BC Business SEO Guide: How to Rank Higher on Google in 2025
In today’s digital world, people turn to Google to find local businesses. Whether you run a plumbing service, coffee shop, law firm, or freelance business in BC, your potential customers are searching online before they visit. If your business isn’t showing up in Google’s Local Pack or organic search results, you’re missing out on qualified leadswho are actively looking for your services.
Local SEO ensures that your business appears when people in your area search for relevant services. Here’s why it matters:
✅ 76% of people who search for something nearby visit a business within 24 hours.
✅ 88% of local searches result in a call or visit within a day.
✅ Businesses in the Google Local Pack (top 3 results in Maps) get 5x more views than those that don’t appear there.
If you’re a small business in BC, investing in local SEO can give you a huge competitive advantage and drive more traffic, calls, and in-store visits.
Step 1: Optimize Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the foundation of your local SEO strategy. If you want to rank in Google Maps and appear in “near me” searches, you need an optimized profile.
How to Optimize Your GBP:
✔ Claim & Verify Your Profile: Go to Google Business Profile and claim your business.
✔ Use Accurate Information: Ensure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP consistency) match exactly across your website, social media, and directories.
✔ Select the Right Categories: Choose primary and secondary categories relevant to your business.
✔ Write a Keyword-Rich Description: Your business description should include what you do and where you operate (Example: “We provide affordable SEO services for small businesses in Victoria, BC.”).
✔ Add Photos & Videos: Businesses with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to their website.
✔ Encourage Customer Reviews: Reviews boost your rankings and build trust. Reply to all reviews, even negative ones.
Step 2: Improve Your Website for Local SEO
Google uses your website to understand what services you offer and where you’re located. Here’s how to make sure your site is optimized for local search:
Key Website Optimizations:
✔ Use Location-Based Keywords: Add keywords like “SEO services in Victoria” or “best coffee shop in Nanaimo” to your titles, meta descriptions, and content.
✔ Create a Contact Page: Clearly display your business name, address, phone number (NAP), and embed a Google Map.
✔ Optimize for Mobile: 53% of mobile users leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Use fast-loading images and responsive design.
✔ Add Local Schema Markup: Schema markup helps Google understand your location and services, improving rankings.
✔ Publish Local Content: Blog about events, news, and topics relevant to your city or industry to attract local searches.
Step 3: Get Listed in Local Directories (Citations)
Local citations (business listings) help Google verify your business’s legitimacy and boost your rankings in local searches.
Best Citation Sources in BC:
Google Business Profile
Yelp Canada
Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Yellow Pages Canada
Alignable
Chamber of Commerce Directories
Industry-Specific Directories (e.g., Houzz for contractors, Avvo for lawyers)
Pro Tip: Ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) is identical across all listings to improve ranking consistency.
Step 4: Build Local Backlinks
Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a major ranking factor for local SEO. The more relevant and high-quality backlinks you have, the higher you’ll rank.
How to Get Local Backlinks:
✔ Sponsor Local Events or Charities: Many organizations will link back to your website if you sponsor them.
✔ Partner with Local Businesses: Cross-promote each other’s services with backlinks.
✔ Write Guest Posts for Local Blogs: Offer to write articles for BC-based websites in your industry.
✔ Get Featured in Local News Articles: Reach out to journalists covering business trends in BC.
✔ Join Local Business Associations: They often provide a member directory with backlinks.
Step 5: Encourage & Manage Online Reviews
Reviews boost your credibility and help your business rank higher in local searches. Google prioritizes businesses with consistent, high-quality reviews.
How to Get More Reviews:
✔ Ask Happy Customers: A simple “Would you mind leaving us a review on Google?” goes a long way.
✔ Make It Easy: Send review request links via email or SMS.
✔ Respond to Every Review: Thank customers for positive reviews, and professionally address negative ones.
✔ Use Facebook & Yelp: Google considers reviews from other platforms, so diversify.
Step 6: Track & Improve Your Local SEO Performance
SEO isn’t a one-time task—you need to monitor and improve your strategy over time.
Best Tools to Track Local SEO:
🔍 Google Search Console – Tracks search performance & indexing issues.
📍 Google Business Profile Insights – Monitors customer interactions & search queries.
📊 Google Analytics – Measures website traffic & conversions.
🔗 Moz Local / BrightLocal – Helps manage local listings & track rankings.
Final Thoughts: Why You Need an SEO Partner
SEO is essential for growing your local business, but it takes time, expertise, and ongoing effort. As a busy business owner, you don’t have hours to spend on keyword research, link building, and technical site improvements—and that’s where we come in.
At Van Isle SEO, we handle everything for you—from optimizing your website and managing your Google Business Profile to building local citations and earning high-quality backlinks. Our job is to help your business rank higher, so you can focus on what you do best—running your business.
🚀 Let’s get your business found online! Book a Free SEO Consultation Today!