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Local SEO audit

A local SEO audit evaluates all factors that influence how a business appears in local search results — including Google Business Profile, NAP consistency, reviews, local landing pages, citations, local schema, and local link signals. It is distinct from a general SEO audit because of the weight local-specific signals carry in determining Map Pack and local organic visibility.

Learning objectives​

After completing this module, you will be able to:

  • Audit local search visibility across GBP, website, citations, reviews, and local trust signals.
  • Identify local SEO gaps that are suppressing visibility and conversions.
  • Prioritize findings by local lead and revenue impact.

Local SEO audit dimensions​

A local SEO audit covers five primary areas:

  1. Google Business Profile quality.
  2. NAP consistency across web citations.
  3. Review profile and sentiment.
  4. Local website (landing pages, schema, content).
  5. Local authority and competitive landscape.

Google Business Profile audit​

Categories and attributes​

  • Primary category: Is it the most specific, accurate category for the business?
  • Secondary categories: Are all relevant service categories listed?
  • Attributes: Are all applicable attributes selected (women-led, wheelchair accessible, etc.)?

Business information​

  • Name matches legal business name (no keyword stuffing).
  • Address is correct and matches citations.
  • Phone number is local (not national call center).
  • Website URL links to the appropriate page (location page, not homepage for multi-location).
  • Hours are current and reflect actual operating hours.
  • Special hours are set for holidays.

Services and products​

  • Services list is complete.
  • Products (for applicable business types) are accurate and current.

Photos and media​

  • Primary photo is high quality and shows the business clearly.
  • Photos include the storefront, interior, team, and work examples.
  • No violations (stock photos, text overlays, personal photos).

Posts​

  • GBP Posts are used regularly (events, offers, updates).
  • Posts are recent (within last 30 days for active programs).

NAP consistency audit​

NAP (Name, Address, Phone) should match across:

  • The website (especially the contact and location page).
  • GBP.
  • Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing Places, TripAdvisor, Facebook.
  • Industry-specific directories.
  • Local newspaper or event listings.

Tools for citation audit​

  • BrightLocal Citation Builder or Citation Tracker.
  • Moz Local.
  • Manual search: "business name" "address" in Google.

Common NAP inconsistencies​

  • Old phone numbers from previous providers.
  • Suite number missing or formatted differently.
  • Business name abbreviated in some listings (e.g., "Acme Co" vs "Acme Company").
  • Changed addresses after a move not updated across all citations.

Reviews and reputation audit​

  • Review count and average rating on Google.
  • Review recency — when was the last review? Is there a consistent flow?
  • Review response rate and quality.
  • Review distribution across platforms (Google, Yelp, industry directories).
  • Review content themes — what are customers mentioning?

Local website audit​

Location pages​

  • Each location has its own dedicated, indexable page.
  • Pages contain unique, local proof (staff, photos, reviews, local FAQs).
  • CTA is specific to the location (local phone number, specific booking link).
  • NAP matches GBP exactly.

Local schema​

  • LocalBusiness or specific subtype on each location page.
  • Schema properties match visible content.
  • Schema validates in Rich Results Test.
  • Are location pages linked from navigation, footer, or a locations hub?
  • Do service pages reference location pages?

Local competitive audit​

  • Identify top 3–5 competitors in the Map Pack for primary service queries.
  • Compare: GBP review count, average rating, category configuration, and link profile.
  • Identify gaps where competitors have signals you lack.

Checklist​

  • GBP is fully completed with accurate information, categories, and recent photos.
  • NAP data is consistent across GBP, website, and major citation sources.
  • Reviews are monitored and responded to.
  • Each location has a unique, valuable landing page.
  • LocalBusiness schema validates on each location page.
  • Competitive gap analysis identifies specific missing signals.

Measurement​

MetricWhat it tracks
GBP calls, direction requests, bookingsDirect conversion performance
Local rankings for primary service queriesSearch visibility
Review count and velocityTrust and local signal health
NAP accuracy rate across citationsData consistency
GBP photo count and post frequencyProfile completeness signals

Common mistakes​

Auditing only the website and ignoring GBP. For local businesses, GBP is often the primary search presence. An audit that overlooks GBP misses the most important local SEO asset.

Using duplicate city pages as a location strategy. Multiple identical city pages with no unique content are a doorway page pattern. Each location page needs genuine, unique local content.

Ignoring review quality and response. High review volume with no responses and poor sentiment signals is a visibility and conversion problem. Review strategy must be part of the audit.

Not tracking local conversions. Auditing visibility without tracking leads, calls, and bookings means you cannot prove the impact of local SEO improvements.

Treating NAP inconsistencies as minor. Significant NAP inconsistencies (wrong phone, multiple address formats) suppress local authority signals and confuse users who try to contact the business.