How to get customers for a new local business

A new local business gets its first customers by being easy to find nearby and giving people a reason to try it. Set up your Google Business Profile fully and ask your first customers for reviews. Keep your name, address and phone the same everywhere. Then add a page for each service, team up with nearby businesses and do some plain offline marketing.

1. Set up your Google Business Profile fully

Your Google Business Profile is what shows in Google Maps and in local results for searches like "plumber near me". Many local customers see it before they ever see your website.

• Claim your profile at Google Business Profile.
• Pick the most specific primary category, then add secondary categories that fit.
• Fill in hours, service area, phone, website, services and a short description.
• Add real photos of the place, the team and the work.
• Post updates about your opening and any offers.

Our tools do not audit Google Business Profiles, so check yours by hand against this list.

2. Get your first reviews early

Reviews help people choose between businesses they have never tried. A new profile with no reviews looks like a risk.

Ask every early customer in person, then follow up with a short message and a direct link to your review form. One message, one link. Reply to every review, good or bad. Do not pay for reviews or trade discounts for them. Google's review policies do not allow it.

3. Keep your name, address and phone the same everywhere

Search engines match your business across your website, your profile and directories by its name, address and phone number. Small differences, like "St." in one place and "Street" in another, or an old phone number, make that match harder.

1. Write down one exact version of your name, address and phone.
2. Use it in your website footer, contact page, Google Business Profile and social profiles.
3. Use it on the directories that matter for your area and trade, such as Apple Maps, Bing Places, Yelp and your local chamber of commerce.
4. Add LocalBusiness markup to your site with the same details.

Local Business Checker checks that your LocalBusiness markup is complete and that its address and phone match what the page shows. It does not check your Google Business Profile, directory listings or local rankings. If you have no markup yet, see local business schema.

4. Make a page for each service and area

One general home page cannot match every search. A page for each service gives Google and customers a clear answer.

• Write one page per main service, like "boiler repair" or "teeth whitening". Add prices or a price range if you can.
• Write one page per town or neighborhood you really serve, with real details such as travel times, jobs done there and local photos.
• Do not copy the same page and swap only the town name. Those pages rarely help and can look like spam.

To find the words people use, enter a service in Keyword Research and set the market to your country. It shows related searches with monthly volume, difficulty, cost per click and trend. Volumes are estimates for the market you pick, so small local numbers are normal. Note the words people add, like "emergency" or "same day". Our small business SEO guide covers the rest of the site.

5. See how local competitors advertise

Many local businesses run Facebook and Instagram ads. Their ads show which offers and messages they pay to repeat.

Search a competitor, or a keyword like your service and town, in Meta Ad Finder. It shows active ads with their wording, call to action, landing page, start date and placements. It does not show spend or reach. An ad that has run for a long time hints that it brings in customers. It does not prove it.

6. Partner with nearby businesses

Businesses near you already have the customers you want. Find ones that serve the same people without competing with you.

• A dog groomer and a pet shop can swap flyers and referral cards.
• A new cafe can offer a discount to staff at the offices on the same street.
• A personal trainer can run a free class with a local physio.

Offer something specific, like a shared discount, a referral fee or a joint event.

7. Do offline marketing a new business can afford

• Run an opening offer with a clear end date.
• Hand out flyers in the streets you serve, with one offer and one way to book.
• Show up at markets, fairs and community events.
• Put clear signs on your shop, window or van.
• Ask local clubs, schools and groups whether you can sponsor or speak.

For more low-cost ideas, see how to market a product with no budget.

8. Ask AI who it recommends in your town

Many people now ask ChatGPT and other AI tools for "the best [service] in [town]". Check whether your business is in the answer.

Give AI Answer Visibility the question your customers would ask, like "best dog groomer in Leeds". It asks ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini and shows whether they mention or cite you, and who they name instead. It does not cover Google AI Overviews or track changes over time. The businesses and sites it names show you where to get listed and reviewed next. The local SEO checklist lists the other places to show up.

Check your local business markup

Local Business Checker costs 5 credits. It checks that your LocalBusiness markup is complete and that its address and phone match your page. Run it on your home and contact pages, and again after you move. Use Keyword Research for 34 credits to find the service phrases people search in your market.