A local SEO audit is a review of everything that decides whether a business shows up for nearby searches: its Google Business Profile, its website's location pages, its listings on other sites, its reviews, and increasingly its presence in AI answers. The 20 checks below cover all five areas and can be worked through in an afternoon for a single location.
It applies the method from our SEO audit guide to local businesses. Google names the three factors behind local results in its local ranking help page: relevance, distance and prominence. You cannot change distance. The checks below work on the other two.
Local SEO audit part 1: Google Business Profile (checks 1 to 7)
A Google Business Profile audit confirms the profile is verified, accurate, compliant with Google's guidelines and actively maintained. For most local searches, this profile is the first thing people see.
Google's Business Profile guidelines set the rules used in several checks below, as of October 2026.
- The profile is verified and you control it. Confirm who owns the profile and that at least two people at the business have access.
- The business name matches the real-world name. Google's guidelines say the name should reflect the name used on your storefront, website and stationery. Adding keywords or locations to the name is against the guidelines.
- The primary category is the most specific accurate one. Google advises using as few categories as possible to describe the core business, choosing ones that complete "This business IS a".
- Address or service area is set correctly. Storefronts show their address. Service-area businesses that work from home should hide the address and set a service area.
- Hours are accurate, including holidays. Wrong hours cost visits and trust quickly.
- Phone and website are direct. Google's guidelines prefer a local number over a central call center line, and the website link should go to your own site, not a third-party page.
- There is only one profile per location. Google states there should be one profile per business. Search Maps for duplicates and close them.
Website and location page checks (checks 8 to 12)
Website checks confirm the site clearly tells search engines and AI engines where you operate and what you do there. A strong profile with a weak website loses on relevance.
- Name, address and phone on the site match the profile exactly. Same format everywhere, ideally in the footer or contact page as plain text.
- Each location has its own page. Multi-location businesses need a page per location with unique details: address, hours, staff, services and directions. Swapping the city name in identical text does not count.
- Local business structured data is present and accurate. Google's local business structured data documentation lists the properties it reads. Our schema markup generator produces a valid LocalBusiness block.
- Service pages target "service + area" searches honestly. One clear page per main service, mentioning the areas you actually serve.
- Mobile pages load fast and show the phone number. Many local searches happen on phones, often by someone ready to call.
For wider targeting by region or country, see geo-targeting in SEO.
Citations and consistency (checks 13 to 15)
Citations are listings of your business on other sites, such as directories, industry associations and maps apps. Consistent citations support prominence and help both search engines and AI engines confirm your details.
- Core listings exist and match. Check Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp and the main directories for your industry and country. Name, address, phone and hours must match the profile.
- Old addresses and phone numbers are gone. If you moved or changed numbers, search for the old details and update or remove those listings.
- Industry and local sources mention you. Membership of a trade body, local chamber of commerce or local news coverage counts for more than a hundred low-quality directories.
Reviews (checks 16 to 18)
Reviews are a direct prominence signal and the main thing customers read before choosing. Google's local ranking page lists more reviews and positive ratings among the ways to improve prominence.
- Review volume and recency are healthy compared with nearby competitors. A steady stream beats a burst from two years ago.
- Every review gets a reply. Thank positive reviewers briefly and answer negative ones calmly with a fix.
- Review requests follow Google's rules. Google's fake engagement policy prohibits offering incentives for reviews and selectively asking only happy customers. Ask everyone, offer nothing in return.
Warning: review gating, where only satisfied customers are sent to Google, breaks Google's policy. Profiles with incentivized or fake reviews risk having those reviews removed.
AI search checks (checks 19 and 20)
AI search checks confirm that AI engines can find accurate information about the business when someone asks for a recommendation. As of October 2026, people increasingly ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Mode questions like "best plumber near me" or "a dentist open Saturdays in Leeds".
- Ask the AI engines directly. Run five local buyer questions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Mode. Note whether you are mentioned, whether the details are correct, and which sources each answer cites.
- Fix the sources AI answers rely on. If answers cite directories, review sites or local articles where you are missing or wrong, fix those listings first. Our brand entity checker shows whether your business is recognized as a consistent entity.
How AI answers differ from the classic map pack is covered in local SEO vs AI search, and the full playbook is in GEO for local businesses.
Frequently asked questions
What is a local SEO audit?
A local SEO audit is a structured review of the factors that decide whether a business appears in local search results and maps. It checks the Google Business Profile, location and service pages, local structured data, citations on other sites, reviews and, increasingly, how AI engines describe the business. The output is a prioritized list of fixes.
How do I audit a Google Business Profile?
Confirm the profile is verified and owned by the business, the name matches real-world signage without added keywords, the primary category is specific and accurate, the address or service area is set correctly, hours are current, the phone and website are direct, and no duplicate profiles exist. Then review photos, reviews and replies.
What are the main local SEO ranking factors?
Google's help page names three: relevance, which is how well a profile matches the search; distance, which is how far the business is from the searcher or the searched location; and prominence, which is how well known the business is, including reviews and links. You can improve relevance and prominence, but not distance.
How often should a local business run a local SEO audit?
Run a full local SEO audit once or twice a year, and immediately after any change of address, phone number, name, hours or ownership. Check reviews and replies every week, and confirm your profile details monthly, because suggested edits from the public can change information without you noticing.
Does local SEO help with AI search results?
Mostly yes. AI engines answering local questions draw on business profiles, directories, review sites and local articles, so consistent and accurate listings help. As of October 2026, there is no confirmed public list of which sources each AI engine prefers, so test your own buyer questions and fix whichever sources the answers cite.
If you want this checked across Google and AI engines for your locations, AEO GEO Labs runs GEO, AEO and SEO programs, starting with a free AI visibility report. See our services.