Quick answer: A local SEO audit checks the things that decide whether you show up in the map pack and local organic results: your Google My Business listing, the consistency of your name, address and phone number across the web, your reviews, your location and service pages, local links and your tracking. Work through it in that order. Most underperforming listings have one or two big problems, such as the wrong primary category, duplicate listings or a thin location page, rather than dozens of small ones.
Before you start
Gather the basics so you are not hunting for logins halfway through:
- Google My Business access (owner or manager)
- Google Search Console and Google Analytics access
- A list of your locations with the exact official name, address, phone and hours
- Your main services and the towns or areas you serve
- Two or three competitors who rank above you in the map pack
Search from the area you serve, or set your location in a private browser, and note where you appear today for your main terms. That gives you a before picture.
If you need a simpler starting list rather than a full audit, our local SEO checklist covers the setup basics.
1. Google My Business
This is where the biggest wins usually are.
- Ownership and verification. Confirm the listing is verified and that you, not a former employee or agency, hold owner access.
- Business name. It should match your real-world name. Adding keywords or locations to the name breaks Google’s guidelines and can lead to suspension. If that has happened, see Google My Business suspended.
- Primary category. The most specific category that describes your main business. This is one of the strongest signals. Compare with top competitors.
- Secondary categories. Add relevant ones, but do not pad with loosely related categories.
- Address or service area. Storefronts show the address. Service-area businesses should hide the address and set service areas accurately.
- Hours and special hours. Current, including temporary changes.
- Phone. A local number that rings at the location. If you use call tracking, set the tracking number as primary and keep the main number as an additional number.
- Website link. Point to the most relevant page, which for multi-location businesses is usually the location page, not the homepage. Add UTM parameters so you can track clicks.
- Description, services and products. Filled out in plain language.
- Attributes. Accurate for the current situation, such as delivery, curbside pickup or online appointments.
- Photos. Recent, real photos of the exterior, interior, team and work.
- Posts. Are you posting at all? Recent posts show the listing is maintained.
- Q&A. Check for unanswered or wrong answers from the public.
- Duplicates. Search for your business name and phone. Old addresses and duplicate listings split signals and confuse customers.
2. NAP and citations
Citations are mentions of your name, address and phone on other sites.
- Search for your business name with old addresses and old phone numbers.
- Check the main data sources and directories: Facebook, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Yelp, Yellow Pages style directories and industry sites.
- Make sure the format is consistent. “Suite 4” vs “#4” is minor; a different phone number is not.
- Look for duplicate listings on directories and request merges or removals.
- Note which industry or local directories competitors appear in that you do not.
Tools like Moz Local, BrightLocal and Whitespark can speed this up, but a spreadsheet and patient searching works for a single location. Our NAP consistency guide explains the cleanup process.
3. Reviews
- Total number of Google reviews compared with competitors
- Average rating and trend over the last six months
- How recent the latest reviews are
- Whether you reply to reviews, positive and negative
- Whether reviews mention your services and locations naturally
- Reviews on other platforms that matter in your industry
- Any suspicious reviews on your or competitors’ listings
Do you have a simple, repeatable way to ask customers for reviews? If not, that is often the single best fix. If you suspect fake reviews, our article on fake Google reviews covers how to report them.
4. Website: location and service pages
Your website supports your listing. Google looks at the page you link from GMB and at your site as a whole.
- Location pages. Each location has its own page with the full NAP, hours, a map, directions, parking notes, photos and location-specific content. Not a copy of every other location page with the town name swapped.
- Service pages. Each main service has its own page that explains it clearly.
- Title tags and headings. Include the service and area naturally, for example “Emergency Plumber in Leeds”.
- NAP on the site. In the footer or contact page, matching GMB exactly.
- LocalBusiness schema. Correct name, address, phone, hours and geo coordinates, tested with Google’s structured data testing tool.
- Embedded map. On the contact or location page.
- Mobile usability. Click-to-call works, pages load quickly, forms are easy on a phone.
- Internal links. Service pages link to relevant location pages and back.
For businesses with several branches, multi-location SEO goes further on structure.
5. Keywords and content
- List the terms customers use, including “near me” and town-name variations.
- Check which page ranks for each term, if any.
- Find terms where the wrong page ranks (for example the homepage ranking instead of the service page).
- Look for gaps: services or areas you offer but have no page for.
Our guide to local keyword research walks through building that list.
6. Technical basics
- Site is on HTTPS with no mixed content warnings
- No important pages blocked by robots.txt or marked noindex
- Location and service pages are in the XML sitemap
- Search Console shows no major coverage or mobile usability errors
- Page speed is reasonable on mobile
- Old location URLs redirect properly if branches moved or closed
7. Local links and mentions
- Links from local organisations: chambers of commerce, sponsors, suppliers, partners, local news
- Mentions in local “best of” lists or community sites
- Competitor links you could reasonably earn too
Local links do not need to be numerous. A handful of real, relevant local links often makes a difference for small businesses.
8. Tracking
- UTM tags on the GMB website link so you can separate map pack clicks from organic
- Calls tracked, either through GMB insights or call tracking
- Form submissions set up as goals in Google Analytics
- Search Console queries reviewed for local terms
- GMB insights checked monthly (searches, views, actions)
Without tracking you cannot tell whether fixes worked.
Prioritising what you find
After the audit you will have a long list. Sort it into:
- Blockers: suspension risks, wrong categories, duplicate listings, wrong phone numbers, noindexed pages. Fix immediately.
- High impact: thin location pages, no review process, wrong landing page linked from GMB, missing service pages.
- Ongoing: posts, photos, citations on smaller directories, local link building.
Fix blockers in the first week, high impact items over the next month and set a routine for the ongoing work.
FAQ
How often should I run a local SEO audit?
A full audit once or twice a year, plus a quick monthly check of GMB, reviews and rankings. Run one immediately after a move, a rebrand or a sudden drop.
Why does my competitor rank higher with fewer reviews?
Reviews are one factor among many. Distance from the searcher, category choice, relevance of the website and links all play a part.
Should I use a virtual office address?
No. Google’s guidelines require a real location where you meet customers, or a hidden address with a service area. Virtual offices risk suspension.
Can I audit a listing I do not own?
You can check most public signals, but you need owner or manager access to fix GMB settings.
Find what holds you back
A local SEO audit turns vague worry about rankings into a list of specific fixes. Start with Google My Business, clean up citations, build reviews and strengthen location pages. If you want a second pair of eyes on your local presence, see how we help businesses get found.
