Learn how to perform a comprehensive local SEO audit to identify issues and opportunities for improving your local search visibility. This step-by-step tutorial covers technical, content, and citation audits.
Prerequisites
- Access to your Google Business Profile
- Google Search Console access
- A local SEO audit tool (BrightLocal, Whitespark, or SEMrush)
- 2-3 hours of focused time
Step 1: Google Business Profile Audit
Profile Completeness Check
Go through every section of your GBP and verify:
Business information
- Business name is accurate and matches website
- Address is correct and map pin is properly placed
- Phone number works and is consistent
- Website URL is correct and working
- Business hours are accurate including holidays
Categories
- Primary category is the most specific match
- Secondary categories are all relevant
- Categories match competitor selections
Visual content
- At least 10 high-quality photos uploaded
- Cover photo is compelling and professional
- Logo is current and high-resolution
- Photos are less than 6 months old
Engagement
- Responding to all reviews within 24 hours
- Posting updates at least weekly
- Answering all Q&A questions
- Messaging is enabled and monitored
GBP Audit Scorecard
| Area | Points | Your Score |
|---|---|---|
| Business info complete | 20 | ___ |
| Categories optimized | 15 | ___ |
| Photos (10+ current) | 15 | ___ |
| Reviews (50+, 4.5+ rating) | 20 | ___ |
| Regular posting | 10 | ___ |
| Q&A managed | 10 | ___ |
| Messaging enabled | 10 | ___ |
| Total | 100 | ___ |
Step 2: Citation and NAP Audit
Find All Your Citations
Use a citation audit tool to discover:
- All existing citations across the web
- NAP inconsistencies
- Missing citations on important directories
- Duplicate listings that need to be resolved
NAP Consistency Check
For each citation found, verify:
- Business name matches exactly
- Address is formatted identically
- Phone number is the same
- Website URL is correct
- Business categories are appropriate
Common Issues to Fix
| Issue | Impact | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Different phone numbers | High | Contact directory to update |
| Old address listed | Very High | Claim and update immediately |
| Missing suite number | Medium | Update to match standard format |
| Different business name | High | Standardize across all platforms |
| Duplicate listings | High | Request removal of duplicates |
Step 3: On-Page Local SEO Audit
Homepage Audit
- City/state in title tag
- Local keywords in H1
- NAP displayed in text (not just images)
- LocalBusiness schema markup
- Google Map embed
- Local testimonials visible
Location Pages Audit (if multi-location)
- Each location has a unique page
- Unique content per location (not copy-paste)
- Location in URL, title, and H1
- LocalBusiness schema with correct coordinates
- Local testimonials and case studies
- Driving directions and parking info
Technical Audit
- Site loads in under 3 seconds
- Mobile-responsive design
- SSL certificate (HTTPS)
- No crawl errors in Search Console
- XML sitemap includes location pages
- Correct canonical tags on all pages
Step 4: Review and Reputation Audit
Review Analysis
- Count total reviews across all platforms
- Calculate average rating on each platform
- Analyze review velocity (new reviews per month)
- Check response rate (percentage of reviews responded to)
- Assess review sentiment (common themes in positive and negative reviews)
Review Gap Analysis
| Platform | Your Reviews | Top Competitor | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| ___ | ___ | ___ | |
| Yelp | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | |
| Industry-specific | ___ | ___ | ___ |
Step 5: Competitive Local SEO Audit
Analyze Top 3 Local Competitors
For each competitor, document:
- GBP optimization level: How complete is their profile?
- Review count and rating: How many reviews, what rating?
- Posting frequency: How often do they post updates?
- Website local SEO: How well optimized is their site?
- Citation profile: How many quality citations do they have?
- Backlink profile: What local links do they have?
Create an Action Plan
Based on your audit findings, prioritize:
- Quick wins (can fix in 1 day): NAP corrections, missing GBP fields
- Medium effort (1-2 weeks): New citations, review generation campaign
- Long-term (1-3 months): Content creation, link building, website improvements