A 50-Point Audit for Beginning Local SEO Success

Understanding Local SEO Ranking Factors

Local SEO ranking factors often remain a mystery for many businesses prioritizing local traffic. The exact elements Google values are unknown, but studies and experience can showcase the factors influencing rankings and placement in the local pack.

According to Moz’s 2018 local search ranking factors survey, the importance of off-site factors has seen some changes. Google My Business listings hold increasing significance, links are as effective as ever, and reviews have grown more critical since 2017. On-site factors such as keyword relevance, mobile-friendly design, and quality content volume remain crucial.

For deeper insights, here’s a checklist of 50 on-site and off-site points to audit, starting with on-site SEO elements.

Checklist: On-Site SEO

1. Optimized Home, About & Contact Pages: Ensure these pages contain location information. Include name, address, and phone number (NAP) for all locations on the contact page.

2. Optimized Footer: Include NAP in the footer. For multiple locations, list them all. Adding content such as calls to action in the footer can boost conversion rates.

3. Clickable Mobile Phone Numbers: Make phone numbers clickable to enhance usability.

4. Consistent NAP: Keep NAP consistent across the site and all off-site resources to avoid SEO confusion.

5. Structured Data Markup: Ensure your site has structured data markup, including relevant information like hours, departments, and NAP.

6. Google Search Console: Use this free tool to understand site reach and identify technical errors hindering rankings.

7. Bing Webmaster Tools: With a notable U.S. market share, setting up your site on Bing’s tool is essential.

8. Optimized URLs: Incorporate location words in page names and URLs.

9. Optimized Title Tags: Include location words in title tags and keep them within 60 characters.

10. Optimized Descriptions: Contain location words in descriptions without keyword stuffing. Keep descriptions around 160 characters.

11. Image Tags: Optimize image tags with geo terms.

12. Mobile Friendly/Responsive: Ensure the website is mobile-friendly to capture local traffic.

13. Location Pages: Create a specific page for each business location.

14. Regional Pages: If spread across states or regions, have regional pages.

15. Embed Google Maps: Embed Google Maps in contact, location, and regional pages for a better user experience.

16. More Local Pages: Target major nearby cities if struggling to create new local content.

17. Local Links Out: Link out to local resources for better search rankings.

18. Press Section: Maintain a section for company news to generate unique, localized content.

19. Guides & How-Tos: Create guides and how-tos with localization to attract local traffic.

20. On-Site Blog: Consistently blog about varied subtopics relevant to your business.

21. Powerful Calls to Action: Make sure calls to action are compelling and location-specific.

22. Update Frequently: Keep content fresh, ensuring the Last Modified date reflects updates.

23. Optimized H1 and H2 Tags: Optimize H1 and H2 tags for better mobile compatibility and SEO.

24. Load Time: Ensure quick load times, especially on mobile.

25. Internal Site Structure: Maintain a comprehensible internal site structure.

Checklist: Off-Site SEO

1. Google My Business (GMB): Claim and optimize GMB with NAP, hours, and correct categories.

2. Bing Places For Business: Claim and set up your business on Bing Places.

3. Facebook: Maintain a consistent NAP, hours, and website information on your Facebook business page.

4. Google Local Pack: Ensure your GMB is well set up to appear in the local pack.

5. Set Up Review Sites: List your business on relevant review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List.

6. Check Your Existing Reviews: Use online reputation tools to address negative reviews and manage your online presence.

7. Inbound Links Portfolio: Build a portfolio of varied, authoritative inbound links.

8. Local Links In: Secure links from local sources relevant to your content.

9. Social Listings: Be present on social platforms relevant to your business.

10. Online Directories & Citations: Ensure listings on directories with consistent NAP, website, and hours.

11. Maps: List your business on all mapping services, maintaining precise NAP.

12. Engage Influencers: Interact with influencers relevant to your industry.

13. Local Brand: Focus on building a local brand for invaluable links and traffic.

14. Truly Great GMB Photos: Ensure high-quality photos on your GMB listing.

15. Google Posts: Use GMB to post news, events, and products.

16. Google Q&A: Utilize Q&A rich results for added value.

17. Google Reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews on Google.

18. Active GMB Management: Stay active on GMB by engaging with reviews and questions.

19. Industry-Specific Websites: List your business on industry-specific sites.

20. Avoid Over-Reliance on Citations: Focus on quality over quantity for citations.

21. GMB Spam Management: Report competitor spam listings to maintain credibility.

22. Competitor Spam: Track and report competitor spam listings across platforms.

23. ‘Google Us’: Encourage customers to Google your business to boost search volume.

24. Yelp Check-In Offers: Use check-in offers to improve Yelp visibility and reviews.

25. YouTube: Optimize video content on YouTube for local search results.

Conclusion

This comprehensive checklist covers essential points for optimizing or auditing your local SEO strategy. Successful marketers will incorporate most of these as they enhance their local SEO efforts to capture valuable local traffic.

Resources:

• Top 25 Local Search Ranking Signals You Need to Know
• SEO Checklist to the Perfect Location Page
• Local SEO: The Definitive Guide to Improve Your Local Search Rankings

Image Credits:
Featured Image: Unsplash
All screenshots taken by the author, September 2019.