Local SEO checklist

The local SEO checklist

Updated November 1, 2026

Use this checklist to set up local SEO properly or to audit what you already have. It's ordered by impact: the Google Business Profile and website items do the most, the later sections build on them.

Google Business Profile

Profile claimed and verified, managed from a business-owned Google account.
Business name exactly as on your signage, with no added keywords.
Most specific primary category; secondary categories only for real services.
Address shown if customers visit; hidden with service areas if you go to them.
Every service listed with a short description.
Regular and holiday hours set and accurate.
Phone number answered during business hours; website link to the most relevant page.
Real photos of work, team, vehicles and premises, added regularly.
Attributes, booking links and products filled in where they apply.

Website

A page for each main service, saying clearly where you offer it.
Pages for the main towns you serve, with genuinely local content (jobs, specifics, directions), not copies with the town name swapped.
Name, address and phone number on every page, matching your profile.
Unique title tag and meta description on each page, including the service and area.
Fast and readable on phones.
LocalBusiness structured data with your details.
Site verified in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, with a sitemap submitted.

Reviews

A routine to ask every happy customer, with your direct review link.
A reply to every review, positive and negative.
Reviews on the industry sites customers use in your field.
No incentives, gating or bought reviews.

Citations and links

Consistent listings on Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, Facebook and the main directories in your country.
Listings on your industry's key directories and associations.
Duplicate or outdated listings found and fixed.
Links from local sources: suppliers, sponsorships, local news, community organisations.

AI search

Clear answers to common customer questions on your service pages.
Search engines and AI crawlers not blocked by your robots.txt or firewall.
A regular check of whether ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI answers mention you for the questions customers ask.

Tracking

Map rankings checked from points across your service area, not just from your office.
Google rankings tracked for each main service.
Search Console clicks and impressions reviewed monthly.

Questions

How often should I run a local SEO audit?

A full pass every quarter, plus monthly checks of rankings, reviews and Search Console.

What should I do first?

Your Google Business Profile: verification, primary category, services and hours. It affects map rankings most directly.

Do I need location pages for every town?

Only for towns you genuinely serve and can write something specific about. Thin copies of the same page don't help and can hurt.

Can SearchTerrain check this for me?

SearchTerrain tracks the measurable parts: map rankings across your area, Google rankings, website health, backlinks and AI mentions, and suggests what to fix next.

SearchTerrain

Track it every week, not once

SearchTerrain checks where you rank on Google Maps across your service area, in search results and in AI answers, then tells you what to work on next. Plans from $99 a month. Free for the first 7 days.

See plans Run the free scan