local SEO is and why it matters for small businesses in 2026, especially those that depend on nearby customers. It covers how Google uses relevance, distance, and prominence to rank local results and shows why Google Business Profile has become your main digital storefront instead of just your website. Readers learn simple, practical steps like setting up and verifying their profile, keeping NAP details consistent, getting fresh reviews, publishing local pages, and using photos and videos to “prove” their business is real to search engines. The article also compares strategies for storefront, service-area, and hybrid businesses and highlights new trends like zero-click searches, AI overviews, and visual search so beginners know exactly how to stand out in local results in 2026