How to Perform Local SEO Audit: A Step-By-Step Guide
A local SEO audit is a crucial process for any business looking to improve their visibility and traffic from local searches. By thoroughly analyzing all aspects of your current local SEO strategy, you can uncover opportunities for improvement and formulate an action plan to increase rankings, leads and customers.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through the key components of an effective local SEO audits step-by-step. Whether you choose to conduct the audit internally or work with a local SEO agency, understanding what to look for is vital for success.
What Is a Local SEO Audit?
A local SEO audit is a systematic review of all the on-page and off-page elements that affect a business’ search engine rankings for local intent keywords. The goal is to identify any weaknesses or issues that may be negatively impacting visibility for local searches so that they can be remedied.
Elements analyzed in a local SEO audit include:
- Keyword mapping and search performance
- On-page optimization
- Google Business Profile completeness and optimization
- Review volume and sentiment monitoring
- Local citation consistency and accuracy
- Link building from locally-relevant sites
- Engagement metrics and conversion tracking
By understanding how each of these elements is contributing (or not) to overall performance, you can address problem areas and align your strategy with what works best for ranking locally.
How to Perform a Local SEO Audit Step-By-Step
Conducting structured local SEO audits provides actionable insights while identifying quick wins and long-term opportunities. Follow these key steps:
Step 1: Analyze Keywords and Search Performance
Identifying the terms and phrases that drive relevant traffic is the foundation of any local SEO strategy.
- Discover current ranking keywords and optimization opportunities with tools like SEMrush, Moz, or Ahrefs
- Separate generic and geo-targeted keywords by volume and difficulty
- Identify potential keyword gaps compared to competitors
This allows better alignment between keyword priorities and business services.
Step 2: Evaluate On-Page Optimization
On-page signals influence relevance and click-through rate for searcher intent and location.
- Use Google Search Console for page-level impressions and click-through-rate
- Check for proper local schema markup (Organization, Local Business, FAQPage etc)
- Confirm NAP signal consistency (Name, Address, Phone number)
- Evaluate page speed and mobile-friendliness
Optimizing these page elements directly controls what Google displays about your listings.
Step 3: Audit Your Google Business Profile
Given its prominence in local pack and map listings, optimizing the Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) should be a priority.
Assessing your Google Business Profile identifies opportunities to improve local pack rankings.
- Confirm listing accuracy and completeness
- Check for duplicate or merged profiles
- Review photos, posts and other features
- Enable messaging to facilitate leads and calls
- Monitor insights for view and direction requests
Thoroughly optimizing Google My Business listings can dramatically improve local visibility.
Step 4: Monitor Customer Reviews
Reviews are a strong local ranking signal and form of social proof. Audit review health on platforms like Google, Facebook, and industry-specific sites. Look at volume, recency, response rate, sentiment, and review content. User-generated reviews build trust and social proof for potential local customers.
- Audit review volume and sentiment on platforms like Google, Facebook, Yelp.
- Check responses to both positive and negative feedback.
- Enable and monitor reviews via schema markup.
- Avoid fake or compensated reviews, which can incur penalties.
Actively encouraging genuine reviews improves local rankings and perceptions.
Step 5: Verify Local Business Listings and Citation
Consistent NAP signals in locally-relevant directories validate physical location.
- Search business name on Moz Local and other citations tools
- Check accuracy of business name, phone number, and address fields
- Categorize current counted and uncounted citations
- Identify potential duplicate listings
- Prioritize high value-citations like industry associations
Monitoring citations helps maintain control of listings consistency and accuracy.
Step 6: Evaluate Existing Local Site Content
Frequently updated location pages, blog posts and FAQs optimized with relevant local keywords help search visibility. Optimized location-specific content better targets customer intent.
- Audit existing pages for geo-targeted keywords usage
- Identify service pages that can be better localized
- Create landing pages optimized with keywords and location names
- Update site architecture using geo-folders to target regions
Expanding bottom-funnel content improves conversions from local searchers.
Step 7: Connect Google Search Console for Insights
Google Search Console provides data to measure search visibility. It provides data on queries, impressions, clicks and ad positions associated with the tracked site or domain.
- Add site for index status, top pages, clicks and impressions
- Review search analytics and user behavior
- Debug indexing issues using manual inspect tool
- Submit sitemaps for faster indexing and more visibility
Audit this platform regularly for changes month-over-month. Pay attention to local pack impressions, Analytics tracks changes as well.
Step 8: Examine Google Analytics Site Traffic
Dive deeper into organic traffic sources, landing pages, geo-located sessions and conversion funnels using Google Analytics reporting. Analytics provides details on how visitors interact with your website:
- Inspect traffic channels, site speed, behavior flow
- Set up goals and conversion tracking for transactions
- Create location-based segments for metro areas
- Implement UTM tracking for offline conversions
Business insights help segment highest-converting traffic sources.
Step 9: Audit Link Building Opportunities
The quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to top-ranked local sites can provide useful context into successful link building tactics. Locally-relevant links indicate authority and build trust for a geographic area.
- Use Ahrefs, Majestic or Moz Link Explorer to surface backlinks
- Categorize directory, newspaper and local partner links
- Identify potential link building targets and geo-relevant sites
- Prioritize opportunity sites for outreach and partnerships
Link building should focus both locally and industry-wide.
Step 10: Benchmark Against Competitors
Expanding beyond backlinks, also examine the full range of on-page and off-page SEO for top 5-10 ranking competitors in the space.
- Research competing businesses appearing for core keywords
- Contrast Google Business Profile optimization and reviews
- Compare quality and authority of link profiles
- Note differences in their content strategies and conversions
Gauging competitive strengths spotlights areas for your own improvement.
Step 11: Evaluate Social Engagement
Social media complements SEO driving reviews and signals for local expertise.
- Audit volume of check-ins, tags, and location-enhanced posts
- Review Google Posts, Events and other GMB social features
- Analyze engagement rate and sentiment of comments
- Check competitor’s adoption of optimized social content
Strategic social media management improves local search and discovery.
Step 12: Prioritize Customer Experience
Even details like on-hold messages or parking validation programs that offer an exceptional customer experience can be worth including in a local SEO audits. Word-of-mouth remains essential for local relevance and conversions.
- Shop the experience as an anonymous customer
- Document issues with phone routing or email response
- Note difficulties with booking services or making purchases
- Flag confusing website navigation or content
Fixing pain points in the customer journey boosts retention and referrals.
Conclusion
As this comprehensive guide demonstrates, successful SEO for local business requires technical expertise combined with real-world customer awareness. Our SEO agency has years of experience driving results for local businesses. Contact us today for a personalized assessment of your SEO opportunities and a strategic plan tailored to your business growth goals.
