Local SEO

Local SEO Checklist: 30 Checks for Your Business Profile, Website and Reviews

Work through it once as an audit, then revisit it every quarter.

By Laylar Team · Updated October 14, 2026 · 3 min read

Local SEO is the work that helps nearby customers find your business on Google Maps and in local results on Google Search. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence; most of the checks below improve the first and third, because distance is mostly fixed.

Each check is a yes-or-no question. Anything you answer “no” to is a task.

Short answer: A local SEO checklist covers five areas: a verified, complete and accurate Google Business Profile; a website with clear service pages and matching contact details; genuinely useful location or service-area pages; a review process that follows Google’s rules; and tracking through Business Profile performance, Search Console and analytics. Google says complete, accurate information makes a business more likely to show up.

Key Takeaways

  • Start with the Business Profile: verified, complete, accurate and within Google’s guidelines.
  • Your website should back up the profile with matching details and clear service pages.
  • Only create location pages you can make genuinely unique; avoid doorway pages.
  • Ask every customer for a review and reply to reviews, within Google’s rules.
  • Track calls, direction requests, website clicks and enquiries, not just rankings.

Google Business Profile (10 checks)

  1. The profile is verified and owned by an account the business controls.
  2. The business name matches your real-world name, with no added keywords or locations.
  3. The primary category is the most specific accurate option.
  4. Additional categories are few and accurate.
  5. The address is a real location where you serve customers or staff are present, or it’s hidden with a service area set.
  6. Regular hours and special hours are complete.
  7. Phone number and website link are correct.
  8. Services and relevant attributes are listed.
  9. Photos show the exterior, interior, team and real work.
  10. The description is plain and free of links and promotional offers.

Details for each item are in our Business Profile optimization checklist.

Website (8 checks)

  1. Name, address and phone number on the site match the profile exactly.
  2. Each main service has its own clear page.
  3. The homepage or location page says where you work, in plain language.
  4. Contact, hours and directions are easy to find on mobile.
  5. Important pages are indexed (check Search Console).
  6. Pages load quickly and work well on phones.
  7. LocalBusiness structured data matches the visible details.
  8. The site explains who runs the business and why customers can trust it.

Local pages (4 checks)

  1. Each location page represents a real branch or a genuinely distinct service area.
  2. Each page has unique, useful information, not just a swapped city name.
  3. Pages are linked from a sensible place in your navigation.
  4. You haven’t created pages for towns you don’t actually serve.

See local landing pages: how to avoid doorway pages.

Reviews and reputation (5 checks)

  1. Every customer is asked for a review, using your review link or QR code.
  2. No incentives are offered for reviews.
  3. You don’t only ask customers you expect to be happy.
  4. Reviews get a reply, including negative ones.
  5. Your review count and recency are tracked against local competitors.

See how to get more Google reviews within the rules.

Tracking (3 checks)

  1. You review Business Profile performance: searches, calls, direction requests and website clicks.
  2. Search Console is set up and checked for local pages.
  3. Enquiries from your website are tracked as conversions in analytics.

Google says there’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. These checks are the parts you control.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important local SEO factor?

Google names relevance, distance and prominence as the main factors. For most businesses, a complete and accurate Business Profile is the biggest controllable starting point.

How often should I run a local SEO audit?

A full pass every quarter, plus a quick profile check whenever hours, services or contact details change.

Do I need location pages?

Only if you have real locations or genuinely distinct service areas with something specific to say. Otherwise, clear service pages are enough.

Can I do local SEO myself?

Yes. Most checks here need time rather than special tools. An agency helps when you have many locations or recurring problems.

Want help with local SEO?

We audit your Business Profile, location pages and local signals, then fix what’s holding your visibility back. No ranking guarantees, just clear work you can check.

Talk to an Expert

Sources

Last reviewed October 14, 2026.

Table of Contents

  1. Google Business Profile (10 checks)
  2. Website (8 checks)
  3. Local pages (4 checks)
  4. Reviews and reputation (5 checks)
  5. Tracking (3 checks)
  6. Frequently asked questions

Need more local visibility?

We fix the Business Profile and website signals Google uses for local results.

See Local SEO

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