Reference
Local SEO glossary
The 10 terms that come up in every conversation about ranking a service business on Google, defined in plain language, with what each one means for a trade in Collingwood, Blue Mountain, Wasaga Beach, Thornbury, Meaford, or Owen Sound.
Each page opens with the definition, then explains why the term matters on the Georgian Bay shoreline, gives one concrete example with a real town, names the mistake we see most often, and points to the longer guide on this site. No page here is the how-to; the how-to is one click away.
Where local search happens
Google Map Pack
The Google Map Pack is the block of three business listings, shown with a map, that Google places near the top of results for a search with local intent, such as "plumber Collingwood" or "roofer near me".
Read the definition →Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile (GBP) is the free business listing Google shows on Maps, in the Map Pack, and in the knowledge panel on the right of a desktop search.
Read the definition →Local Services Ads (LSA)
Local Services Ads (LSA) are a Google ad format for home service trades that appears above both the regular search ads and the Map Pack.
Read the definition →Business identity signals
NAP (Name, Address, Phone)
NAP is the business name, address, and phone number as they appear on the Google Business Profile, the website, and every directory that lists the business.
Read the definition →Local citation
A local citation is a mention of a business's name, address, and phone number on another website: a directory such as Yellow Pages Canada, a chamber of commerce member list, a trade association page, a news article, or a supplier's dealer locator.
Read the definition →Service-area business (SAB)
A service-area business (SAB) is a Google Business Profile that hides its street address and instead lists the towns or regions it serves.
Read the definition →Ranking and click signals
Primary category (GBP)
The primary category is the single category an owner picks first on a Google Business Profile, such as "Plumber", "HVAC contractor", or "Roofing contractor".
Read the definition →Review velocity
Review velocity is the number of new Google reviews a business receives per week or per month, as opposed to its total review count.
Read the definition →Proximity (distance signal)
Proximity is the distance signal in Google's local ranking: how far the business is from the searcher's location, or from the centre of the town named in the search.
Read the definition →GBP justifications
A justification is a line Google adds beneath a business in the Map Pack to explain why the listing matches the search.
Read the definition →Tools that act on these terms
- Free NAP consistency checker: paste the name, address, and phone from three sources and see which differences Google reads as a different business.
- Review gap calculator: how many months of steady review velocity it takes to catch the listing above you.
- Local SEO cost calculator: four questions, a real monthly number, no email required.
- Free local SEO audit: your Map Pack position, who holds the spots above you, and the fixes, back within one business day.
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