Local SEO Terms Every African Business Owner Should Know

If you have ever tried to improve how your business appears online and felt lost in a sea of technical language, this glossary is for you. Local SEO has its own vocabulary, and not knowing what the terms mean makes it harder to take action. This guide defines the key terms clearly, with plain examples drawn from African business realities, so you can move forward with confidence.

Why Vocabulary Matters for Local Visibility

You do not need to become an SEO expert to grow your business online. But when you understand the terms, you can ask better questions, make better decisions, and spot mistakes before they cost you customers. The words in this glossary come up constantly in conversations about local search – whether you are setting up a listing, getting reviews, or trying to understand why a competitor appears above you on Google Maps.

Core Terms: What They Mean and Why They Matter

Local SEO

Local SEO is the process of making your business easier to find online when people search for products or services near them.

When someone in Nairobi types "pharmacy near me" or a visitor in Accra searches "cheap hotels in Osu," local SEO determines which businesses appear. Local SEO strategies involve a combination of listings, reviews, website signals, and structured data that help search engines connect your business to the right searches.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

A Search Engine Results Page (SERP) is the page that appears after someone types a query into Google, Bing, or another search engine – showing a mix of websites, maps, business listings, and sometimes AI-generated answers.

For local businesses, the most valuable part of a SERP is the Local Pack – the map and three business listings that appear near the top when someone searches for a local service.

The Local Pack

The Local Pack is the section of Google's search results that shows a map alongside three business listings, appearing at or near the top of the page for location-based searches.

Appearing in the Local Pack is one of the highest-value outcomes of local SEO. Businesses in the Local Pack get significantly more clicks and calls than those listed only in the standard results below.

Google Business Profile (GBP)

A Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free business listing on Google that controls how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps.

A well-optimized GBP includes your business name, address, phone number, opening hours, photos, and customer reviews. Setting up your Google Business Profile correctly is one of the fastest ways to become more visible in local search.

NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number)

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number – the three pieces of business information that must be identical across every online listing, directory, and website.

If your business appears as "Greenfield Clinic" on one platform and "Greenfield Medical Centre" on another, search engines treat them as different businesses. Inconsistent NAP data reduces your ranking and confuses potential customers.

Local Citations

Local citations are online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number on directories, websites, apps, and platforms other than your own.

Each citation acts as a signal to search engines that your business is real, established, and trustworthy. Consistent local citation data helps search engines match your business accurately across platforms. Building citations on the right directories is one of the most effective ways to improve your local ranking.

Business Directory

A business directory is an online platform where businesses can list their details so customers can find them by category, location, or name. Examples include top local directories across Africa such as Destinali, Yellow Pages Nigeria, and similar platforms in South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana.

Destinali covers over 1 million verified businesses across 54 African countries and 80+ categories, making it one of the broadest business discovery platforms on the continent.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to changes made directly to your website to help search engines understand what your business does and where it operates.

For a local business, this includes adding your city or neighbourhood to page titles, writing clear descriptions of your services, and including your address on your contact page. On-page local SEO for small business websites covers the specific changes that matter most for businesses targeting local customers.

Keywords and Local Keywords

Local keywords are the specific phrases people type when searching for businesses near them – typically combining a service or product with a location.

Examples: "electrician in Kampala," "best restaurant in Victoria Island," or "wedding planner Johannesburg." Keyword research for local businesses identifies which phrases your potential customers are actually typing.

Search Intent

Search intent is the reason behind a search query – what the person actually wants to do, find, or know.

Someone searching "dentist near me open Saturday" has a very different intent from someone searching "how to find a good dentist." The first is ready to book. Local SEO content should match what your customers want at the moment they search.

Reviews and Ratings

Online reviews are written feedback left by customers on platforms like Google, Facebook, or business directories. Ratings are the star scores (typically 1–5) that accompany them. Reviews affect your local ranking directly – Google weighs both the quantity and quality of reviews when deciding which businesses to show. Getting customer reviews is one of the few local SEO actions that also directly builds customer trust.

Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Structured data is code added to a website that tells search engines exactly what type of business you operate, what services you offer, where you are located, and what your opening hours are.

You do not see structured data on a web page; it runs in the background. Search engines use it to create rich results, like showing your star rating or opening hours directly in search results.

AI Search and AI-Powered Discovery

AI search refers to search tools that use artificial intelligence to generate direct answers to user queries – rather than simply listing links and increasingly recommend specific businesses by name.

When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity "where should I stay in Kigali?", the AI generates a recommendation – not a list of links. How AI search engines decide which businesses to cite depends on structured listings, consistent data, and strong online presence signals. Businesses that are well-listed and well-reviewed are far more likely to be recommended.

Service Area Business (SAB)

A Service Area Business (SAB) is a business that travels to or serves customers at their location rather than at a fixed premises – such as a plumber, delivery service, or mobile caterer.

SABs face a specific challenge: they do not have a storefront to show on a map. Service area businesses can still rank locally by defining their coverage area clearly in their listings and content.

Ranking Factors

Ranking factors are the signals that search engines use to decide which businesses appear first in local results. The main ones for local search are relevance (does your business match the search?), distance (how close are you to the searcher?), and prominence (how well-known and well-reviewed is your business?). No single factor guarantees a top position – the three work together.

Backlinks

A backlink is a link from another website to your business website. Search engines treat backlinks as votes of confidence. A mention with a link from a local news outlet in Lagos, a neighbourhood blog in Nairobi, or a well-known directory in South Africa tells Google that your business is credible. Quality matters more than quantity – one link from a reputable local site is worth more than ten from obscure or irrelevant ones.

Multilingual and Local Language SEO

Many African customers search in local languages – Swahili, Hausa, Amharic, Zulu, French, or Arabic. Multilingual and local language content improves visibility among customers who search in their preferred language and signals to search engines that your business serves those communities.

FAQ

What Is the Difference Between Local SEO and General SEO?

General SEO focuses on ranking a website for broad topics or national audiences. Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) focuses specifically on helping a business appear when someone nearby searches for a product or service. A Lagos-based bakery benefits far more from local SEO than from general SEO, because its customers are searching with location in mind – "bakery near me" or "birthday cake Lekki" – not just "bakery."

Why Does My Business Not Show up on Google Maps?

The most common reasons are: no Google Business Profile, an incomplete or unverified profile, or inconsistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information across listings. A business that has not claimed its profile, or that uses a different address on its website versus its directory listings, will rank poorly or not appear at all on Google Maps.

Do I Need a Website to Rank Locally?

Not always. A well-optimized Google Business Profile and consistent directory listings can help a business appear in local search without a dedicated website. That said, a website strengthens your local rankings by giving search engines more content to assess, and it gives potential customers a place to learn more before contacting you.

What Does "Verified Listing" Mean?

A verified listing is one that the business owner has confirmed ownership of – usually through a code sent by post, phone, or email. Google, for example, requires verification before a business profile becomes fully active in search results. Verified listings rank better and carry more trust than unverified ones.

How Do Online Reviews Affect Local Rankings?

Search engines, particularly Google, treat reviews as a direct ranking signal for local businesses. The number of reviews, the average rating, and whether the business responds to reviews all influence ranking. A restaurant in Abuja with 80 reviews and a 4.5 rating will typically outrank a competitor with 10 reviews and no responses, all else being equal.

What Is a Featured Snippet in Local Search?

A featured snippet is a highlighted answer that appears at the top of a Google results page, above the standard listings. In local search, this might be a direct answer to "what time does X close" or "does X accept card payments." Businesses with complete, structured listings are more likely to have their information pulled into featured snippets.

What Does "Near Me" Search Mean for My Business?

When someone searches "electrician near me" or "hotel near me," Google uses their current location to find nearby matches. To appear in these results, your business needs a verified listing with an accurate address, correct category, and ideally, reviews that confirm your location and services. The phrase "near me" has grown rapidly across African markets as smartphone use increases.

Quick Reference

Understanding these terms puts you in control of decisions that directly affect how many customers find your business online. The businesses ranking at the top of local search results are not necessarily the best businesses – they are often the ones that have clearly communicated who they are, where they are, and what they do across every platform customers use to search.

You can create a free listing on Destinali today and start building the foundation your local visibility depends on.