Estate agency is a local business. Your clients live in your area, your properties are in your area, and the vast majority of your leads come from people searching for services in your area. Local SEO is the discipline of making sure that when those people search, they find you — not your competitors.
This guide covers every aspect of local SEO that matters for estate agents: setting up and optimising your Google Business Profile, targeting the right local keywords, building area pages that rank, managing reviews, creating local citations, earning local links, and measuring your local search performance. Whether you are a single-branch independent or a multi-office agency, these strategies will help you capture more of the local search traffic in your area.
What Is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the practice of optimising your online presence to increase visibility in local search results. When someone searches for "estate agents near me" or "letting agents in [town]," Google serves results that are specifically tailored to the searcher's location. These results typically include a map pack (three business listings with a map) followed by organic results filtered for local relevance.
Google determines local rankings based on three primary factors: relevance (how well your business matches the search query), distance (how close your business is to the searcher or the location specified in the query), and prominence (how well-known and reputable your business is online). Local SEO is the process of optimising for all three of these factors.
For estate agents, local SEO is not just important — it is arguably the most important form of SEO. Unlike national brands competing for broad terms, your business thrives on hyper-local visibility. An agency that dominates local search for its coverage area can generate a consistent, high-quality stream of vendor and landlord leads without relying on expensive paid advertising.
Google Business Profile: Setup and Optimisation
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the single most influential factor in local search rankings. It determines whether your agency appears in the map pack — the highly visible section at the top of local search results that typically receives the majority of clicks. A fully optimised GBP is non-negotiable for any estate agent serious about local visibility.
app_registration Claiming and Verifying Your Profile
If you have not already claimed your Google Business Profile, do so immediately at business.google.com. Google will verify your ownership through a postcard, phone call, or email verification process. If your agency has multiple offices, each office should have its own separate profile with its own address, phone number, and landing page on your website.
tune Complete Every Section
Google rewards completeness. Fill in every available field in your profile:
category Categories
Set your primary category to "Estate agent" (or "Letting agent" if that is your main service). Add all relevant secondary categories: "Property management company," "Real estate consultant," "Property rental agency." The more accurately your categories describe your services, the more relevant searches you will appear in.
description Business Description
Write a comprehensive description that naturally includes your target areas and services. Avoid keyword stuffing, but do mention the specific towns and areas you cover. Focus on what makes your agency distinctive — your local expertise, years of service, specialist areas, or unique selling points. You have 750 characters, use them wisely.
photo_camera Photos and Media
Upload high-quality photos of your office exterior (essential for helping Google verify your location), office interior, team members, and examples of properties you have sold or let. Profiles with photos receive significantly more clicks and direction requests than those without. Add new photos regularly — monthly at minimum.
post_add Google Posts
Publish regular posts through your GBP — new property listings, market updates, team news, community involvement, and offers. Posts show activity and engagement, which Google considers a positive signal. Aim for at least one post per week. Each post can include a call-to-action button linking to your website.
help Q&A Section
Proactively add questions and answers to your GBP's Q&A section. Common questions like "Do you offer free valuations?", "What areas do you cover?", and "Are you NAEA registered?" give potential clients instant answers and demonstrate transparency. If you do not populate this section, random members of the public can add questions and answers — which you may not want.
Local Keyword Research for Estate Agents
Local keyword research identifies the specific search terms people in your area use when looking for estate agent services. Unlike national keyword research, local research focuses on location-modified terms and the search volumes associated with your specific coverage areas.
category Keyword Categories for Estate Agents
- Primary service terms: "estate agents in [town]," "letting agents [area]," "property management [location]" — these are your highest-value terms with the strongest vendor/landlord intent.
- Valuation terms: "house valuation [town]," "how much is my house worth [area]," "free valuation [location]" — these capture homeowners considering selling.
- Property search terms: "houses for sale in [area]," "flats to rent [town]," "3 bed house [location]" — these attract buyers and tenants.
- Informational terms: "moving to [town]," "schools in [area]," "is [location] a good place to live" — these attract people in the research phase.
- "Near me" terms: "estate agents near me," "letting agents near me" — Google resolves these based on the searcher's location, making your GBP and local signals crucial.
build Research Tools and Methods
Google's own tools are the best starting point for local keyword research. Google Keyword Planner (free with a Google Ads account) provides search volume data for location-specific terms. Google Search Console shows which queries your site already appears for. Google's "People also ask" and autocomplete suggestions reveal related terms that real people are searching for. For more advanced research, tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz offer local rank tracking and competitive analysis.
Map your keywords to specific pages on your website. Your homepage should target your primary service term for your main location. Each area page should target "[service] in [specific area]" terms. Blog content should target informational terms. This ensures every page has a clear keyword target without pages competing against each other for the same terms.
Area-Specific Landing Pages
Area pages are individual pages on your website dedicated to each town, village, or neighbourhood you serve. They are one of the most powerful tools in local SEO for estate agents, creating location-specific content that captures searches for each area in your coverage zone.
edit_note What Makes a Good Area Page
A good area page is not a thin template with the town name swapped in. It is a comprehensive resource that genuinely helps someone understand the area. Include an overview of the local property market (average prices, property types, recent trends), information about schools (primary and secondary, with Ofsted context), transport links (rail, bus, road connections, commute times to nearby cities), shopping and dining, parks and recreation, healthcare facilities, and the general character of the area. Add a clear call to action for valuations and link to current properties for sale or to let in the area.
route URL and Title Structure
Use clear, keyword-rich URLs like "/estate-agents-in-richmond" or "/property-for-sale-in-twickenham." Your page title should follow the pattern "Estate Agents in [Area] | [Agency Name]" and your H1 heading should reinforce the location. The meta description should mention the area, your service, and include a call to action within 155 characters.
priority_high Prioritisation Strategy
Do not try to create area pages for every location at once. Start with your primary coverage areas — the towns and neighbourhoods where you have the most stock and win the most instructions. Create comprehensive, high-quality pages for these first, then expand to secondary areas over time. Five excellent area pages will outperform fifty thin ones every time.
Citation Building for Estate Agents
A citation is any online mention of your business's name, address, and phone number (NAP). Citations are a significant local ranking factor — Google uses them to verify your business information and assess your local prominence. The more consistent, high-quality citations you have, the stronger your local search signals.
format_list_bulleted Essential UK Directories for Estate Agents
General Business Directories
- Yell.com
- Thomson Local
- Bing Places
- Apple Maps
- Facebook Business Page
- 192.com Business
Property Industry Directories
- The Property Ombudsman
- NAEA Propertymark
- ARLA Propertymark
- AllAgents
- RaterAgent
- Trustpilot
sync NAP Consistency Is Critical
The most important aspect of citation building is consistency. Your business name, address, and phone number must be exactly the same across every listing. This means the same format for your phone number (e.g., consistently using 020 1234 5678, not mixing it with +44 20 1234 5678), the same punctuation in your business name, and the same address format including postcode. Even minor inconsistencies can confuse Google's local algorithm and weaken your local signals.
place Local and Hyper-Local Citations
Beyond the major directories, local citations carry particular weight. These include your local council's business directory, local chamber of commerce, town website or community portal, local newspaper website, and any local business association directories. These hyper-local citations reinforce your connection to a specific area and are difficult for non-local competitors to replicate.
Review Strategy: Google Reviews for Estate Agents
Google reviews are one of the most powerful local ranking signals available to estate agents. They influence your map pack position, affect click-through rates, and directly shape the perception potential vendors have of your agency. A systematic review strategy is essential.
rate_review When to Ask for Reviews
The best time to request a review is when a client is most satisfied — typically at the point of completion for a sale, move-in for a letting, or after a particularly positive interaction. Train your team to ask naturally: "We would really appreciate it if you could leave us a Google review — it helps other homeowners find us." Make it easy by providing a direct link to your Google review page, which you can generate from your Google Business Profile dashboard.
reply Responding to Every Review
Respond to every review — positive and negative. For positive reviews, a genuine thank-you that references the specific transaction shows personal attention. For negative reviews, respond professionally and offer to resolve the issue offline. Never argue publicly. Google considers review responses as an engagement signal, and potential clients will judge your agency by how you handle criticism as much as how you receive praise.
trending_up Volume, Recency, and Quality
Google values three aspects of your review profile: the total number of reviews, how recently they were posted, and the quality of the content (keywords in reviews can help local relevance). Aim for a steady flow of new reviews rather than periodic bursts. An agency that receives two to four new reviews per month builds a stronger signal than one that gets twenty in a week and then nothing for six months. Encourage detailed reviews that mention the area and services — "They helped us sell our house in Twickenham quickly and for a great price" is more valuable for local SEO than "Great service."
Local Link Building for Estate Agents
Links from locally relevant websites carry significant weight in local search rankings. For estate agents, building local links is often more natural than it is for many other industries — your business is already embedded in the local community.
handshake Professional Partnerships
Solicitors, mortgage brokers, surveyors, removals companies, and interior designers all refer clients to estate agents. Many have websites with partner or recommended links pages. Establishing formal referral relationships and requesting a website link is one of the most natural and effective local link building strategies.
volunteer_activism Community Sponsorship
Sponsoring local sports teams, schools, charities, and community events typically earns a link from the organisation's website. These are genuinely local, relevant links that signal community involvement to Google. The sponsorship itself builds brand awareness in your area, and the link strengthens your local SEO — a double benefit.
newspaper Local Press
Offering local property market commentary to your local newspaper, contributing guest articles to community magazines, or providing expert quotes for property-related stories can earn links from authoritative local publications. Journalists regularly need expert sources — positioning yourself as the go-to property expert in your area creates ongoing link opportunities.
school Educational Institutions
Local schools, colleges, and universities often have community partner pages. If your agency sponsors school events, supports educational initiatives, or participates in careers programmes, you can earn high-authority .ac.uk links — some of the most powerful local backlinks available.
Mobile Optimisation for Local Search
Local searches are overwhelmingly performed on mobile devices. People searching for "estate agents near me" are typically on their phone, often while out and about in the area. If your website does not deliver an excellent mobile experience, you are losing these high-intent leads.
Mobile optimisation for local search goes beyond responsive design. Your phone number should be click-to-call on every page. Your address should link to Google Maps or Apple Maps for instant directions. Your property search should work smoothly with touch-based interaction, including pinch-to-zoom on maps and swipe-friendly image galleries. Contact forms should be simple and quick to complete on a small screen — long forms with many fields will be abandoned on mobile.
Page speed is even more critical on mobile than desktop. Mobile users often have slower connections and lower patience. Google's mobile-first indexing means your mobile site speed directly affects your rankings. Aim for a Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of under 2.5 seconds and a Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) score below 0.1 on mobile. These Core Web Vitals metrics are measurable in Google Search Console and directly influence your search performance.
Measuring Local Search Performance
Measuring local SEO performance requires specific tools and metrics beyond standard web analytics. Local search results vary by location, so your rankings can differ depending on where the searcher is standing.
monitoring Google Search Console
The primary tool for understanding your organic search performance. Filter by query to see which local terms your site appears for, track average position changes over time, and identify pages that are gaining or losing visibility. Pay particular attention to queries containing your target area names.
storefront GBP Insights
Google Business Profile provides its own analytics showing how many people viewed your profile, what actions they took (website clicks, direction requests, phone calls), and which search queries triggered your profile to appear. Track these monthly to assess the impact of your local SEO efforts.
pin_drop Local Rank Tracking
Specialist tools like BrightLocal, Whitespark, and Local Falcon track your rankings from specific geographic locations, giving you an accurate picture of how you appear to searchers in different parts of your coverage area. This is important because rankings can vary significantly even within a single town.
conversion_path Lead Attribution
Set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics for all lead-generating actions — form submissions, click-to-call, valuation requests. Filter by organic traffic source to understand how many leads your local SEO efforts are generating. Connect this to your CRM data to trace leads through to completed instructions.
Review your local SEO metrics monthly. Look for trends rather than day-to-day fluctuations — local rankings can shift based on time of day, device, and exact search location. What matters is the overall trajectory: are your key local terms improving over time? Are GBP interactions increasing? Are organic leads growing month on month?
How LOS Digital Implements Local SEO
Local SEO is built into the foundation of every LOS Digital estate agent website. We do not treat it as an add-on — it is part of the core architecture.
We also provide practical guidance on review management, citation building, and local content strategy — because local SEO extends beyond your website into your broader online presence. Everything is included in the £88/month package with no additional local SEO retainer required.