Local SEO Checklist
For owners and marketers of businesses that serve customers in a specific town, city or region. Use it when setting up local visibility from scratch or auditing why a competitor outranks you in the map results.
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- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Local rankings are driven by relevance, distance and prominence. Without a defined service and area list, every later step is unfocused.
- How to check or fix it
- List each core service with the towns or neighborhoods you serve. Check the local pack for each pair in a private window to see who currently appears.
- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- The profile is the main input for map pack visibility. An unverified listing cannot be fully managed and may be edited by others.
- How to check or fix it
- Search your business name in Google Maps, choose Claim this business, and complete the verification method Google offers.
- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Conflicting business details confuse both users and search engines about which facts are correct.
- How to check or fix it
- Pick one canonical format, then compare it against your website footer, Google profile, Bing Places and major directories.
- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- A single generic page rarely matches specific local searches. Dedicated pages give Google a clear match for each query.
- How to check or fix it
- Create unique pages with real details such as service scope, area served, and proof of work. Avoid swapping only the city name.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- These are the strongest on-page signals for matching a local query to a page.
- How to check or fix it
- Write titles like 'Service in City | Brand' and keep the H1 consistent with the page topic. Check with a Screaming Frog crawl export.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Visible, crawlable location details reinforce the facts in your profile and help visitors reach you.
- How to check or fix it
- Add the address as plain HTML text, not an image, along with opening hours and a click-to-call phone link.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Structured data helps machines read your business facts. Mismatches with visible content weaken its value.
- How to check or fix it
- Add JSON-LD with name, address, telephone, openingHours and url using the most specific LocalBusiness subtype. Test it in the Rich Results Test.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Consistent listings support prominence and give customers more places to find you.
- How to check or fix it
- Start with Bing Places, Apple Business Connect and a few industry directories. Use the exact NAP format you chose.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Review quantity, recency and your responses influence both rankings and conversion from the listing.
- How to check or fix it
- Share your direct review link after a completed job. Respond politely to positive and negative reviews within a few days.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Most local searches happen on phones, and slow pages lose visitors who are ready to call or visit.
- How to check or fix it
- Run PageSpeed Insights on your home and top service pages and fix the mobile issues it flags first.
- nice
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Local links add prominence and show real ties to the area.
- How to check or fix it
- Look for sponsorships, chamber of commerce membership, local press and partner sites that can link to your relevant page.
- nice
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Local rankings vary by searcher location, so you need a consistent way to see real movement and results.
- How to check or fix it
- Use a grid-based local rank tracker or manual checks from set points, and review Business Profile performance for calls and direction requests.
Checklist complete. Re-run it after your next release or major change, and use the related lists below to keep going.
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Common questions
How long does local SEO take to show results?
Some changes, such as fixing a verified profile or wrong phone number, can show effects within weeks. Competitive markets usually take several months of steady work on reviews, content and links.
Do I need a physical address to rank locally?
Google Business Profile requires either a staffed location or a service area setup where customers are visited at their location. Businesses without either are not eligible for a standard profile.