Online businesses or individuals are intensely engaged in a cutthroat competition. They want to become the first and foremost to attain online visibility. To meet this goal and maximise the number of inquiries or leads, local SEO has emerged as a significant strategy. No matter whether you run a small brick-and-mortar or a service provider, the intent is similar, which is to attract nearby customers. Here, a local SEO audit can reveal everything that you miss, and you can have something more in our profile or web pages to align with search engines. More importantly, you should focus on what your local audience is looking for.
This guide will help you to discover what a local SEO audit is, what its key components are, and how Google Map SEO guides you to appear in the top local search results and map packs.
What Is a Local SEO Audit?
A local SEO audit refers to a comprehensive overview of a business’s digital presence, and how it is performing in local searches. The performance reveals its actual rank among online local search results, covering platforms like Google Search and Google Maps. Overall, it checks which ranking signals are influencing local visibility, such as business listings, local keywords, reviews, mobile usability, and citations.
Did you know why it is a must? Well, 46% of all Google searches show that people look for local information & market. Other report reveals that 78% of mobile local searches end up in offline purchases. And 97% of people swiftly discover everything about a local company online than anywhere else.
These statistics clearly indicate that a strong strategy via Google Maps SEO or other platforms can help in increasing foot traffic and sales provided that your website is better optimised than competitors.
Key Components of a Local SEO Audit
Did you have any idea about some key components that make this audit successful?
Let’s simplify it by sharing the core elements of this audit.
1. Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimization
Firstly, you must recognise that your Google Business Profile, which was Google My Business previously, is a key factor that can bring you on the top of Google Map SEO and local search results online.
Here is how you can recognise this fact. Check whether:
- Your business is listed and verified online.
- Your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) should be there listed.
- Your business categories, hours, and website links are error-free.
- You loaded high-quality photos and updated posts.
2. NAP Consistency Across Citations
Just imagine a scenario where a business frequently changes business information across all online platforms. Google dislikes this type of inconsistent information. Simply put, search engines prefer consistent business details to validate its legitimacy. So, cross –verify whether your business listings across business directories like Yelp, Bing Places, Yellow Pages, and local chamber of commerce sites.
This verification can be like a walkover by leveraging tools like Moz Local.
3. Local Keyword Optimization
Local keywords are searchable phrases that match the local terms for browsing, consisting of geo-modifiers, such as “nearby Ice-cream shop” or the “best ice-cream shop in New Delhi”.
- To appear in this type of searches, ensure that:
- Your content or landing page has local keywords in title tags, meta descriptions, and H1 tags.
- The landing pages are location specific.
- The content consists of words or phrases that the local community searches with or the name of the region.
4. Google Map SEO Presence
Did you check your business’ visibility on Google Maps? It is also an essential part of this SEO audit.
Here are some of the effective tips to check that are proven.
- Integrate local intent with core services and search online, for example, “luxurious villa near me”. Now, search whether you are visible in the map pack.
- Thoroughly observe whether your primary keywords are naturally infused in the GMP business description.
- Check out whether your customers have shared any feedback online.
These are some key aspects, as revealed in the Whitespark’s 2023 Local Ranking Factors Survey. It reveals the success strategy of local SEO lies in these:
- GBP primary category relevance
- Keywords in the business name
- Proximity of the business to the searcher
5. On-Page SEO and Technical Health
The structure of your website should also complement the best practices of local SEO.
Here are some quick tips to verify or integrate changes:
- Integrating schema markup for local businesses.
- Fast-loading (within 3 sec) mobile-friendly web structure.
- Google Maps with your accurate business location.
- Authentic contact details
6. Review & Reputation Management
Google values what customers say. This is also recognised as a ranking factor because it shows aa trust factor.
Here is how you can check and manage reputation management
- Thoroughly observe and identify the number, frequency, and recency of reviews.
- Ensure that every review is answered, be they are positive or negative.
- Encourage customers to share their feedback on GBP or Yelp.
7. Local Link Building
Off-page practices, especially region-specific backlinks can boost your domain authority and local trust.
Ensure:
- Your business is listed on local media, blogs, and sponsorship pages.
- Collaborating with other local businesses for encouraging co-marketing.
- Reaching out to community partners for links.
8. Social Media Signals
However, social media has no direct role in boosting the rank of your website. But certainly, these platforms help in scaling your content reach and drive engagement.
Here is what you can do:
- Consistently share business information of social platforms.
- Actively engage in local groups and communities.
- Link your website and GBP profiles to social accounts like FB, Google, etc.
Conclusion
A local SEO audit is a gateway to long-term online exposure in local areas. It not only boosts your SEO efforts, but also enhance overall ranking, traffic, sales, and credibility. With Google Map SEO, you can increase foot traffic and digital conversion rate. This is not an overnight miracle or one-time task, but a continuous practice. You need to actively audit your website and SEO performance to stay competitive, visible, and relevant in the local market.