Insights · SEO

Local SEO in Zurich: how to get found locally

Jul 7, 2026 · 5 min · Daniel Giebelhaus

Local SEO makes sure your business gets found when people in Zurich search for your service. The biggest levers: a fully maintained Google Business Profile, genuine reviews, locally relevant content on your website and structured data.

Why local search works differently

For searches like "accountant Zurich", Google shows a map section with three local providers next to the normal results. Whoever appears there gets a large share of the clicks. Local ranking follows its own factors: relevance (does your offer match the query), distance (how close you are to the searcher) and prominence (reviews, mentions, links).

Google Business Profile: the foundation

The free Google Business Profile is the single most important lever. Fill it out completely: correct primary category, all fitting secondary categories, opening hours, services, current photos and a precise description. A well-maintained profile often beats a better website with a neglected profile in local search.

Build reviews systematically

Ask satisfied customers for a Google review right after completing the work, easiest via a link or QR code. Reply to every review, including critical ones: it shows Google and prospects that the business is active. Bought reviews are off limits, they risk suspensions and lost trust.

Local content on your website

Your website should carry the location clearly: address and service area in the footer, a proper contact page with directions, and one dedicated page per core service describing it for your region. Important: no dozens of near-identical location pages, Google treats that as doorway spam. Few, substantial pages win.

Structured data and directories

With LocalBusiness schema you give Google and AI search engines your name, address, opening hours and geo coordinates in machine-readable form, our article on schema markup shows how. Also make sure name, address and phone number are identical everywhere: website, Google, local.ch, search.ch and business directories.

Want to know where your business stands in Zurich search today? Our SEO consulting in Zurich starts with a free audit.

Want to put this to work for your business? We review your website for free in classic and AI search and show the biggest levers.

More articles

GEO5 min

GEO vs. SEO: the difference and why you need both

SEO gets you into the Google results list, GEO into the direct answer from ChatGPT, Perplexity and co. How the two differ and how they work together.

KI-Suche6 min

How does my business get found in ChatGPT?

Crawler access, citable content, brand authority: the three levers that get your business into AI answers.

AEO4 min

What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?

Answer Engine Optimization prepares content to become the direct answer. What is behind it and how you benefit.

Technik4 min

llms.txt: what is it and does my website need one?

A small text file that explains your website to AI systems in a structured way. What llms.txt is, what belongs in it and who benefits.

KI-Suche5 min

Google AI Overviews: what they are and how to get in

The AI summary above Google results is changing search behaviour. How AI Overviews work and how you appear as a cited source.

Technik5 min

Schema markup explained: structured data for Google and AI

Structured data tells machines what is on your page. Which schema types matter and why they count for SEO and AI visibility.

CRO4 min

What is a good conversion rate?

The honest answer: it depends. Which benchmarks are realistic, what really matters and how to improve your rate.

KI5 min

AI in SMEs: 5 use cases that pay off immediately

AI does not have to be a big project. Five concrete use cases with which SMEs quickly save time, pragmatic and privacy-aware.

KI-Suche5 min

Controlling AI crawlers: robots.txt for GPTBot, ClaudeBot and co.

Which AI crawlers visit your website, what blocking really means and how to steer access deliberately instead of giving away visibility.

CRO5 min

Landing page optimisation: the 10-point checklist

Ten concrete points, from headline and trust signals to the form, that make your landing page deliver measurably more enquiries.

KI5 min

Developing an AI strategy: an actionable plan in 5 steps

Not slides but a plan: five steps from assessment via a pilot case to scaling, data protection included.

Visibility is no accident.

Let us find out together where your biggest levers are.

Request a free audit