Local search is an identity problem before it is a ranking problem.
Your business name, category, contact information, service areas, location information and website content should reinforce the same real-world business.
Build useful local pages
Local pages should exist because you genuinely serve the market and have something useful to say about it—not simply to manufacture city-name variations.
Measure the right signals
Track profile readiness, local landing-page activity, search-attributed leads, review readiness and the consistency of business information across the system.