The author's posts are entirely his or her own (excluding the unlikely event of hypnosis) and may not always reflect the views of Moz.
Every business that competes in a local market and who competes for the display of localized results in SERPs will likely find the need to conduct a local SEO audit at some point. Whether you've hired an SEO in the past or not, the best way to beat the competition is to know where you stand and what you need to fix, and then develop a plan to win based on the competitive landscape.
While this may seem like a daunting task, the good news is that you can do this for your business or your client using this Ultimate Local SEO audit guide.
This guide was created as a complete checklist and will show you what areas you should focus on, what needs to be optimized, and what you need to do to fix any problems you encounter. To make things easier, I have also included many additional resources for further reading on the topics below.
In this guide I am going to cover the top areas we review for clients who either want to know how they can improve or the ones that need a local SEO audit. To make it easier I have included detailed explanations of the topics and an Excel template you can use to conduct the audit.
Also since the Pigeon update, local search has started to weigh organic factors more heavily so I have included them in this audit. However, if after you have read this you're looking for an even deeper audit for Organic SEO, you should also check out Steve Webb's article, " How to Perform the World's Greatest SEO Audit."
Who is this guide for?
This guide is intended for those businesses that already have an existing Google My Business page. It's also mostly geared towards brick and mortar stores. If you don't have a public address and you're a service area business, you can ignore the parts where I mention publishing your physical address. If you don't have a listing setup already, it's a little bit harder to audit. That being said, new businesses can use this as a road map.
What we won't cover
The local algorithm is complicated and ever evolving. Although we can look at considerations such as proximity to similar businesses or driving directions requests, I have decided to not include these since we have limited control over them. This audit mainly covers the items the website owner is in direct control over.
A little background
Being ready and willing to adopt change in online marketing is an important factor in the path of success. Search changes and you have to be ready to change with it. The good news is that if you're constantly trying to do the right thing while be the least imperfect, your results will only get better with updates.
Some goons will always try to cheat the systems for a quick win, but they will get caught and penalized eventually. However, if you stick with the right path you can sleep easier at night knowing you don't have to worry about penalties.
But why are audits so important?
At my company we have found through a lot of trial and error that we can provide the best results for our clients when we start a project off with a complete and full understanding of the project as opposed to just bits and pieces. If we have a complete snapshot of their SEO efforts along with their competition we can create a plan that is going to be much more effective and sustainable.
We now live in a world where marketers not only need to be forward thinking with their strategies but they must also evaluate and consider the work done by prior employees and SEOs who have worked on the website in the past. If you don't know what potential damage has been done, how could you possibly be sure your efforts will help your client long term?
Given the impact and potential severity of penalties, it's irresponsible to ignore this or participate in activities that can harm the client in the long run. Again, sadly, this is a lesson I have learned the hard way.
What aspects does this local SEO audit cover?
Knowing what to include in your audit is a great first step. We have broken our audit down into several different categories we find to be essential to local SEO success. They are:
1) Google My Business page audit
2) Website & landing page audit
3) Citation analysis
4) Organic link & penalty analysis
5) Review analysis
6) Social analysis
7) Competition analysis
8) Ongoing strategy
Analyzing all of these factors will allow you to develop a strategy with a much better picture of the major problems and what you're up against as far as the competition is concerned. If you don't have the full picture with all of the details, then you might uncover more problems later.
Before we get started, a disclaimer
In this guide I am going to try to break things down to make it easy for beginners and advanced users. That being said, it's a wise idea to seek advice or read more about a topic if you don't quite understand it. If something is over your head, please don't hesitate to reach out for clarification. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
How to use this guide for your local SEO audit
This guide is broken up into two parts including this post and a spreadsheet. The written part that you are reading now will also correspond to this spreadsheet which will allow you to collect pertinent client intake information, record problems, and serve as an easy reference as to what your ultimate goal is for each of the items.
To use the spreadsheet you can click the link and then go to File > Make A Copy.
The complete spreadsheet includes five tabs that each serve a different purpose. They are:
Current info - This tab allows you to record the information the customer submits and compare it against the Google My Business information you find. It also allows you to record your notes for any proposed changes. This will help you when it comes time to report on your findings.
Questions to ask - These are some basic questions you can ask your clients up front that may save a lot of time in the long run.
Competitor information - You can use this tab to track your competitors and compare your metrics side by side.
Top 50 citations audit - This is the list of the top 50 citation sources as provided by Whitespark.
Audit steps - For the more advanced user I took everything in this long document and condensed it to this easy to use spreadsheet with an audit checklist and some small notes on what you're checking for.
Get your audit shoes on. Now let's get started
Step 1: Gather the facts
Whether you're conducting this audit for a client or your own business it's important to start off with the right information. If clients fill out this information properly, you can save a lot of time and also help identify major issues right off the bat. Not only can we help identify some of the common local SEO issues like inconsistent NAP with this information, we can also have it recorded in the spreadsheet I mentioned above.
Since this is an audit, the spreadsheet has information to include the current information and a column for proposed changes for the client. Later, these will be used as action items.
The first tab in this spreadsheet has everything we need to get started under the company information tab. This includes all of the basic information we will need to be successful.
This information should be provided by the client up front so that we can compare it to the information already existing on the web. You can use the audit spreadsheet and enter this under the "Provided Information" column. This will help us identify problems easily as we collect more information.
The basic information we will need to get started will include NAP information and other items. A sample of this can be seen below:
Questions to ask up front
Once we have the basic company information we can also ask some questions. Keep in mind that the goal here is to be the least imperfect. While some of these factors are more important than others, it's always good to do more and have a better understanding of the potential issues rather than taking shortcuts. Shortcuts will just create more work later.
Feel free to edit the spreadsheet and add more questions to your copy based on your experience.
1) Have you ever been penalized or think you may have been? The client should have a good idea if they were penalized in the past.
2) Have you ever hired anyone to build citations for you? If they hired anyone to build citations for them they should have some documentation which will make the citation audit portion of the audit easier.
3) Have you ever hired an SEO company to work with you? If they hired an SEO in the past it's important to check any work they completed for accuracy.
4) Have you ever hired anyone to build links for you? If they have hired anyone in the past to build links they will hopefully have documentation you can review. If you see bad links you know you will have your work cut out for you.
5) What are the primary keywords you want to rank for? Knowing what the client wants and developing a strategy based off this is essential to your local SEO success.
6) Have you ever used another business name in the past? Companies that used a different name or that were acquired can lead to NAP inconsistencies.
7) Is your business address a PO Box? PO Boxes and UPS boxes are a no no. It's good to know this up front before you get started.
8) Is your phone number a land line? Some Local SEOs claim that landlines may provide some benefit. Regardless it's good to know where the phone number is registered.
9) Do other websites 301 redirect to your website? If other websites redirect to their domain you may need to do an analysis on these domains as well. Specifically for penalty evaluation.
10) Did you ever previously use call tracking numbers? Previously used call tracking numbers can be a nightmare as far as local SEO is concerned. If a client previously used call tracking numbers you will want to search for these when we get to the citation portion of this document. Cleaning up wrong phone numbers, including tracking numbers, in the local ecosystem is essential to your local success.
Local SEO audit phase 1: Google My Business page
The new Google My Business Dashboard has a lot of useful information. Although I reference the Google Guidelines below, be sure to check them often. Google does change these sometimes and you won't really get any official notice. This happened rather recently when they started allowing descriptive words in the business name. Keep in mind that if any changes were recently made to your Google My Business page they may not show in the live version. It may take up to three days for these to show in the search results.
Any information collected below should be put in the "Current Info" tab on the spreadsheet under the Google My Business Information. This will also help us identify discrepancies right away when we look at the spreadsheet.
1. Locate the proper Google My Business page we should be working with
We can't really get started with an audit unless we know the proper page we're working this. Usually if a client hires you they already have this information.
How to do this: If your client already has a Google My Business login, and log in to their dashboard using the proper credentials. In the back end of the dashboard it should show the businesses associated with this account. Copy this URL and confirm with the business owner that this is the page they intend to use. If it's not their primary one we will correct this a bit later below.
Goal: We want to find and record the proper Google My Business URL in our Local SEO Audit Spreadsheet.
2. Find and destroy duplicate pages
Duplicate Google My Business listings can be one of the greatest threats to any local SEO campaign.
How to: There are several ways to find possible duplicate pages but I have found the easiest way is to use Google MapMaker. To do this log in to your Google account and visit http://www.google.com/mapmaker or https://plus.google.com/local. From this page you can search the business phone number such as 555-555-5555 or the business names. If you see multiple listings you didn't know about, a major priority is to record those URLs and delete them.
I personally see a lot of issues when dealing with attorneys where each attorney has their own profile or in the case where an office has moved. There should only be one listing and it should be 100% correct.
You can also read my previous MOZ article.
Goal: Make sure there are no duplicate listings. Kill any duplicates.
3. Ensure that the local listing is not penalized (IMPORTANT!)
Figuring out Google penalties in the local landscape is not usually a walk in the park. In fact there are a lot of variables to consider and now this is a bigger deal post Pigeon as more organic signals are involved. We will look at other types of penalties later in this guide. Unlike organic penalties Google does not notify businesses of local penalties unless your account is suspended with a big red warning on the back end of your My Business page.
According to Phil Rozek from Local Visibility System "My first must-look-at item is: is the client's site or Google Places page being penalized, or at risk of getting penalized?"
How to do this: If your keyword is "Los Angeles personal injury attorney" then you could search for this keyword on Google Maps and Google Search results. If your business listing appears on the maps side in position C for example but then does not appear at all in local search results performing a normal Google Search, then it's likely there is a penalty in place. Sometimes you see listings that are not suppressed on the maps side but are suppressed on the places side. This is an easy way to take a look.
Goal: Do your best to determine that the listing is not penalized. If it is consult a penalty expert for further guidance.
4. Is the Google My Business page associated with an email address on the customer's domain?
In my experience it's best practice to have the login information for the business under an email address associated with the domain name. Additionally this ensures that the client has primary control of their listing. As an example if you run Moz.com and had local listings your Google My Business login should be something@moz.com instead of something@gmail.com. This helps associate that you are indeed the business owner.
How to: If someone else owns your Google My Business page you can transfer it to yourself. Read Google's Transfer Ownership guide.
Goal: The Google My Business Login should be on an email address on the customers domain.
5. Is the page verified?
Ensuring your Google My Business page is verified is essential if you want to take full advantage of your business listing. When you log in to your dashboard you will be able to see right away if its verified or not. If it is not yet verified you will want to verify it using the available method. Usually these are by phone or by postcard. Typically the postcard option will take about a week to show up in the mail.
If you have not yet claimed your page you should be able to see this. Once you find the page you can click on the About tab and scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find the heading "Is This Your Business". From there you can click "Manage this page" and go through the process.
How to: You can verify your page from the back end of the Google My Business Dashboard.
Goal: The page must be claimed & verified.
6. Is the correct business name used?
It's crucial that the Business Name, Address, and Phone Number are as consistent as possible across the web. Google also now permits a one word descriptor of your business in the name of the business. Make sure you are only using your actual business name.
According to Google's Guidelines "You should represent your business exactly as it appears in the offline world". In addition to this they go on to say "you may include a single descriptor that helps customers locate your business or understand what your business offers". Don't add keywords just to spam the search results. You will get caught and penalized. Here is the link to their local business name guidelines where you can read more.
How to: You can change this from the back end of the Google My Business dashboard once it's verified. Changing pertinent information may require a re-verification.
Goal: Ensure the proper business name is used and not inappropriately keyword stuffed. Add this information to the company information tab on your spreadsheet.
7. Is the correct address used?
This should also be consistent with the US Post Office and should be complete and accurate. According to Google's guidelines on addresses they should only contain information that is part of your official address. Don't add cross streets or other information in this section.
Google has a whole page dedicated to their address guidelines here.
In addition to this you need to know that PO Boxes and UPS Boxes are not allowed. Virtual offices are also a no no. If they don't have an office there it could lead to a penalty.
Goal: Your address should be 100% complete and accurate. Suite numbers should be on address line two. Add this information to the company information tab on the spreadsheet. Make sure that no PO Boxes or UPS boxes are used.
8. Is the correct phone number used?
The local phone number for the corresponding office location should be used. Don't use an 800 number as the primary number as it's not best practice. This number should include a local area code.
How to: This can be changed in the Google My Business dashboard for your listing.
Goal: The businesses published main number (not a toll free or tracking number) should be used here. Add this information to the company information tab on the spreadsheet.
9. Proper category association (IMPORTANT!)
Using the correct categories for your business is essential. Custom categories are no longer allowed. You should be using all categories that are allowed for your industry. According to Google's guidelines you should "Add categories which describe what your business is, and not what it does."
In addition to this, Darren Shaw from Whitespark says "I think the most important thing in any local SEO audit is getting the categories right on the Google listing. I have seen a listing jump 7 spots just from a simple change of the primary category, and I have seen a listing completely disappear when an unrelated category was accidentally set. You want to make sure your primary category is the one that most closely represents your most important keyword, and you want to be careful to keep the other categories related to the main service(s)."
How to: This can be changed in the Google My Business dashboard for your listing.
Goal: Ensure your primary category your main category. Use all categories that fit in these guidelines.
10. Email address
Under the Contact Information box in the Google My Business dashboard you will find the email address setting. Make sure there is a public email address here where customers can contact you. This email should be on your domain.
How to: This can be changed in the Google My Business dashboard for your listing.
Goal: Make sure this is filled out with a public email address on the client's domain name.
11. Proper URL
If you have a single location business it would be appropriate to use the home page for your company. However if you have multiple locations then best practice would be to use the landing page for that particular location. Keep in mind that since the Pigeon update it's also important to weigh organic signals. If you have poor site structure you can also shoot yourself in the foot by doing this if there is no authority passed to your location landing page. This is the Website URL field in the Google My Business Dashboard.
Good URL Examples for landing pages:
www.MyDomain.com/denver/
Goal: The My Business listing should link to the page on your website that provides the best user experience.
12. Introduction description
According to Google's guidelines you should use this field to "Add a brief description of your business here. This is where you can introduce yourself to your customers and teach them about your business." Check that this description is also unique content by copying and pasting it into Google.
Goal: You should have a non spammy introduction description. This should be unique content and be over 250 words if possible.
13. Profile completeness
Your Google My Business profile should be 100% complete. If it's not make sure to record the action items to get them taken care of.
Goal: The profile marker at the top of the dashboard should show 100% complete
14. Map & search photos
Photos play an important role in the carousel, and if a customer clicks through, they should see an accurate representation of your business in a very professional manner. If this is not the case then it should be fixed by providing better pictures.
Goal: Upload the best quality photos. If they suck, identify this as a problem.
15. Business hours
Are the business hours filled out correctly and completely for this location? They should be 100% filled out and accurate.
How to: These can be added from the Google My Business back end.
Goal: Business hours should be filled out and accurate.
16. Posts on G+
Posting to your page is a good way to show that you are active on your page and your business. Posting regularly is an important step that's often overlooked.
How to: Post to your Google My Business page.
Goal: Make sure the business owner is posting consistently to their page. Preferably they should post at least weekly.
17. Trusted photographer used?
Google has always been looking for ways to validate that a business exists at their posted location. People try to spam the listings and sometimes get away with it. I suspect that not only does this virtual tour help verify your listing on a previously unprecedented level, it also provides a great user experience.
How to: From the Google My Business page click the "Add Virtual Tour" link. This will take you to the Google Maps business view screen. Learn more about this program here.
Goal: You should budget for and schedule a Google Trusted Photographer search.
Local SEO audit phase 2: website and landing page optimization
Having a properly optimized site is more important than ever since the Google Pigeon update. Organic signals are now more tied into the local algorithm and having a properly optimized website will help you outrank your competition.
In your Google My Business dashboard you have the ability to link to a website as we looked at above.
Depending on your site structure and other factors, it may make sense to link to either the home page of your website or a landing page that is designated to that location.
Typically a single location business might have all of the pertinent information we are going to discuss below on their home page. On the other hand, if you have multiple locations it generally makes sense to create a page for each location while also reviewing these factors and considerations. With the steps listed below we are talking about whichever page is associated with your Google My Business account listed above. Therefore in this section we will be auditing this information on your own website.
1. Correct crawlable NAP on landing page
Having the proper NAP is just as important off site as it is on site. We don't want to ever send mixed signals to Google so if we keep our accuracy in place then we will be setup for long term success.
Common problems to look over
They use a tracking number. This is a big no no unless done with advanced knowledge, extreme preparation, and a working knowledge of this.
If the phone number is in an image it should have the proper corresponding ALT text.
Goal: The landing page should have NAP on it that matches your Google My Business profile. If your business hours are located within an image keep in mind that Googlebot will be unable to read it.
2. Site structure
According to Phil Rozek from Local Visibility System this is an important item and I agree. He mentions "Is there a page for every specific service (and location and practitioner, if applicable)? Does the homepage form the nucleus of the site, with a ton of useful detail on the page, and plenty of links to relevant subpages? Is the blog on the same domain? 9 times out of 10 people don't get the basics right."
If you are using a landing page for your geographic area, you can optimize your URL structure to accommodate best practices. A good location landing page would be descriptive of your actual physical location. While there are plenty of ways to optimize your landing page I prefer the non spammy result which would be something along the lines of:
http://www.YourSite.com/locations/Denver
This particular optimization item also requires a strong understanding of the site wide URL structure. Don't just change this URL or take this decision lightly. Instead be sure you have the full picture and keyword map defined before jumping to a conclusion. Here is another resource.
Goal: You should have a solid site structure that meets your long term optimization goals which includes the city and state if possible.
3. Business hours
Consumers who find this page organically or through Google My Business may be looking for your hours. If your business hours are located within an image keep in mind that Googlebot will be unable to read it.
Goal: Ensure the customers business days and hours are listed in a crawlable format. These should of course match the business hours on your Google My Business page.
4. Landing page content
Having great content can be difficult at times especially if you have multiple locations. One tip for multiple locations that Mary Bowling has mentioned is that you can ask local operators to write that content. If you have the person running that location write the content it will ensure you get a different flavor each time. You should try for at least 400 words in my experience although I have seen pages with much less still be successful.
When it comes to content, the importance of this cannot be overlooked. One great resource you should read about landing page content is from Miriam Ellis titled " Local Landing Pages: A Guide To Great Implementation In Every Situation."
How to: To check and see if the content's unique I have a couple of different methods. The first would be to do a quick check by copying a couple of sentences or a paragraph at a time and pasting them into a Google search. If other websites come up (and not yours) then there is a major issue that needs to be fixed. You can also used paid services such as Copyscape and Plag Spotter to do checks as well.
Goal: Have at least 400 words of unique (not copied) content on this page that is geared towards creating a great user experience. More is better and it should include the city and state.
5. Check and ensure your landing page is indexed
Assuming this page has been there for a while do a quick Google search for the landing page URL. If your landing page is not showing up, you are likely to find major organic issues such as site architecture or penalties.
How to: Open up a Google Chrome window and switch to Incognito search mode. If you're not logged in under Google Incognito mode