I was working with an FBO at Farnborough last year. Beautiful facility, excellent service, competitive pricing. They were practically invisible on Google. When someone searched "FBO Farnborough," they didn't even show up in the map pack. Their competitor down the road—who honestly had worse facilities—was getting all the walk-in business. (If you're operating in the London area, check out our location-specific SEO guide for London charter operators.)
Here's the thing about **local SEO for FBOs**: location is everything. You're not competing with every FBO in the world. You're competing with the 3-5 FBOs within 50 miles of you. Dominate local search, and you dominate your market.
The best part? Local SEO is actually easier than national SEO. Less competition, clearer signals, faster results. Let me show you exactly how to do it.
Why Local SEO for FBOs Is Different
FBOs have unique advantages for local SEO. You've got a physical location. You serve a specific geographic area. You have verifiable business credentials. These are exactly what Google's looking for in local results.
The Local Search Reality:
- •46% of Google searches have local intent ("near me," city names, etc.)
- •Google Maps pack shows above organic results—that's prime real estate
- •88% of mobile users who do local searches visit or call within 24 hours
- •Only 3 FBOs show in the map pack—be one of them or be invisible
When someone searches "FBO near me" or "FBO [your city]," you want to be in that top 3. Period. Everything else in local SEO for FBOs supports that goal.
Step 1: Claim & Optimize Your Google Business Profile
This is the foundation. If your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) isn't fully optimized, nothing else matters. And I mean *fully* optimized—90% of FBOs leave this half-done.
The Complete Optimization Checklist:
Business Name
Use your actual business name. Don't stuff keywords like "Best FBO Farnborough Services UK" or Google will penalize you.
Right: "Farnborough Executive Aviation"
Wrong:
"Farnborough FBO | Private Jet Services UK"
Business Category
Primary category: "Aircraft Maintenance" or "Aviation Service" (there's no official "FBO" category yet). Add secondary categories: "Aircraft Rental Service," "Aviation Consultant," "Fuel Supplier"
Business Description (750 characters)
Include your services, location, unique selling points. Use keywords naturally.
Example: "Full-service FBO at Farnborough Airport offering 24/7 refueling, hangarage, aircraft maintenance, flight planning, and concierge services. We handle everything from light jets to large cabin aircraft..."
Services List
Add every service you offer as a separate item. This helps you show up for specific searches.
- • Aircraft refueling (Jet-A, Avgas)
- • Hangar rental & aircraft storage
- • Aircraft maintenance & inspection
- • Flight planning & weather briefing
- • Ground handling services
- • Crew lounge & passenger amenities
- • Customs & immigration assistance
- • Concierge services
Operating Hours
Be accurate. If you're 24/7, say so. If hours vary, update them. Nothing worse than someone showing up when you're closed.
Photos (Minimum 10, Ideally 30+)
This is huge. Listings with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs.
What to include:
- • Exterior of FBO building
- • Interior (lobby, crew lounge, conference rooms)
- • Ramp and hangar facilities
- • Fuel trucks & ground equipment
- • Aircraft you've serviced (with permission)
- • Your team in action
- • Logo as profile photo
Attributes
Select all that apply: Wheelchair accessible, Wi-Fi, Parking, etc. More attributes = more visibility for specific searches.
🎯 Pro Tip:
Update your Google Business Profile weekly. Add new photos, respond to reviews, post updates. Google rewards active profiles with better rankings.
Step 2: Get More (and Better) Reviews
Reviews are the #1 ranking factor for local search. Not just the number—quality matters too. An FBO with 50 five-star reviews will outrank one with 200 mixed reviews.
The Review Strategy That Works:
1. Ask Every Happy Client
After a successful service, send a follow-up email: "Thanks for using our services. Would you mind leaving us a quick review?" Include a direct link to your Google Business Profile.
Make it stupid-easy. One click to the review page.
2. Train Your Staff
When a client thanks your team in person, that's the moment to ask: "We'd really appreciate it if you could share that on Google. Here's the link."
3. Respond to EVERY Review
Five-star review? Thank them. One-star review? Address it professionally. Google sees response rate as a quality signal.
Bonus: Responding publicly to negative reviews shows potential clients you care about service quality.
4. Never Buy Reviews
Tempting, I know. Don't do it. Google's detection is insanely good now. One fake review can get your entire profile delisted.
What to Aim For:
- Target: 50+ reviews minimum (100+ is better)
- Average: 4.5+ stars (5.0 looks suspicious honestly)
- Velocity: 2-5 new reviews per month consistently
- Recency: Latest review within last 2 weeks
Step 3: Local Citations & NAP Consistency
NAP = Name, Address, Phone number. Google verifies your business by checking if your NAP is consistent across the web. Inconsistencies hurt your rankings.
Where to List Your FBO:
Aviation Directories
- • AirNav.com
- • ForeFlight
- • SkyVector
- • 100LL.com
- • FlightAware
General Business Directories
- • Yelp
- • Bing Places
- • Apple Maps
- • Facebook Business Page
- • Yellow Pages
Industry Associations
- • NATA (if US operations)
- • BACA (UK)
- • EBAA (Europe)
- • Local Chamber of Commerce
Local Listings
- • Local tourism board
- • Airport authority website
- • City business directory
- • LinkedIn Company Page
Key rule: Use the EXACT same NAP format everywhere. If you use "Ltd" on your website, use "Ltd" everywhere. If your phone number is formatted "+44 (0) 1234 567890" on Google, use that exact format on every listing.
Our local SEO team handles citation building and NAP consistency audits for FBOs. It's tedious work, but it makes a massive difference in rankings.
Step 4: Create Location-Specific Content
Don't just have generic service pages. Create content specifically about your location and the areas you serve.
Content Ideas for FBOs:
Airport Guide Pages
"Complete Guide to [Your Airport] FBO Services" - runway lengths, customs facilities, local attractions, ground transport options
Popular Route Pages
"Private Jet from [Your City] to London" - flight times, aircraft recommendations, pricing guides
Local Event Coverage
"FBO Services for Goodwood Festival of Speed" "Monaco Grand Prix Private Jet Parking"
Local Area Guides
"Best Hotels Near Farnborough Airport" "Things to Do While Your Aircraft is in Maintenance"
Each piece of local content is an opportunity to rank for location-based searches and demonstrate you're THE local authority.
Step 5: Build Local Backlinks
Links from other local businesses and organizations signal to Google that you're a legitimate local business.
Local Partnerships
Partner with local hotels, car hire companies, luxury concierge services. Get listed on their "Preferred Partners" pages.
Local News & PR
New aircraft delivery? Staff promotion? Send press releases to local media. Even small mentions with links help.
Community Involvement
Sponsor local events, charity fundraisers, youth aviation programs. These often come with website links.
Chamber of Commerce
Join your local Chamber. Active members get featured on the Chamber website (usually good domain authority).
Bonus: Google Posts & Q&A
Two features most FBOs completely ignore:
Google Posts
Short updates that appear in your Business Profile. Think social media posts but on Google.
Post weekly: service updates, special offers, events, industry news. Keeps your profile active and engaging.
Q&A Section
Users can ask questions on your Google listing. YOU should answer them (and seed common questions yourself).
Add FAQs like "What are your fuel prices?" "Do you offer 24/7 service?" "Can you handle large cabin aircraft?" Answer them yourself.
The Bottom Line on Local SEO for FBOs
Here's the truth: most FBOs are terrible at local SEO. Their Google profiles are incomplete. They have 5 reviews from 2019. Their NAP is inconsistent. Their website has zero local content.
Which means if you actually follow this local SEO for FBOs strategy properly, you'll dominate your market within 6 months. Not because you're doing anything magical—because your competitors aren't doing anything at all.
I've seen FBOs go from invisible to #1 in the map pack in 4 months. The ones who commit to it, keep their Google profile updated, get consistent reviews, and build local content? They win. Every single time.
Whether you handle this yourself or work with specialists, just make sure it gets done. Because every day you're not ranking locally is another day clients are booking with your competitor.
Frequently Asked Questions
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