Local SEO checklist

If your business serves customers in specific places—a shop, a service area, a clinic—local search visibility often matters more than generic national rankings. This checklist covers the fundamentals specific to local search.

Google Business Profile

• A Google Business Profile is claimed and fully verified for the business
• Business name, address, phone number and hours are accurate and match what's on the website exactly
• The correct primary and secondary business categories are selected
• The profile includes accurate photos, a clear business description, and up-to-date hours (including holiday hours)
• Products or services are listed on the profile where the platform supports it
• The profile is checked periodically for suggested edits from Google or the public, since incorrect crowd-sourced edits can slip through unnoticed

NAP consistency

• Name, Address and Phone number ("NAP") are identical, character for character, everywhere they appear—website, Google Business Profile, and any directory listings
• A visible, consistent NAP appears on the website itself, typically in the footer or a dedicated contact page
• Any old or outdated address/phone listings from a previous location or number have been corrected or removed where possible

Local structured data

• LocalBusiness (or a more specific relevant type) Schema.org markup is added to the site with accurate name, address, phone and hours (see the structured data checklist)
• Structured data is validated with Google's Rich Results Test
• If there are multiple locations, each has its own accurate structured data, not one generic block reused everywhere

Local landing pages

• Businesses with multiple locations have a genuine, individually useful page per location—not a thin, templated page differing only by city name
• Each local page includes real, location-specific information: address, hours, directions, local service details
• Local pages are linked from the main navigation or a locations page, not orphaned

Multi-location management

• Each location has its own verified Google Business Profile, not one shared profile trying to represent multiple addresses
• A consistent process exists for keeping hours, contact details and staffing information current across every location, especially around holidays and closures
• Location pages are differentiated with genuinely distinct content—local landmarks, service nuances, staff—rather than a single template with only the address swapped
• Adding, closing or relocating a site is reflected promptly everywhere it's listed, not just on the primary website

Citations & directories

• The business is listed on major, relevant directories with consistent NAP information
• Outdated or duplicate listings from a previous address, name or phone number have been identified and corrected or removed
• Industry-specific directories relevant to your business type are considered, not just general-purpose ones

Reviews

• There's a genuine, straightforward process for happy customers to leave a review—not incentivized or fabricated reviews, which violate most platforms' policies and damage trust
• Reviews, including negative ones, are responded to professionally and promptly
• Review responses address the actual substance of the feedback rather than a copy-pasted generic reply

Local content & link building

• Content genuinely reflects local relevance—community involvement, local service areas, local events—rather than a generic national page with a city name inserted
• The site clearly communicates the actual service area or delivery/coverage radius
• Local link-building focuses on genuine relationships—local news coverage, sponsorships, industry associations—rather than low-quality directory spam

Map & "near me" search considerations

• The business's category, attributes and description are specific enough that it can plausibly surface for genuine "near me"-style searches relevant to what it actually offers
• Directions, parking information and accessibility details are included where they'd genuinely help someone arriving in person
• Business hours are kept accurate in real time, including temporary closures—an inaccurate "open now" status sends someone to a locked door and damages trust
• Location pages load quickly and work well on mobile, since map-based and "near me" searches happen overwhelmingly on a phone, often while someone is already out and about
• Service-area businesses without a public storefront communicate their actual coverage area clearly, rather than implying a physical location that doesn't genuinely serve walk-in customers
• Photos on the profile and website are genuine and current—an outdated storefront photo or a since-changed interior undermines trust the moment a visitor arrives

Pair this with the general on-page SEO checklist and technical SEO checklist, both of which apply just as much to local sites, and with the international SEO checklist if you serve more than one country or region.