If you run a local business, ranking in Google's local results is harder than it used to be. Search results are filled with ads, AI Overviews are pushing organic listings further down the page, and the Google Map Pack is often the only organic spot left above the fold.

That makes local SEO more important than ever, and it is exactly why I put together a free local SEO course for 2026. It is over two hours long, it is completely free on YouTube, and it walks through everything I actually do to rank a local business and turn that visibility into phone calls.

The course is broken into nine lessons. We start with what local SEO actually is and how the Map Pack works, then move into a beginner tutorial built around the three things Google ranks on locally: proximity, relevance, and prominence. From there we get into the ranking factors that matter in 2026, the exact tools I use like Bright Local, Whitespark, and SEMrush, and how to optimize your Google Business Profile so it sends the right signals.

The second half is where it gets practical. I walk through local keyword research for a real service business, show you how to build out city and service pages, cover how to get local backlinks that are actually worth getting, and finish with the question I get more than any other: should you do SEO or Google Ads first.

Keep in mind, none of this works overnight. Local SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup. The businesses that win are the ones that stay consistent with their profile, their reviews, and their content over time.

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