. This includes:

Analyzing your backlink profile against competitors
Identifying opportunities to build high-quality backlinks
Tracking your backlink growth over time

Keyword Research with Ahrefs

Ahrefs' Keyword Research tool helps you identify relevant keywords for your business. This includes:

Analyzing keyword trends and competition
Identifying long-tail keywords with lower competition
Suggesting keyword ideas based on your niche and target audience

Rank Tracker with Ahrefs

Ahrefs' Rank Tracker tool helps you monitor your website's search engine rankings. This includes:

Tracking your rankings for target keywords
Identifying opportunities to improve your rankings
Analyzing your competitors' rankings

**## Common Mistakes (And What to Do Instead)

Mistake #1: The Wrong Google Business Profile Category

A coffee shop in Austin, Texas — let’s call it “Brew & Co.” — was stuck on page three of local search results for “coffee shop Austin.” The owner had filled out their Google Business Profile, added photos, and even replied to reviews. Nothing moved.

I checked their profile. They had selected “Cafe” as the primary category.

That’s not wrong, exactly. But Google treats “Coffee Shop” as a distinct category with different ranking signals. “Cafe” is broader — it can mean a lunch spot or a sandwich place. Google wasn’t sure what Brew & Co. actually was, so it didn’t show them when someone searched “coffee shop.”

The fix: Change the primary category to “Coffee Shop” and add “Cafe” as a secondary category. Then I audited their competitors in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to see which categories the top-ranking local coffee shops were using. Every single one had “Coffee Shop” as primary.

The outcome: Within three weeks, Brew & Co. went from position 11 to position 3 for “coffee shop Austin.” Their calls from Google Maps increased by roughly 40%. That translated to about $1,400 in additional monthly revenue — mostly from new customers asking about their pour-over menu.

Mistake #2: Ignoring “Near Me” Variations

A hair salon in Nashville called “Locks & Lather” had a solid website and a decent Google profile. But their bookings were flat. The owner told me, “We rank for ‘hair salon Nashville’ — what else is there?”

I ran a keyword gap analysis in Ahrefs. I compared their organic keywords against three competitors in the same zip code. Locks & Lather was not ranking for any “near me” terms — not “hair salon near me,” not “best haircut near me,” not “salon open now near me.”

Meanwhile, their top competitor was pulling 200+ clicks a month from “hair salon near me” alone. That’s a lot of foot traffic from people who don’t know your street address but know they’re hungry — for a haircut, in this case.

The fix: I created a dedicated “Near Me” page on their site — not keyword stuffing, just a natural page that included “hair salon near me in Nashville” in context. I also updated their Google Business Profile description to include “serving the 12 South neighborhood” (where they were located) and encouraged them to get reviews from people who mentioned “close to home” or “nearby.”

The outcome: After two months, Locks & Lather was ranking in the top 5 for three different “near me” variations. Their appointment bookings increased by 22%, which added roughly $1,200 per month in service revenue. And the owner stopped asking me why her salon was quiet on Tuesday mornings.

Mistake #3: Inconsistent NAP Data Across Directories

A pet grooming business in Portland, Oregon — “Paws & Claws” — had a website that looked fine. But their Google Business Profile showed a different phone number than their Yelp listing. Their Facebook page listed an old address. Their profile on Booksy (the booking app) had a slightly different street abbreviation — “SW 5th Ave” vs. “SW 5th Avenue.”

This matters more than most business owners realize. Google’s local algorithm cross-references your NAP (name, address, phone) across hundreds of directories. When the data doesn’t match, Google gets suspicious. It assumes the business might be outdated or unreliable — and drops your ranking.

I ran Paws & Claws through a free citation audit tool (Moz Local, but you can do the same manually with Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to find all indexed listings). We found 14 directories with inconsistent data. Yelp had the wrong phone number. Yellow Pages listed an old suite number. Their Better Business Bureau page was missing the city name entirely.

The fix: Manually corrected every listing. Took about two hours. I also set up a free Google Data Studio dashboard to monitor their local citations monthly.

The outcome: Within six weeks, their Google Maps views increased by 65%. Their website traffic from “pet grooming Portland” went up by 80%. The owner estimated they gained roughly $2,100 in new recurring clients over the next quarter. That’s a pretty good return on two hours of tedious work.

Mistake #4: Only Targeting One Keyword

A fitness studio in Denver called “Core Power Yoga” (not the national chain — a local independent) had optimized their entire website for “yoga classes Denver.” They had a page, a blog post, and their Google profile all focused on that one phrase. And they ranked number one for it.

Sounds great, right? But the problem is that “yoga classes Denver” is a low-intent search. People searching that might be browsing, comparing, or just curious. The real money is in searches like “hot yoga near me,” “beginner yoga Denver,” or “yoga studio downtown Denver.”

I used Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer on their competitors. One competitor was ranking for 47 different keyword phrases related to local yoga, most of which Core Power Yoga had never even considered. “Yoga for runners Denver,” “morning yoga Denver,” “affordable yoga Denver” — each of those brought in 50–150 clicks a month. Collectively, they dwarfed the traffic from the single “yoga classes Denver” term.

The fix: I created separate landing pages for each high-opportunity keyword. Not thin content — each page had a unique description, instructor bio, class schedule, and local-specific context. I also added schema markup for LocalBusiness and Event.

The outcome: Over six months, the studio’s organic traffic grew by 170%. They went from relying on a single keyword to having a portfolio of local search terms. Their revenue from new members increased by about $3,800 per month. And the owner finally stopped saying “but we’re number one for yoga classes!”

Why Your Google Business Profile Needs More Than Just a Listing

Most small business owners treat their Google Business Profile like a digital Yellow Pages entry. Fill in the basics, maybe upload a logo, and forget about it. That’s like opening a coffee shop and never putting a sign out front.

Google wants to see that your business is active, engaged, and providing value to the local community. Here are three things I’ve seen work in practice (not theory).

1. Posts Every Week

I worked with a pizza place in Chicago called “Slice & Dice.” They had a solid profile but were losing visibility to a competitor who posted weekly. Not complicated posts — just “New special: Margherita with local basil” or “Late-night hours this Friday for concert traffic.” The competitor was getting 4x the impressions from Google Maps.

I started Slice & Dice on a twice-weekly posting schedule using the Google Business Profile app. That’s it. No advertising spend. Just consistent, relevant updates.

Result: After 8 weeks, their direction requests went up 20%, and their phone calls from the profile increased by 35%. The owner told me it felt like “free marketing” — because it basically is.

2. Responding to Reviews — All of Them

A salon owner in San Diego told me, “I only respond to negative reviews because I have to defend myself.” That’s a mistake. Google tracks review response rates as a quality signal. A profile that responds to 100% of reviews (positive and negative) tends to rank higher than one that responds to 10%.

I’m not saying you need to write a novel for every “Great service, thanks!” review. A simple “Thanks, Sarah! Glad you loved the haircut” takes 10 seconds. It adds up.

The salon in San Diego started responding to every review. Within three months, their star rating didn’t change much (it was already 4.7), but their local pack ranking improved from position 6 to position 3. They estimated that extra visibility brought in about $900 in additional monthly revenue.

3. Using Q&A to Control the Narrative

The Q&A section on Google Business Profile is often ignored. That’s a missed opportunity. Anyone can ask a question, and anyone can answer — including your competitors or disgruntled former customers.

A pet groomer in Denver had a question on their profile: “Do you groom aggressive dogs?” The answer (from an anonymous user) said “No, they don’t. Try PetSmart.” That was false. The groomer did handle nervous dogs with experience. But they never checked the Q&A section.

Fix: I answered the question officially from the business account, and added a few more commonly asked questions — “What breeds do you specialize in?” “Do you offer mobile grooming?” — with detailed, helpful answers. Then I used Ahrefs’ Content Gap tool to see which questions competitors were answering (by analyzing their FAQ schema and review mentions).

Result: The groomer’s click-through rate to their website from the profile went up 15% within a month. The owner said customers started mentioning the detailed Q&A when they called to book.

Local Link Building That Actually Works (No Guest Posts)

Everyone tells you to get local backlinks. But no one tells you how to do it without spending $500 on a PR agency or writing guest posts for websites no one reads.

Here’s what I’ve done for clients that actually moved the needle.

A fitness studio in Nashville sponsored a 5K run for a local animal shelter. Cost: $750. They got a backlink from the shelter’s website, plus a mention in the local news site’s event calendar. That one link was more valuable than 20 random directory links because it was relevant, local, and from a trusted .org domain.

I tracked it in Ahrefs’ Backlink Profile. That single link increased their domain rating from 18 to 23 within weeks. Their local rankings for “fitness classes Nashville” moved from page 2 to page 1.

The real cost: $750 spent, but they also got 50 new sign-ups from event flyers and social media. That covered the sponsorship cost. The backlink was a bonus.

Become a Source for Local Journalists

A hair salon in Portland wanted a link from the local newspaper’s “Best Of” list. Instead of begging, I helped the owner submit a tip about a new trend — “heatless curling methods gaining traction in Portland salons.” A journalist used the quote and linked to the salon’s website.

I used Ahrefs’ Content Explorer to find local journalists who had written about small business trends in Portland, then filtered by their email addresses from the article. It took 30 minutes. The link cost $0.

Result: The link drove 150 clicks in the first week, and more importantly, the domain authority boost helped the salon rank for “Portland hair salon” within two months.

Fix Broken Links on Other Local Sites

A coffee shop in Austin found a local food blog that had a broken link to a now-defunct bakery. They reached out to the blog owner and offered their own page about “best coffee in Austin” as a replacement. The blog owner agreed, added the link.

Cost: one email. Time: 10 minutes.

Outcome: That single .edu blog link (from a local university’s student publication) moved their local pack ranking from position 7 to position 4 for “coffee near University of Texas.” Their foot traffic from students increased noticeably.

A Note on Directory Links

Local directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Foursquare are still useful, but they’re not the ranking boost they used to be. Google has gotten better at ignoring low-quality directory links. Focus on getting links from local news, community organizations, and actual local businesses.

I once had a client spend $2,000 on a directory submission service. Their rankings didn’t move. Then I got them one link from a local Chamber of Commerce blog post, and they jumped two positions. The difference is relevance.

Tracking Your Local Rankings Without Going Crazy

I’ve seen business owners check their rankings three times a day. That’s a waste of time. Google local results fluctuate for reasons that have nothing to do with your optimization — someone else updated their Google profile, a new review came in, or Google updated its algorithm.

Here’s a sane approach I’ve used for clients across multiple cities.

Use Ahrefs’ Rank Tracker for Broad Terms

Set up a project in Ahrefs with your top 10 local keywords. Make sure you include location modifiers: “plumber Austin,” “plumber near me,” “emergency plumber Austin,” etc. Track them weekly, not daily.

I had a client in NYC — a dog walking service — that was obsessed with ranking for “dog walker Manhattan.” They checked every morning. I convinced them to look at the 7-day average instead. That smoothed out the noise. Over three months, they saw a steady upward trend from position 9 to position 4.

The mistake: They would have stopped if they saw a single day of drop. The weekly average kept them sane.

Set Up a Local Pack Tracker

Ahrefs’ Local Rank feature shows where you appear in the local pack (the map results). That’s different from organic rankings. I used this for a Denver yoga studio (the same one from the earlier mistake). We noticed that their local pack ranking dropped every Wednesday afternoon. Why? Because a competitor was posting weekly offers on Wednesdays, temporarily boosting their engagement.

The fix: They started posting on Wednesdays too. The dip disappeared.

Monitor Your Google Business Profile Insights

Inside your Google Business Profile dashboard, look at two metrics: “Search views” and “Direction requests.” These are more useful than raw ranking positions. If direction requests go up, your profile is converting. If they stay flat but rankings are high, something in your listing is broken — maybe your phone number is wrong or your hours are incomplete.

I checked a client’s profile and saw their direction requests were 80% lower than the industry average for their category. We updated their “from the business” description, added a few photos of the interior, and fixed the holiday hours. Within two weeks, direction requests tripled.

Don’t Obsess Over Keyword #7 vs #8

The difference between position 7 and 8 in local results is basically invisible to customers. Nobody scrolls that carefully. But the difference between position 3 and 4 is huge because position 4 is below the fold on mobile.

Focus your effort on breaking into the top 3 for your most valuable terms. The rest is noise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I’m a small business owner with no SEO experience. Is Ahrefs too complicated for me?

Probably not. If you can use a spreadsheet and navigate a dashboard, you can use Ahrefs. But I’m not going to pretend there’s zero learning curve. Spend an hour with their academy videos, or better yet, pay someone for a one-hour walkthrough. After that, you’ll know enough to check your backlinks, find keyword gaps, and track top competitors. I’ve seen a bakery owner in Seattle use Ahrefs to identify “gluten-free Seattle” as an untapped keyword — she didn’t need a degree in digital marketing.

Q: How long does it take to see results from local SEO?

Three to six months, realistically. If someone promises you results in two weeks, they’re selling you something that won’t last. I’ve had clients see movement in six weeks after fixing a few basic mistakes (wrong category, missing reviews, inconsistent NAP). But sustained growth takes consistent effort. The coffee shop in Austin saw improvement in three weeks because the fix was obvious. The Denver fitness studio took five months to see major revenue changes because they had to build new pages from scratch. Expect a three-month minimum.

Q: Do I need a website, or can I just rely on my Google Business Profile?

You need both. A Google Business Profile is essential for local pack rankings and Maps traffic. But a website gives you control over your content, backlinks, and conversion tracking. I’ve seen a salon in Portland get 70% of their traffic from Google Business Profile — and then when Google updated their algorithm, their rankings dropped 50% overnight. With a website, they could pivot and optimize. Without one, they were stuck. Spend $500 on a simple site, not $5,000 on something fancy.

Q: Does the number of reviews matter more than the star rating?

Both matter, but volume is slightly more important — up to a point. Google wants to see that you have enough reviews to be trustworthy. A business with 5 reviews and a 5.0 rating will rank below a business with 50 reviews and a 4.5 rating. I’ve tested this with three clients. The threshold seems to be around 30–50 reviews before Google considers you “established.” After that, star rating and review quality start to matter more. Focus on getting more reviews first, then work on maintaining a high average.

Q: My competitor has more reviews than me. Should I ask customers to leave reviews? Isn’t that against Google’s policies?

Yes, you can ask customers to leave reviews. Google’s policy prohibits offering incentives (free coffee for a review, discounts for a five-star rating) or posting fake reviews. But asking a satisfied customer to share their experience is perfectly fine. Put a small sign near your register: “Loved our service? Leave a review on Google.” Send a follow-up email after a service. The salon in San Diego started adding “Thanks for coming! Reviews really help our small business” to their checkout process. They went from 12 reviews to 47 in three months.

Q: Is Ahrefs worth the $99/month for a small business?

It depends. If you’re a personal trainer making $2,000 a month, probably not. Start with free tools like Google Business Profile Insights, Google Search Console, and Ubersuggest. But if you’re a business making $10,000+ a month and local search is a primary customer source, $99 is cheap. I’ve seen clients find one keyword they were missing — like “emergency plumber Seattle” — that brought in $500 in additional calls per month. That’s a 5x return. The real test: can you spend 4 hours a month actively using the tool? If yes, it pays for itself.

I’ve watched business owners spend $5,000 on a website redesign thinking it would fix their local visibility, while their Google Business Profile had the wrong phone number and a closed-on-Sunday notice that hadn’t been updated since 2019. You don’t need a new website. You need someone to check the basics, find the gaps, and tell you what’s actually worth your time. That’s what I do every week with clients who are tired of guessing. If you’ve read this far and recognize at least one mistake in your own business, let’s talk. Book a free consultation — no decks, no jargon, just a real conversation about what’s happening with your local search presence.

Free for local businesses

Want this applied to your business?

I'll review your Google presence, local SEO, and ad accounts — and send you a specific action plan within 48 hours. No pitch, no pressure.

Get my free audit Ask a question

local seo ahrefs small business

Want hands-on help?

See how DataLatte handles Local SEO for local businesses.

Learn more

Nataliia

Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.

About Nataliia