Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is easier for local searches than it is for national searches because there are fewer competitors, but it still takes some work. Many of the basic SEO rules are still important. Thankfully improvements in search engines and the addition of social websites, it is much easier to optimize for local search than ever before.

1. Get onto local sites: Include your website in all the local website that you can. From Google Places to local directories, local links and user citations are the primary influencers of high rankings for local searches. Customers in your community go deep for information, so even small, seemingly low-volume destinations can result in quality links. These sites may not receive a lot of traffic individually, but a few links from relevant blogs can go a long way - on the search result pages and even in your local community.
2. Ask Customers for Reviews: If you are a local business and you are not collecting reviews, you won't be in business long. Remember, search engines now rely on content more than ever before. In the eyes of search engines today there is no more reliable signal of businesses' authority and relevance to an individual query than the presence of reviews. Asking for reviews should become a part of either your business processes or marketing campaigns. You don't need hundreds, but in order to remain fresh and relevant, your review assets do need to be constantly appended.
3. Be Consistant.  An active website with fresh content gets more attention. Setting up a schedule to add or update content, monitor your site's search position is now a neccessary function of business. Weekly updates are good, monthly updates are a minimum.