Local SEO
How to Do a Local SEO Audit (Step-by-Step, 60 Minutes) — Profile, Reviews, Website, Citations, Competitors
A practical local SEO audit for Indian businesses — what to check on your Google Business Profile, reviews, website, citations and competitors, how to score each area, and how to turn findings into a 90-day plan.
By Chamko Research Team Updated 2 min read
Quick answer
A local SEO audit checks five areas: (1) Google Business Profile completeness and accuracy, (2) reviews — count, recency, rating, replies, (3) your website's local signals, (4) citations — consistency of name, address and phone across directories, and (5) competitors. Score each area out of 10, list the gaps, and fix them in order: accuracy first, then reviews, then content and links.
Quick answer: A local SEO audit checks five areas: (1) Google Business Profile completeness and accuracy, (2) reviews — count, recency, rating, replies, (3) your website's local signals, (4) citations — consistency of name, address and phone across directories, and (5) competitors. Score each area out of 10, list the gaps, and fix them in order: accuracy first, then reviews, then content and links.
Before you start (5 min)
- List 3–5 target searches ("[service] near me", "[service] in [area]").
- Note your top 3 competitors for those searches.
- Open your Business Profile, website, and a spreadsheet.
1. Google Business Profile (20 min)
| Check | Pass? |
|---|---|
| Verified, own Gmail is primary owner | |
| Name exactly as signboard | |
| Most specific primary category; relevant secondary | |
| Address/pin correct, or service areas set | |
| Hours + special hours | |
| Phone answered; website with UTM | |
| Description 600–750 chars | |
| Services/products with descriptions | |
| Attributes filled | |
| 10+ real photos, recent uploads | |
| Post in last 7 days | |
| No duplicates |
2. Reviews (10 min)
- Total, average, and last 30 days count vs competitors.
- % replied, reply speed.
- Common complaints (themes to fix in the business).
Use the rating calculator to set a target.
3. Website (10 min)
- NAP identical to Google in footer/contact.
- Service pages with area mentions.
- LocalBusiness schema (guide).
- Mobile speed and click-to-call/WhatsApp.
- Indexed in Google (Search Console).
4. Citations (10 min)
Search your phone number and business name. Check Justdial, Bing, Apple Maps, Facebook and your industry platforms for wrong phone, old address or different names. See the directory list.
5. Competitors (5 min)
Compare categories, review velocity, photos, posts and website. Write down 3 things they do better.
Score and plan
Score each area /10. Then:
- Week 1: fix accuracy (category, NAP, hours, duplicates).
- Weeks 2–4: review system, posts, photos.
- Months 2–3: website improvements, citations, local links.
Repeat the audit quarterly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I audit without paid tools?
Yes — everything above can be checked manually.
How often should I audit?
Quarterly, or after any big ranking change.
What's the most common finding?
A too-generic category and too few recent reviews.