Local SEO checklist: 30 steps to rank in your area

How to use this local SEO checklist

This local SEO checklist is built for businesses that serve customers in a specific area, whether people visit your premises or you travel to them. Work through it in order the first time, ticking off each item. After that, use the monthly section to keep things fresh.

Google says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile and site match the search. Distance is how far you are from the searcher or the area they name. Prominence is how well known and trusted your business is, shown through reviews, links, mentions and your overall web presence. Every item below supports at least one of the three.

Google Business Profile checklist

1. 1Claim and verify your profile.
2. 2Choose the most accurate primary category, then add relevant secondary categories.
3. 3Add your exact business name with no extra keywords.
4. 4Set your address, or a service area if you visit customers.
5. 5Add phone, website, hours, holiday hours and booking links.
6. 6List every service or product with short descriptions.
7. 7Upload real photos of your premises, team and work, and add more each month.
8. 8Write a clear business description.
9. 9Post updates or offers regularly.
10. 10Answer common questions in the Q and A section.

Our Google Business Profile optimisation service handles all of this.

Reviews checklist

1. 1Ask every satisfied customer for a Google review, using a direct link.
2. 2Make asking part of your process: after a job, visit or delivery.
3. 3Reply to every review, positive or negative, within a few days.
4. 4Never buy reviews or offer rewards for positive ones.
5. 5Collect reviews on industry sites that matter for your sector.

See how to get more Google reviews for scripts and timing.

Citations and NAP consistency checklist

1. 1Pick one exact format for your name, address and phone number.
2. 2Update major directories and data sources with that format.
3. 3Add your business to relevant industry and local directories.
4. 4Fix or remove duplicate listings.
5. 5Claim Apple Business Connect and Bing Places listings.

Our local citation building service cleans up and builds citations, and Apple Maps and Bing Places covers the other map platforms.

Local landing pages checklist

1. 1Create one page per main service.
2. 2Create one page per main town or area you serve, with real local detail.
3. 3Include local photos, projects, testimonials and FAQs on each page.
4. 4Add the town and service to the title, H1 and URL naturally.
5. 5Embed a map and clear directions or service area details.
6. 6Avoid copy and paste pages that only swap town names.

On-page and technical checklist

Local links and mentions checklist

1. 1Join local business associations and chambers of commerce.
2. 2Sponsor local events, clubs or charities with a link to your site.
3. 3Get listed by suppliers and partners.
4. 4Share expert comments with local news sites.
5. 5Create useful local content, such as guides to the area or seasonal tips.

Tracking checklist

Local SEO priorities by business type

Local SEO checklist by month

Local SEO for businesses without a storefront

Service area businesses such as plumbers, cleaners and mobile mechanics can rank in the map pack without showing an address. Set a service area, hide the address, and build strong service and area pages on your website. Reviews that mention the towns you serve, written naturally by customers, also help.

Google Business Profile: the details most businesses miss

1. 1Add every service you offer, each with a short description in plain words.
2. 2Add products or service packages with prices or price ranges where it makes sense.
3. 3Fill in all relevant attributes, such as wheelchair access, online appointments or women led.
4. 4Set special hours for holidays ahead of time.
5. 5Add a booking or appointment link if you take bookings online.
6. 6Write a description that names your main services and areas naturally, without keyword stuffing.
7. 7Choose secondary categories that match real services, and review them every few months.

Photo and video checklist

1. 1Exterior photos from the street so customers recognize your location.
2. 2Interior photos of reception, work areas or showroom.
3. 3Team photos with real staff.
4. 4Photos of real jobs, products or finished work, updated monthly.
5. 5Short videos showing a service or a tour.
6. 6Clear logo and cover photo.
7. 7No stock photos, heavy text overlays or misleading images.

Fresh, real photos help customers choose you and keep your profile active.

Review response checklist

1. 1Reply to every review within a few days.
2. 2Thank the reviewer by name and mention the specific service.
3. 3For negative reviews, apologize, stay calm and offer to resolve it offline.
4. 4Never share private customer details in a reply.
5. 5Flag reviews that break Google's policies, such as fake or offensive ones.
6. 6Track average rating and review count monthly against your top competitors.

Read how to get more Google reviews for request templates.

Key citation sites by country

Add industry directories too, such as legal, medical or trade associations. Our local citation building service handles listings across these sites.

Local schema checklist

1. 1Use LocalBusiness or a more specific type, such as Dentist, Plumber or Restaurant.
2. 2Include name, address, phone, URL and opening hours exactly as on your profile.
3. 3Add geo coordinates and the areas you serve.
4. 4Add a sameAs list linking to your main profiles.
5. 5Add separate markup on each location page for multi location businesses.
6. 6Test with the Rich Results Test and fix any errors.

Local content ideas checklist

A one hour local SEO audit

1. 1Search your main service plus city in a private window and note your position in the map pack and organic results.
2. 2Open your Google Business Profile and check every field against this checklist.
3. 3Compare your review count, rating and recent reviews with the top three competitors.
4. 4Search your business name plus phone number to spot inconsistent listings.
5. 5Check your website's contact page and footer match your profile exactly.
6. 6Review your service and location pages for real local detail.
7. 7Look up your site in Search Console for local queries and click through rates.
8. 8List the five biggest gaps and fix them over the next month.

If you would like a full review, our SEO audit includes local checks.

Beyond Google: Apple Maps and Bing

iPhone users often search with Apple Maps and Siri, and Bing powers local results in Windows, Copilot and some other services. Claiming Apple Business Connect and Bing Places takes less than an hour and keeps your details accurate where many customers search. Bing Places can import directly from your Google Business Profile. See our Apple Maps and Bing Places service for help.

AI and local search checklist

1. 1Make sure your business details are identical on your site, profile and major directories.
2. 2Answer common local questions directly on your service and FAQ pages.
3. 3Encourage detailed reviews that mention services and areas.
4. 4Check robots.txt allows AI search crawlers you want.
5. 5Test local prompts in ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode monthly and note whether you are mentioned.
6. 6Fix any wrong information AI tools repeat by correcting it at the source.

Walk through: applying the checklist to a new salon

Picture a hair salon that has just opened in a busy suburb. In the first week, the owner verifies the Google Business Profile, chooses Hair salon as the primary category, adds services like cuts, colour and balayage with prices, uploads photos of the chairs, team and street front, and sets the booking link. The website gets a page for each main service, an about page introducing the stylists and a contact page with the same address, phone and hours as the profile.

In the second and third weeks, the salon claims Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Facebook and two local directories, all with identical details. It sets up an automatic text after each appointment asking for a review. By the end of the first month, it has a dozen reviews, a few posts on its profile and its first appearances in the map pack for searches close to the salon.

Over the following months, the owner adds a monthly photo set of real work, replies to every review, writes a short guide on choosing between highlights and balayage and gets listed on a local business association site. The checklist turns a blank profile into a steady source of bookings, one small task at a time.

Common local SEO questions we hear

Protecting your profile from problems

Local profiles can be edited by anyone who suggests changes, and competitors or spammers sometimes try to change details, add fake reviews or report listings. Check your profile weekly for suggested edits and accept only accurate ones. Keep the owner account under your control, add your SEO provider as a manager rather than owner, and turn on email notifications for edits and reviews.

If your profile is suspended, do not create a new one. Read Google's guidelines, fix anything that breaks them, such as keyword stuffing in the name or a virtual office address, and submit a reinstatement request with proof of your business, such as a utility bill or business license.

Local link ideas checklist

1. 1Local business associations and chambers of commerce you belong to.
2. 2Suppliers and manufacturers with dealer or partner pages.
3. 3Local charities, clubs and events you sponsor.
4. 4Local news coverage of a project, opening or community activity.
5. 5Neighborhood blogs and guides that list local services.
6. 6Trade associations and certification bodies in your industry.

A handful of genuine local links often matters more than many national ones for map pack rankings.

Mobile and click to call checklist

1. 1Phone number visible at the top of every page on mobile.
2. 2Tap to call button that dials directly.
3. 3Directions link that opens maps.
4. 4Short contact form with only essential fields.
5. 5Opening hours visible without scrolling far.
6. 6Pages load fast on mobile data.

Most local searches happen on phones, so these small details turn visits into calls. Our Google Business Profile optimization service pairs profile work with these site checks.

Common local SEO mistakes

Our local clients Orillia Window Cleaning and Simcoe Home Solutions reached the top 3 map results in Orillia and nearby areas, and Bolt Movers reached the top 3 in Barrie and nearby areas, using this checklist. See our local SEO service or a city page such as Toronto SEO Company.