Choose your search words
Write down how a parent would search: the type of school, such as creche, preschool, nursery school or day care, plus your suburb and the suburbs next to it.
Preschool marketing / Local SEO
For preschool and creche owners
Local SEO for preschools and creches, so parents in your suburb find you
Parents search Google by suburb: preschool in your area, creche near me, nursery school close to work. Local SEO is how you show up for those searches. We can check your profile, website and listing, and help you fix what is holding you back.
Local searchYOUR SUBURB
Your suburbwhere parents are searching
Free basicsmost fixes cost nothing
Done for youwe check it and help fix it
Local SEO
Be the school parents see first in your suburb
01The basicsHow parents search for a preschool
Claim your school
Most parents do not search for a school by name. They search for a type of school in a place, such as preschool in Pretoria East or creche near me, often on a phone and often in the evening when they are planning. Google then shows a map with a short list of schools, followed by website results.
Local SEO is the work of making sure your school is clearly one of those results. Google says it looks at relevance, distance and prominence. You cannot change how far you are from a parent, but you can make your details clear, complete and trusted.
- Parents search by suburb and school type
- A map list shows first, then website results
- Relevance, distance and prominence decide who shows
- Clear, complete and trusted details help you most
02Three placesBe found in three places, not one
Read about Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile puts you on the map. Your Find My Nursery listing puts you on pages built for parents searching by area, such as nursery schools in a suburb or city. Your own website, if you have one, tells Google and parents exactly what you offer.
When all three show the same name, address, phone number and hours, Google can trust that they are one school, and parents are not confused.
- Google Business Profile for the map
- Find My Nursery listing for area searches
- Your own website for the full story
- The same details everywhere
Your Find My Nursery profile is free to claim. Top placement, analytics and the dashboard tools are part of Premium.
Read about Google Business Profile03Done for youWe check your local SEO and help you fix it
Ask us to check my school
Not sure where you stand? We can look at your Google Business Profile, your website and your Find My Nursery listing, tell you what is missing or wrong, and help you fix it. That may be the wrong category, a phone number that does not match, a website with no suburb on it, or a profile with no reviews.
You get a plain list of what to change, in the order that matters most for a parent searching near you.
- Your profile, website and listing checked
- A plain list of what to fix, in order
- Help to make the fixes
- Details matched across every place parents look
Email us and we will explain how it works for your school.
Ask us to check my schoolDo it yourself
Improve your local SEO in six steps
None of these steps needs a big budget. Work through them in order, or ask us to do it with you.
Step 1 of 6
Match your details everywhere
Use the same school name, address and phone number on Google, Find My Nursery, Facebook and your website. Use your real trading name, with no extra keywords added to it.
Complete your Google profile
Choose the right category, add your hours, photos and a description, and verify it. This is what puts you on the map.
Fix your website basics
Put your school type and suburb in your page title and main heading, show your address, hours and a clear way to enquire, and make sure it loads quickly on a phone.
Claim your listing
Claim your Find My Nursery profile so the details parents see are yours and are correct, and add real photos and your programmes.
Ask for reviews and track it
Ask parents for honest reviews and reply to all of them. Then watch your calls, directions and Google search rankings to see what is working.
Common local SEO mistakes
- Adding your suburb and extra keywords to your Google business name. This breaks Google's rules and can get your profile suspended.
- Having a different phone number or address on each website and listing.
- A website with no suburb, address or hours on it.
- Copying the same text for every school or page.
- Ignoring reviews, or paying or rewarding parents for them.
- Expecting results in a week, or trusting anyone who promises number one on Google.
Related: Google Business Profile for preschools, school websites and the full preschool marketing guide.
04ChecklistA local SEO checklist for your school
Ask us to check my school
Check each of these the way a parent would see it, then again every term.
- Google profile claimed, verified and complete
- Same name, address and phone on every listing
- Suburb and school type in your website title and heading
- Address, hours and a way to enquire on every page
- Find My Nursery listing claimed, with real photos
- A recent review, and a reply to every review
- Website loads quickly and works well on a phone
- Hours updated for school holidays and public holidays
Want us to look at your local SEO?
Email us and we will explain how it works for your school.
Common questions
Local SEO questions
Question 1 of 12
What is local SEO for a preschool?
Local SEO is how you help Google show your school to parents who are searching in your area, for example "preschool in Centurion" or "creche near me". It covers your Google Business Profile, your website, your listing on directories like Find My Nursery, and your reviews.
What is the difference between local SEO and a Google Business Profile?
Your Google Business Profile is one part of local SEO. It is what puts you on the map. Local SEO is the bigger job of making sure Google can find and trust your school in several places, including your website and directory listings.
How does Google decide which schools to show?
Google says local results depend mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. In plain words, how well your details match the search, how close you are to the parent, and how well known and trusted your school looks online. You cannot change the distance, but you can work on the rest.
How long does local SEO take to work?
Fixing wrong details helps quickly because parents can actually reach you. Rankings take longer and build over weeks and months. No one can promise a position on Google, and you should be careful of anyone who does.
Which words should I use so parents in my suburb find me?
Use the words parents use: the type of school, such as creche, preschool, nursery school or day care, together with your suburb and nearby areas. Use them naturally in your page titles, headings and descriptions, and write for parents first.
Do I need my own website for local SEO?
It helps, but you can start without one. Your Find My Nursery listing and your Google Business Profile already give Google something to show. A website gives you a place that is fully yours, with your own suburb, programmes and enquiry form.
Why does it matter that my name, address and phone match everywhere?
When your details are the same on Google, Facebook, your website and directories, Google can be more confident that it is one school. Different phone numbers or addresses cause confusion for Google and for parents.
Do reviews help me rank in my suburb?
Reviews help parents trust you, and Google says review count and score are part of how it judges local prominence. Ask every family honestly, reply to every review, and never reward or write reviews for parents.
Should I put my suburb in my school name?
Only if it is part of your real trading name. Adding extra words to your name on Google to rank better goes against Google's rules and can get your profile suspended. Put your suburb in your page titles and descriptions instead.
Does my Find My Nursery listing help my local SEO?
Your listing sits on pages built for parents searching by area, such as nursery schools in a suburb or city, so it gives your school another place to be found. Keep your details the same as on Google, and claim your listing to manage it.
Can you check or improve my local SEO for me?
Yes. We can look at your Google Business Profile, your website and your listing, tell you what is missing and help you fix it. Email us and we will explain how it works for your school.
How can I see whether it is working?
With Premium, your Nursery Centre shows your Google search rankings from Google Search Console, how often your school appears in Find My Nursery search compared with nearby schools, and a daily digest of calls, WhatsApp taps and directions.
Learn more
Preschool marketing guides
Practical ECD guides on getting found, earning parent trust and filling your spaces.
How Do South African Parents Choose a Preschool? What Our Data ShowsOriginal insights from Find My Nursery, South Africa's parent-powered directory: what parents search, where they find creches and what makes them choose.Read the guideHow to Market Your Preschool in South Africa: 10 Low-Cost Strategies10 proven, low-cost ways to market your preschool or creche in South Africa: WhatsApp, Google, open days, reviews and listings that fill spots.Read the guideGoogle Business Profile for ECD Centres: Get Found by Local ParentsParents search Google Maps first. Set up and optimise a Google Business Profile for your creche or preschool, step by step, with photos and reviews.Read the guideHow to Get More Parent Reviews for Your Creche (and Why They Fill Spots)Verified parent reviews are what make parents choose a school. How to ask, when to ask, and scripts that work for South African creches.Read the guideFill Your 2027 Spots: The Enrolment Season Playbook for ECD CentresA month by month enrolment season playbook for SA ECD centres: when parents search, open day ideas, follow-up scripts and converting enquiries.Read the guideInside the Find My Nursery Premium Dashboard: What Changes When You UpgradeSee what Premium adds to your nursery listing: Top Pick placement, a school webpage you update yourself, WhatsApp, tour booking and analytics. From R199/mo.Read the guide
More marketing guidesWritten and maintained by the Find My Nursery team. Last updated .
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