Why Your About Page Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Local SEO Strategy

You’ve optimized your homepage, fine-tuned your service pages, and maybe even built out a few blogs for good measure. But there’s one page many business owners—and even some SEO professionals—often overlook: the About page.

Believe it or not, this single page can quietly power up your local visibility, enhance trust with your audience, and improve your overall rankings. If your About page is vague, outdated, or missing entirely, you might be missing out on real SEO potential.

In this post, we’ll explore why your About page matters so much for both local and general SEO, how to optimize it effectively, and the key mistakes to avoid. Let’s dive in.

What Is an About Page (and Why It Matters)

Your About page is more than just a digital business card. It tells the story of who you are, what you do, and why it matters. At a minimum, it should include:

• A brief company or personal background
  
• Your mission, values, and team bios
  
• Contact information and physical location
• Your history or origin story
  

But from an SEO perspective, it’s also a high-value opportunity to establish brand identity, build trust, and send consistent signals to both users and search engines.

Think of it as your website’s “trust center.”

A Quick Primer on Local SEO

Local SEO is all about helping your business show up in searches like “therapist near me” or “plumber in [Your City].” It prioritizes location-based signals that help search engines understand where you operate and who you serve.

Key local ranking factors include:

• Google Business Profile optimization
  
• NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across the web
  
• Local reviews and citations
  
• Relevance of content to local search terms
  

Your About page can support all of these factors when it’s built with intention.

How an About Page Supports Local SEO

Reinforces NAP Consistency

Search engines want to see your business information (name, address, phone) consistently presented across your website and directory listings. Adding your full NAP details to your About page—formatted exactly as they appear on your Google Business Profile—strengthens this consistency and builds trust.

Bonus tip: Use schema markup (like “LocalBusiness” JSON-LD) to help Google easily parse that information.

Naturally Targets Local Keywords

By incorporating phrases like “serving the Grand Rapids area since 2012” or “based in Grand Rapids,” you help Google associate your brand with a specific location. These local cues can improve your visibility in geographic searches.

Builds Local Relevance and Authority

Your About page is the perfect place to mention local partnerships, sponsorships, or community involvement. These details not only tell your story—they also earn you “prominence” points in Google’s local algorithm, especially if they lead to local backlinks.

Enhances Local User Engagement

Simple calls-to-action like “Visit our office in downtown Asheville” or “Join our Grand Rapids community newsletter” encourage local visitors to interact more deeply, which can improve engagement metrics.

Supports Local Structured Data

Embedding a map or using LocalBusiness schema helps search engines clearly understand your physical location. This makes it easier to show up in local packs and map results.

How an About Page Supports Overall SEO

Enhances E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust)

Google looks for signals that demonstrate you’re a credible, trustworthy expert. Your About page can help by showcasing:

• Founder or team bios with credentials
• Awards, certifications, or associations
• Stories of your business journey or client success

Improves Engagement Metrics

A well-written About page keeps users reading—and when visitors stay longer, it sends positive signals to Google. Add multimedia like team photos, a founder video, or a timeline to make the page even more engaging.

Supports Internal Linking

Use your About page to link to key service pages or blog content. This not only helps users navigate your site but also strengthens internal link equity.

Increases Visibility for Long-Tail & Branded Searches

People often Google things like “[Business Name] about” or “[Business Name] mission.” A well-optimized About page helps you capture those searches—and gives curious users a deeper reason to trust and engage with your brand.

Becomes a Backlink Magnet

Reporters, bloggers, and even potential partners often link to About pages when referencing your company. Make it easy for them by including a press-friendly section with highlights, images, or milestones.

Best Practices for an SEO-Friendly About Page

• Write for humans first. Keep it warm, clear, and authentic.
  
• Use your keywords wisely. Naturally include your business name, industry, and location.
  
• Optimize your metadata. Include local terms in your title tag and meta description.
  
• Add schema markup. Use “LocalBusiness” JSON-LD to boost structure.
  
• Include engaging visuals. Real team photos or a quick intro video go a long way.
  
• Make it mobile-friendly. Ensure it loads quickly and displays well on all screen sizes.
  

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Keyword stuffing. Overloading your page with cities or services feels unnatural and can hurt rankings.
  
• Being too generic. “We’re the best in the business” doesn’t cut it. Add real facts, dates, and credentials.
  
• Neglecting mobile users. Most local searches happen on phones—optimize for them.
  
• Failing to update. If your About page hasn’t changed in five years, it’s time for a refresh.
  

Measuring the Impact of Your About Page

Keep an eye on:

• Organic traffic to your About page (via Google Analytics)
  
• Branded/local keyword impressions (via Google Search Console)
  
• Time on page and bounce rate
  
• Click-throughs to conversion pages (like Contact or Services)
  

Bonus tip: Set up GA4 events to track how users interact with your About page, such as clicking your address, phone number, or internal links.

Final Thoughts: Small Page, Big Opportunity

Your About page isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It’s a powerful piece of your SEO puzzle—especially for local businesses. When optimized thoughtfully, it builds trust, reinforces local signals, and draws both humans and search engines deeper into your site.

If it’s been a while since you revisited your About page (or if you’ve never written one), now’s the time. Start small, keep it authentic, and let it grow with your business.

Start Improving Your Local SEO with Simplified SEO Consulting

At Simplified SEO Consulting, we specialize in helping mental health professionals and small business owners make every page on their site work harder. Reach out to learn how our team of SEO specialists can help you strengthen your SEO from the inside out. Take the first step toward an improved website:

1. Apply to work with us: Fill out our quick application and tell us about your practice and your website concerns. (No worries if you’re not sure what’s wrong – that’s our job to find out!)
2. Meet your SEO specialist: We’ll schedule a call to talk one-on-one.
3. Start improving your website!

Other Services Offered with Simplified SEO Consulting

Simplified SEO knows there are many aspects of SEO that you may need help addressing to improve your private practice website. This is why we offer a variety of SEO services in addition to local SEO and technical SEO services. We also provide support through our Done For You SEO Services, DIY Online SEO Courses, and Consulting services. We also offer social media management, stand-alone copywriting services, and SEO strategy sessions. Visit our blog to learn more valuable SEO info today!

About the Author

Sterling Humburg-Cage graduated from the University of Missouri with a BA in Psychology in 2020. He has integrated what he learned in school into his work as an SEO Specialist with Simplified SEO Consulting. Sterling prides himself on helping current clients & alumni problem-solve difficult issues.  He’s great at giving clients multiple options about how to approach a situation, finding solutions to some of the more technical aspects of SEO, and responding in a timely manner to client concerns.  Since he started, Sterling has met frequently with our alumni and provided them with extra problem-solving support. He now provides additional support with a variety of local SEO services. He often goes the extra mile to do outside research. By doing so, he ensures private practice owners have everything they need to rank well on search engines long term for the keywords their ideal clients are using!