1. Check For Google Penalties
The first step is the easiest place to look for a hidden opportunity to help boost your rankings. Is your website currently penalized by Google?
To view penalties, your website must be connected to Google Search Console. If not, you or the site owner will need to connect and verify first.
Log in to Google Search Console as the site owner and select the site you are auditing in the Search property.
Google Search Console screenshot, August 2022
Then, in the left sidebar, click Security & Manual actions and choose Manual actions.
Google Search Console screenshot, August 2022
If it says “No problem detected”, great!
If it says anything else, there is the first set of problems to be solved.
2. Run A Keyword Audit
This is your first exciting dive into discovering the hidden opportunities with local SEO. You can find and improve a lot in this step!
For this step, you’ll need a list of keywords you’re trying to rank for.
You can probably guess some of these keywords on your own.
For example, if you have a bakery in London, that is already an important keyword candidate: “Bakeries in London”.
Once you’ve found your keywords, check two things:
Let’s start by discovering keyword rankings.
How To Discover Keyword Rankings
First, you need to know if your website is showing up on the search engine results page (SERP). Your ultimate goal is to appear on Page 1 or the 3-Pack.
You can try to Google the keywords in your keyword list individually, but it will be faster to use an SEO tool and check them all at once.
Screenshot from WebCEO.com, August 2022
Simply scan your website’s ranking in WebCEO’s Rank Tracking tool.
The settings of this tool allow us to scan at specific locations, which is what we need for local SEO.
It can also detect more interesting search results like local package, hotels or Knowledge Panel.
After receiving the report, check the Position and SERP columns; They show where your site ranks.
It also doesn’t hurt to check the Local monthly searches column, which shows how often users are typing those keywords into Google.
If any of these columns are not in the report, click the Manage Columns button to add them.
Screenshot from WebCEO.com, August 2022
Now let’s analyze your keywords based on user search intent.
How To Discover Keyword Search Intent
Search intent is about understanding what potential buyers are typing into Google to get different results that match what they want.
For example, a shopper might type “buy iced baby blue sugar cookies in London”; this type of search has a “Transactional” intent. You want to make sure your keywords serve a transactional or commercial intent.
So ask yourself these questions:
Once you understand your position within keyword searches and the intent behind those keywords, you have the information you need to change your content strategy to improve your website’s rankings.
3. Check Your Google Business Profile
For starters, do you or your client have a Google Business Profile (GBP) listing?
If not, that’s very bad news for your local SEO. Fixing this is a very quick win for local search efforts, and a great hidden option!
If you do, sign in to your Google Business Profile and discover:
Is Any Information Missing From Your Google Business Profile?
An empty field in GBP is a hole in your local SEO. All fields must be filled with accurate and up-to-date information about the business:
Are Keywords Present & Used Properly On Your Google Business Profile?
Your GBP keywords (especially local ones) are key ranking factors.
They can ensure your business appears in Google’s highly competitive local pack.
The catch is, you can’t just put it in the title and call it a day: that’s against Google’s guidelines, which require you to use the real-world name of the business.
However, more savvy business owners include keywords when naming their businesses. This is a completely valid gap that meets the guidelines and ranking algorithm.
The only thing to worry about is that the name is natural.
Screenshot from Google, August 2022
Relevant keywords should also be included in the GBP categories. Putting it in the description is optional, although encouraged.
Are Photos & Other Images Uploaded On Your GBP?
There are several images you can upload to your Google Business profile. The more, the better.
It goes without saying that all images must be of high quality.
Videos also deserve a mention as another type of audiovisual. If there are, check them out and see if you find any problems.
What Is The Posting Activity Like?
GBP allows you to create messages to communicate with your target audience. Take a look at the posting activity on the page.
Posting once a month is considered a minimum, so ask yourself these questions:
Frequent and varied messages can ensure that this feature is used effectively. It’s also a good idea for posts to include links, photos, and geo-references.
Is There An FAQ Page?
FAQs are a powerful resource for any website, and customers are guaranteed to have questions.
4. Find On-Page SEO Issues
On-page optimization is incredibly important, it’s a great hidden option, especially if your competition isn’t doing it.
We recognize that it can be a lot of work, and there’s plenty of room for error, but if you get it all right, you’ll come out on top!
Don’t waste time dealing with problems. Find them all in WebCEO’s On-Site Issues Overview report.
Screenshot from WebCEO.com, August 2022
This tool will scan all the pages of the site at once, so you can catch all the SEO errors on the page.
For a local SEO audit, here are the most important things to watch out for:
Of course, any other issues that appear in the report should not be ignored. All of them negatively affect the site’s ranking.
5. Perform A Backlink Audit
Backlinks are all the most powerful ranking factors, making it a hidden opportunity for you to rank higher than your competition.
Backlinks can make or break your SEO, even when you’ve done everything else right. No SEO audit is complete without backlink analysis, and local SEO is no exception.
So hurry up. Scan your link profile with WebCEO’s Backlink Checker.
Screenshot from WebCEO.com, August 2022
Once your report is ready, it’s time to evaluate your backlink profile.
Based on this analysis, you will be able to fix the flaws in your client’s link building strategy.
6. Evaluate Your Online Reputation
A local business lives or dies by its reputation with customers. Good thing we have the internet, right? There’s no place like this to find out what people think of you and lose all sleep over it.
Hopefully, your clients will continue to sleep well after completing this step. What do you need to check?
Collect Reviews For Your Website & Potential Keywords
Any local business that respects itself should collect customer reviews on its website. Positive and negative reviews, detailed reviews – be sure to pay attention to everything. A review is especially valuable when your website contains keywords.
Another place you can’t overlook is the Google Business Profile review section. And if your client has created listings for their business on any review platform, be sure to check there as well.
Be Sure Ratings Are Included In Your Reviews
Where there are reviews, there is usually a star rating on the same page as well. In fact, when paired together, they are very beneficial for SEO.
But it’s common for business directories to display rating scores separately from user reviews.
If your client’s website is listed in Google’s local pack, that’s the fastest way to see your client’s ratings. Of course, a thorough local SEO audit will require additional information from other locations.
Get Notified When Your Brand Is Mentioned
Everyone wants their brand to be the talk of the town. The problem is, there’s only so much you can hear with your ears and auto-googling on your own.
Fortunately, there are tools to get the word out on the e-streets.
Who, where, what and when – find all your online mentions with WebCEO’s Web Buzz Monitoring tool. Just add keywords related to the local business you’re auditing (its name will do best). The tool will show you the sites and tweets that will appear.
Improve Social Media Engagement
If your client has created social media pages for their business (as anyone should), you should check them out as well.
How do you know if they are correct? Give your verdict by answering the following questions:
In general, a lot of activity (from the owner and users) on a social media page is a good thing. If you find any problems there, please write them down.
7 – 15. Download The Free Local SEO Guide
Want even more expert tips for a DIY local SEO audit?
Download your local SEO guide below. With this and professional-grade SEO tools at your disposal, you’ll be able to assess the local SEO status of any website, whether yours or a client’s.
This guide was created for WebCEO users only. Sign up now to join the world of experts!
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the sponsor.
What is local SEO checklist?
Local SEO checklist / cheatsheet Build backlinks that include location in the anchor text (but don’t overdo it!) Create high-quality content that references your local area. Try to get local network coverage. Make sure your website works well on mobile.
What does local SEO mean? Local SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that helps your business become more visible in Google’s local search results. Any business that has a physical location or serves a geographic area can benefit from local SEO.
How do I create a SEO checklist?
SEO checklist: how to improve your results
- Having a clean structure of the site. …
- Have outstanding content. …
- Use appropriate title tags. …
- Add alt tags. …
- Optimize for mobile. …
- Enable fast load times. …
- Install Google Search Console and Analytics. …
- Make sure your website and URL are secure.
What is technical SEO checklist?
Technical SEO is a part of any SEO strategy, therefore the site must comply with all search engine recommendations. The technical audit checklist includes several aspects to analyze and classify the technical parameters of the content and structure of the website.
What is the difference between SEO and local SEO?
Here’s the difference. While traditional SEO focuses on improving your site’s visibility nationally or globally, local SEO allows you to capture local search territory to connect with searchers in your area. They use many of the same SEO and local SEO strategies.
Why local SEO is important for SEO?
Benefits of Local SEO Better Online Visibility: Local SEO activities such as citation and link building increase your online visibility. This makes your business easier for new customers. More in-store foot traffic: Increased local visibility brings more foot traffic to your brick-and-mortar location.
What is the difference between SEO and organic search?
The main difference between organic and local search is that local SEO has a geographic component and is part of Google Maps.
What should be the first step of a structured SEO plan?
- Identifying your ad budget.
- Buy an analytics software.
- Setting up your social media presence.
- Keyword research.
What should be the first step in your SEO plan? Step 1: Create a list of keywords. Keyword research is usually the first step in any legitimate SEO strategy. And one of the best ways to find the keywords your target customers are searching for? Google Suggest.
Which of the following would be an ideal goal of an SEO plan?
The ideal goal of an SEO Plan is to increase the number of relevant people visiting your website. The goal of SEO is to increase the ideal traffic to the web pages. For example, e-commerce companies can make money and increase sales only if there is a significant increase in traffic to an e-commerce site.
Which of the following is an example of a local search?
Examples of local searches are “Hong Kong hotels”, “Manhattan restaurants” and “Dublin car rental”. Local searches show explicit or implicit local intent. A search that includes a location modifier, such as “Bellevue, WA” or “14th arrondissement,” is an explicit local search.
What is local SEO and why is it so important?
Simply put, local SEO is about improving your ranking and visibility in local search results such as Google’s Map Pack/Local Pack. Organic SEO is a way to improve the ranking of web pages in organic search. How your site ranks in those organic results can also have a positive impact on your Local Pack ranking.
How do you know if you need local SEO? How do you know if you need local SEO? If your customer base is primarily located in the same city or metropolitan area as your business (ie, a local business), you’ll need local SEO. If you have a brick-and-mortar location (or locations), you need local SEO.
Why is local SEO important?
Benefits of Local SEO Better Online Visibility: Local SEO activities such as citation and link building increase your online visibility. This makes your business easier for new customers. More in-store foot traffic: Increased local visibility brings more foot traffic to your brick-and-mortar location.
Why should I opt for local SEO services?
One of the main benefits of local SEO is that it improves your search positions so you can gain more visibility and, as a result, more trust. This is because when you optimize your content for a specific area it tells Google that your business is local and that you are relevant to queries of your location.
Why local SEO is important for small business?
A successful local SEO campaign will help your business because: Local SEO increases your website’s ranking in search results and in the local pack. Receives the highest conversion rates of all local advertising channels. It increases your online visibility, especially to nearby customers.
How does local SEO work?
How does local SEO work? Advanced Local SEO works just like a ‘normal’ Google search. When someone performs a search, Google crawls its index to provide the best results for that person’s query. What makes local SEO unique is that Google uses a different set of ranking factors to rank local search results.
Is local SEO paid?
Small scale Local SEO cost usually ranges from 5000 to 10000 per month. This often includes pay-per-click advertising or highly targeted efforts on social media to reach a geographic audience.
How is local SEO different from SEO?
While traditional SEO focuses on improving your site’s visibility nationally or globally, local SEO allows you to capture local search territory to connect with searchers in your area. They use many of the same SEO and local SEO strategies.
What is important local SEO for a website?
Local SEO allows you to put important information about your website online, such as your business address and phone number. In addition, you can highlight and promote the types of products or services you offer on your website using SEO techniques.
Is local SEO effective?
Local SEO is crucial because it helps you: Increase your online visibility. Drive more foot traffic to your brick-and-mortar location. Attract more targeted traffic, which improves your chances of conversion.
What is basic SEO knowledge?
At its most basic, "SEO" It means finding ways to increase your website’s visibility in the search results of your website visitors. This generally means more traffic to your website.
What are the 3 main areas of SEO? This is a complete guide to the three components of SEO. What are technical SEO, on-page SEO and off-page SEO.
What is the basics of SEO?
SEO includes keyword research, content creation, on-page SEO, link building, and technical SEO. Doing SEO is much easier when your website is properly set up for SEO success. Google will usually find and index your website on its own, but sometimes you can speed up the process by submitting your sitemap.
What is the local SEO checklist?
Local SEO: Optimizing Your Website Include the full name, address and phone number (NAP) for each location on the contact page. For businesses with fewer than 10 locations, list all addresses in the website footer. If you do not want to include your business address for privacy reasons, please do not post.
What are three things in local SEO? The most common tasks related to local SEO include finding local keywords, optimizing a business’s Google My Business profile, and generating âNAPâ mentions.