How to Perform a Local SEO Audit

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Many local businesses are always at a loss about where they should start with their SEO campaigns. For those who are new to SEO, an audit is always the way to go. This is the process that lets you see where you’ve been lagging or the areas of your website that need improvement.

Also, an SEO audit will show you where your website stands. From there, you can plan your SEO campaign for better results and maximized resources.

Here are some of the things you should include in your SEO audit checklist:

Audit your Google My Business account

Your GMB account is a critical area of your business’ visibility on the web, so always start your audit here. Check if your business’ NAP (name, address, and phone number) is correct. Also, you must include your operating hours.

Take note that Google releases new tools in GMB from time to time. Currently, the newest one is Google Posts. Make sure that you include it in your content marketing plan.

Check for Google penalties

If you notice that your website experienced a sudden drop in organic traffic, you may have been penalized by Google. Check for algorithmic penalties and try your best to fix each one.

You can do this by accessing your Google Analytics and performing an algorithm check. To make it easy, you can also employ a third-party tool to audit your website for penalties.

Audit backlinks and citations

When it comes to local SEO, managing your citations is critical to the visibility of your business online. Aside from gaining the possible citations, you also have to ensure that each one is accurate. Otherwise, it’s only doing your business a big disservice.

Remember that citations are in the fifth position as the most important ranking factor for local businesses. This is why it makes total sense why you have to perform this necessary audit.

Check your reviews and ratings

Online reviews can make or break your business. Regardless of what niche or industry you are in, you should never dismiss online reviews as mere feedback.

You should be proactive in addressing your customer complaints. Compare how many of the concerns you have answered against those that remain unanswered. Also, it’s best to come up with a response plan for future reviews.

Audit your social media accounts

A social audit is imperative, much so if your pages have been filled in digital cobwebs. Focus on check-ins, your NAP, and the consistency of the content.

Make sure that your social media accounts don’t have duplicates. This is to prevent confusion as well as a bad reputation from your customers. Duplicates should be removed so you can manage all your brand content in one place.

Final words

A local SEO audit on your website is crucial in determining problems and planning out a solution. It could be a very detailed process, so expect that it will take days or even weeks. What’s important is you keep your audit organized and don’t be afraid to tackle major issues.