Glossary

Local search terms, in plain English

30 words you’ll hear when someone talks about getting a local shop found on Google, Apple Maps and Bing, each explained in a sentence or two, with a link to more.

Short answer: Most of local search comes down to a handful of ideas: a claimed and verified Google Business Profile, the right category, matching name, address and phone everywhere, honest reviews, and a website that works on a phone. Each term below links to a page that goes deeper.

Jump to: Google Business Profile · Claiming a listing · Verification · Primary owner · Manager · Primary category · Service-area business · Hybrid business · Special hours · Duplicate listing · Suspension · Local results · NAP · Citation · Apple Business · Bing Places for Business · Backlink · Review gating · Review incentive · Place ID · Domain name · Registrar · Hosting · HTTPS · Tap-to-call link · Mobile-friendly · PageSpeed Insights · Core Web Vitals · hreflang · Structured data

Your Google profile

Google Business Profile. The free listing that shows your business on Google Search and Maps, with your name, hours, phone number, photos and reviews. Google used to call it Google My Business. The Google Business Profile checklist →

Claiming a listing. Taking control of a Google listing for your business. Google sometimes creates a listing from other information; if it says "Own this business?", nobody has claimed it yet. Why your shop isn't on Google Maps →

Verification. Proving to Google that you run the business, by phone, text, email, video or postcard. Google picks the method, and its review takes up to 5 business days. How long verification takes →

Primary owner. The one person with full control of a Google profile, including adding or removing people and deleting the profile. It should be the business owner, not a designer or agency. Should my web designer own my profile? →

Manager. Someone you add to your Google profile to help run it. Managers can edit info, reply to reviews and post, but can't add or remove users or remove the profile. Owners vs. managers →

Primary category. The one category that best describes your whole business, like "Auto repair shop" or "Hair salon". Google's rule of thumb: pick categories that finish the sentence "This business IS a", not "This business HAS a". The Google Business Profile checklist →

Service-area business. A business that goes to its customers and doesn't serve anyone at its own address, like a plumber or cleaning service. It hides its address and lists up to 20 areas it serves. A Google profile without a storefront →

Hybrid business. A business that serves customers at its address and also goes to them, like an auto repair shop with a garage that also offers roadside service. It can show its address and a service area. Storefront, service-area or hybrid? →

Special hours. Hours you set on your Google profile for particular days, like holidays or events, without changing your regular hours. Keeping hours right on Google →

Duplicate listing. A second Google listing for the same business at the same place. Google allows one profile per business and may hide a profile it treats as a duplicate. How to fix a duplicate listing →

Suspension. When Google takes down or disables a profile that it says breaks its guidelines. You fix the cause and file one appeal; you don't make a new profile. What to do after a suspension →

Showing up locally

Local results. The map and short list of nearby businesses Google shows for searches like "brake repair near me". Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity. Local SEO, honestly →

NAP. Short for name, address and phone number. Keeping them exactly the same on your website, Google, Apple Maps, Bing and every directory avoids confusing customers. Printable listing checklist →

Citation. Any listing of your business name, address and phone number on another site, like a chamber directory or a trade association. In our 2026 study of 280 local shops, 13 of 188 listed websites we could verify didn't work. Check your directory listing →

Apple Business. Apple's free tool, launched as Apple Business Connect, for claiming and editing how your business looks on Apple Maps and in Siri. Apple Maps and Bing →

Bing Places for Business. Microsoft's free tool for your listing on Bing search and Bing Maps. It can import your Google profile. Apple Maps and Bing →

Reviews

Review gating. Asking only the customers you expect to be happy for reviews, or screening customers first and sending the review link only to happy ones. Google's policy prohibits it. How to get more Google reviews →

Review incentive. Offering anything in exchange for a review, like a discount, a freebie or an entry in a drawing. Google's Maps policy prohibits it, even for "honest" reviews. How to get more Google reviews →

Place ID. A unique ID Google gives each place on its maps. You can use it to build a link that opens the review box for your business directly. Free review link generator →

Your website

Domain name. Your web address, like apvisible.com. You renew it every year; if it lapses, someone else can register it. In our study, 3 lapsed domains now forward to unrelated businesses or a gambling site. Who should own your domain →

Registrar. The company your domain is registered and renewed through. Know which one you use, and make sure renewal notices go to an email someone reads. Keep your domain from lapsing →

Hosting. The service that stores your website's files and sends them to visitors. It's separate from the domain name. Website design →

HTTPS. The secure version of a web address, shown with a padlock in the browser. In our study, 168 of 171 working local sites (98%) used it. Shop website grader →

Tap-to-call link. A phone number on a website that dials when someone taps it on a phone. In our study, 111 of 171 working local sites (65%) had one. Shop website grader →

Mobile-friendly. A website that's easy to read and use on a phone without zooming or scrolling sideways. In our study, 168 of 171 working local sites (98%) passed a basic phone-layout check. Shop website grader →

PageSpeed Insights. Google's free tool that tests how fast a page loads on phones and computers. A lab score of 90 or above is good. How to check your speed →

Core Web Vitals. Three numbers Google uses for page experience: how fast the main content shows (LCP), how much the page jumps while loading (CLS) and how fast it reacts to a tap (INP). How to check your speed →

hreflang. A hidden tag that tells search engines which pages are translations of each other, like an English page and its Spanish version. Bilingual website guide →

Structured data. Hidden labels in a web page, often written as JSON-LD, that spell out facts like your business name, hours and common questions in a standard format search engines can read. Website design →

Sources

Written by Priscilla Patel, CEO of AP Visible, which builds websites and manages Google profiles for family-run shops around Aurora and Naperville, Illinois. Ask Priscilla → · More notes →

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