GLOSSARY

Local SEO Glossary

A complete local SEO glossary for Indian businesses and marketers. Definitions for GBP, NAP, geo-grid, citation, review velocity, AEO and 40+ more terms.

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Local SEO Glossary: Every Term You Need to Know

Local SEO has its own vocabulary — and if you're managing the Google presence of a business, a brand, or a client portfolio in India, understanding these terms precisely matters. The difference between a soft and hard GBP suspension determines your reinstatement strategy. The difference between proximity and relevance as ranking factors determines where you focus your monthly execution. The difference between a citation and a backlink determines which directory submission actually helps.

This glossary covers every significant local SEO term in plain language, with notes on how each concept applies specifically to the Indian local search environment.

How to Use This Glossary

Terms are organised into three sections:

Core terms — the foundational vocabulary of local SEO. If you're new to the discipline, start here.

Intermediate terms — the operational and strategic concepts that matter once you're past the basics. Most practitioners working in local SEO day-to-day should know all of these.

Advanced terms — specialist concepts for practitioners managing enterprise-scale operations, AI/AEO strategy, or deep technical local SEO.

Each term has its own page with a full definition, why it matters for Indian local search, and how Angryturtle's managed service addresses it.

Core Terms

Google Business Profile (GBP) — The free business listing on Google that controls your appearance in Google Maps and the local pack. The single most important local search asset for most businesses.

GMB — Google My Business: the former name for Google Business Profile, retired in 2021. Still widely used in India.

NAP Consistency — Name, Address, Phone: the three data points that must be identical across all directories, websites, and listings for local authority to accumulate correctly.

Local Pack — The three business listings Google displays prominently above organic search results for local queries. Positions 1–3 in the local pack capture the majority of clicks.

Map Pack — Another term for the local pack, used interchangeably. The map-based display of local business results on Google Search.

Citation — A mention of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on a directory, website, or platform. Citations build local authority when they are consistent and accurate.

Review Velocity — The rate at which your business receives new Google reviews. A consistent review velocity (new reviews each month) is a stronger ranking signal than a static review count.

Proximity — One of Google's three local ranking pillars. How close the searcher (or the search's implied location) is to your business.

Geo-Grid Rank Tracking — A method of visualising your local search rank across a geographic grid, showing where you appear in positions 1–3 and where you're being outranked — point by point across your service area.

GBP Categories — The classification you assign to your business in Google Business Profile. Primary and secondary categories determine which search queries your profile is eligible to appear for.

Service-Area Business (SAB) — A business that serves customers at the customer's location (rather than from a fixed premises) — plumbers, home delivery, mobile repair. SABs configure GBP with a service area rather than a displayed address.

GBP Verification — The process of confirming to Google that you are the legitimate owner of a business at the address listed. Methods include postcard, video, phone, and bulk verification.

Google Reviews — Customer reviews left on a business's Google Business Profile. A primary ranking factor and the primary conversion signal for most local search categories.

Local Landing Page — A webpage on a business's website that targets a specific location — "Our Gurgaon branch" or "Plumbing services in Andheri." When optimised and NAP-consistent with the GBP, these pages build additional local authority.

Store Locator — A website feature that shows all a business's physical locations on a map. When properly implemented (server-side rendered, each location with a unique URL), store locators are significant local SEO assets for multi-location businesses.

Intermediate Terms

Entity Authority · AIO/AEO Readiness · AI Overviews (Local) · Rank OS · GBP Insights · GBP Posts · Q&A (GBP) · GBP Products & Services · Local Schema Markup · Duplicate Listings · GBP Suspension · Citation Aggregators (India) · Review Schema · Local Search Intent · Near Me Searches · GBP Messaging · UTM Tracking (Local) · Local Backlinks · Multi-Location SEO · Reputation Management

Advanced Terms

Share of Local Voice (SoLV) · Local Ranking Factors · GBP API / Bulk Management · Voice & Conversational Local Search · LLM Citations & GEO · Prominence · Relevance · Location Data Management · Sentiment Analysis (Reviews) · GBP Attributes

Book a free local SEO audit → — See exactly how your business performs against every concept in this glossary.

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