Certainly! Here's a comprehensive local SEO audit checklist to help businesses optimize their online presence for local search:
Claim and verify GBP listing
Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency
Choose correct primary and secondary categories
Add high-quality photos and videos
Write a compelling business description
List accurate business hours, including special hours
Enable and respond to messages
Add products and services
Utilize Google Posts regularly
Activate Q&A section
Optimize title tags and meta descriptions with local keywords
Use header tags (H1, H2, etc.) effectively
Create location-specific pages
Implement local schema markup
Ensure mobile-friendliness
Improve page load speed
Optimize URL structure
Create locally relevant content
Audit existing citations for accuracy and consistency
Build new citations on relevant directories
Remove duplicate or outdated listings
Focus on industry-specific directories
Encourage customers to leave reviews
Respond promptly to all reviews, both positive and negative
Monitor review sentiment across platforms
Implement a review generation strategy
Analyze current backlink profile
Identify local link-building opportunities
Pursue partnerships with local businesses
Sponsor local events or organizations
Submit and optimize XML sitemap
Check and optimize robots.txt file
Ensure proper indexing of pages
Fix crawl errors and broken links
Implement SSL certificate (HTTPS)
Create location-specific content
Develop a local events calendar
Showcase community involvement
Optimize for local keywords and long-tail phrases
Identify top local competitors
Analyze their GBP listings and websites
Look for gaps in their strategies
Benchmark your performance against theirs
Set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Configure conversion tracking
Monitor local search rankings
Track GBP insights and performance
Ensure NAP consistency across social profiles
Share locally relevant content
Engage with local community on social platforms
Use local hashtags
By following this checklist, businesses can conduct a thorough local SEO audit and identify areas for improvement to boost their visibility in local search results.
Additional how to do seo resources