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TL;DR
Evolution of Local Ranking Signals
Businesses that depend on local customers saw several notable changes in 2023. Google continued refining its local search algorithm to highlight businesses that provide accurate, up‑to‑date information and positive user experiences.
Signals such as proximity, relevance, and prominence remained core, but additional factors like real‑time business attributes, service availability, and opening hours played a larger role. Google also introduced features that reward businesses for providing rich insights in their profiles, including photos and detailed descriptions.
Optimising Your Google Business Profile
To capitalise on these changes, ensure your Google Business profile is complete and frequently updated. Include accurate contact information, service areas, and product listings.
Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and respond to them promptly—both positive and negative. Use the posts feature to share promotions, events and updates.
If your business has multiple locations, maintain individual profiles with unique content tailored to each community. Consistency across directories and citations is also critical to building trust with search engines.
The Rise of Local Language and Multilingual Search
As the world becomes more connected, people increasingly search in languages other than English. In 2023, Google enhanced its ability to match user queries to local results in different languages.
For businesses in multicultural areas or those targeting international audiences, providing multilingual content can improve visibility. If resources permit, create location‑specific landing pages in multiple languages, and ensure that your business listings use the appropriate local language.
SEO Takeaways and Next Steps
Local search is evolving quickly, and staying ahead requires a proactive approach to your business profile and community engagement. If you’d like a customised local SEO strategy or help managing multiple profiles, reach out at info@phil‑carr.co.uk or 01226 697 325.
If you need help with your SEO strategy, get in touch by emailing info@phil-carr.co.uk or calling 01226 697 325.
Key Takeaways
- Evolution of Local Ranking Signals: Businesses that depend on local customers saw several notable changes in 2023.
- Optimising Your Google Business Profile: To capitalise on these changes, ensure your Google Business profile is complete and frequently updated.
- The Rise of Local Language and Multilingual Search: As the world becomes more connected, people increasingly search in languages other than English.
Update — June 2026
Reviewed in June 2026 against the last two core update roll-outs. The bit that's aged best is the emphasis on primary content quality over surface tweaks; the bit worth re-reading is the section on recovery timelines — they've stretched to closer to two full crawl cycles.
About the author
Phil Carr is an SEO consultant and web strategist focused on helping businesses grow through technical optimisation, content strategy, and data-driven decision making. His work combines hands-on experience with ongoing research into algorithm updates and emerging search trends.
