10 Quick Tips for Conducting a Successful Local SEO Audit

As a business owner, it’s important to ensure that your online presence is optimized for local search.

In fact, according to a survey conducted by BrightLocal, 97% of consumers use the internet to search for local businesses.

This means that if you’re not taking advantage of local search engine optimization (SEO), you’re missing out on a significant number of potential customers.

One of the most effective ways to optimize your online presence for local search is by conducting a local SEO audit.

A local SEO audit is a comprehensive evaluation of your online presence, with the goal of identifying areas for improvement that can help you rank higher in local search results.

In this blog post, we’ll provide you with 10 quick tips for conducting a successful local SEO audit.

1: Start with Google My Business

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool provided by Google that allows you to manage your online presence across Google’s platforms, including Google Search and Google Maps.

GMB is critical for local SEO, as it’s one of the most important ranking factors for local search results.

To audit your GMB listing, start by ensuring that your business information is accurate and up-to-date.

This includes your business name, address, phone number (NAP), website URL, hours of operation, and category.

Be sure to also verify your listing and add photos and videos to showcase your business.

Common mistakes to look out for include duplicate listings, incorrect NAP information, and unclaimed listings.

If you find any issues, be sure to fix them as soon as possible to ensure that your GMB listing is optimized for local search.

2: Check NAP consistency

Consistency in NAP information across all online platforms is critical for local SEO.

Inconsistent NAP information can confuse search engines and lead to lower rankings in local search results.

To audit your NAP consistency, start by conducting a search for your business name and address on Google and other online directories.

Check that your NAP information is consistent across all platforms, including your website, social media profiles, and online directories.

Common NAP discrepancies include misspellings, incorrect addresses, and outdated phone numbers.

Be sure to correct any discrepancies you find to ensure that your online presence is optimized for local search.

3: Audit website structure and content

Your website structure and content are critical components of local SEO.

To audit your website structure and content, start by checking that your website is mobile-friendly and has a fast loading speed.

A slow loading speed can negatively impact your search engine rankings and user experience.

Be sure to also check that your website content includes relevant keywords and local search terms.

This can help improve your search engine rankings for local search results.

Common website structure and content issues include broken links, missing meta descriptions, and thin content.

Be sure to fix any issues you find to ensure that your website is optimized for local search.

4: Analyze local keywords and search terms

To analyze your local keywords and search terms, start by conducting keyword research to identify the keywords and phrases that your target audience is using to search for businesses like yours.

Be sure to also analyze your search engine rankings for these keywords and search terms. This can help you identify areas for improvement in your local SEO strategy.

Common local keyword and search term issues include targeting the wrong keywords, not targeting enough keywords, and overstuffing keywords.

Be sure to optimize your website content and metadata for your target keywords to improve your search engine rankings for local search results.

5: Check online reviews and reputation

A positive online reputation can help improve your search engine rankings and attract potential customers.

A negative online reputation can harm your search engine rankings and deter potential customers from choosing your business.

To check your online reviews and reputation, follow these steps:

Check review sites: Start by checking popular review sites like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and TripAdvisor to see what customers are saying about your business. Take note of any negative reviews and address them promptly.

Respond to reviews: Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you value your customers’ feedback and are committed to improving their experience. Be sure to respond promptly and professionally to all reviews.

Monitor your online reputation: Use online reputation management tools like Google Alerts, Social Mention, and Brandwatch to monitor your online reputation and stay informed about what customers are saying about your business.

Common online review and reputation issues include not monitoring reviews, ignoring negative reviews, and not responding to reviews in a professional manner.

6: Evaluate backlink profile

To evaluate your backlink profile, start by conducting a backlink analysis to identify the websites that are linking to your website.

Be sure to also check that your backlinks are from reputable websites and are relevant to your business.

Low-quality or irrelevant backlinks can hurt your search engine rankings.

Common backlink profile issues include low-quality backlinks, broken backlinks, and an unbalanced backlink profile.

Be sure to remove any low-quality or broken backlinks and work on building high-quality, relevant backlinks to improve your search engine rankings for local search results.

7: Check local schema markup

Schema markup is a type of structured data that provides search engines with additional information about your business.

Local schema markup can help improve your search engine rankings for local search results.

To check your local schema markup, start by conducting a schema markup audit using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.

Be sure to also check that your local schema markup includes accurate and up-to-date information about your business.

Common local schema markup issues include missing or inaccurate schema markup, incorrect location information, and incomplete schema markup.

Be sure to fix any issues you find to ensure that your local schema markup is optimized for local search.

8: Audit social media profiles

Social media profiles can also impact your search engine rankings for local search results.

To audit your social media profiles, start by checking that your profiles are complete and up-to-date.

Be sure to also check that your social media profiles include relevant keywords and local search terms.

This can help improve your search engine rankings for local search results.

Common social media profile issues include incomplete profiles, incorrect NAP information, and inconsistent branding.

Be sure to fix any issues you find to ensure that your social media profiles are optimized for local search.

9: Analyze local competitors

Analyzing your local competitors can help you identify areas for improvement in your local SEO strategy.

To analyze your local competitors, start by identifying your top local competitors in Google Maps or local search results.

Be sure to also analyze your competitors’ GMB listings, website content, and backlink profiles.

This can help you identify areas where you can improve your local SEO strategy and stand out from your competitors.

Common local competitor analysis issues include not analyzing local competitors, not identifying the right local competitors, and not analyzing the right metrics.

Be sure to conduct a thorough analysis of your local competitors to identify areas for improvement in your local SEO strategy.

10: Monitor and track your progress

It’s important to monitor and track your progress after conducting a local SEO audit. This can help you identify any new issues that arise and track the effectiveness of your local SEO strategy over time.

Be sure to use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your website traffic and search engine rankings.

This can help you identify any changes in your website traffic or search engine rankings that may be related to your local SEO strategy.