In the 2020s, you can’t run a small, local business without a proper regional SEO strategy. Nowadays, more than 90% of people find a local business through Google. That’s why having a higher ranking in local search results is crucial. You’re practically invisible if you’re not visible on the first page. The best way to ensure your website is locally optimized is to perform a Local SEO audit. We’ll show you how to achieve that step by step.

First, let’s answer a few essential questions:

1. What is a Local SEO Audit?
2. Why should you care about Local SEO?
3. How to perform a Local SEO audit step by step?

What Is a Local SEO Audit?

A Local SEO audit is a health checkup for your website from a local search perspective. You can think of it as visiting the doctor for a routine physical examination; he will check your blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. They’ll also ask you about your lifestyle and diet. Similarly, during a Local SEO audit, we’ll go through your website with a fine-tooth comb and look for any potential issues that could be holding back your local rankings.

Why Should You Care About Local SEO?

If your business thrives in the 2020s, you need to invest in Local SEO. Local SEO is essential for two main reasons:

1. More and more people are searching for local businesses online
2. Google is giving preferential treatment to locally relevant websites in its search results

As we mentioned, over 90% of people find a local business through Google. On top of that, Google has clarified that they’re favoring locally relevant websites in their search results. And if you want a high Google rank, you need to optimize your website for local search.

How To Perform a Local SEO Audit Step By Step?

Now that we’ve answered the most critical questions, it’s time to get to business. In this section, we’ll show you how to perform a Local SEO audit step by step.

Check Your NAP

You must first check your NAP (Name, Address, and Phone number). That is the most basic information about your business, and it needs to be consistent across all your online channels. If your NAP is inaccurate or incomplete, it will damage your local rankings.
Here’s how to check if your NAP is correct:

• Go to your website and check if your NAP is on your contact page.
• Do a Google search for your business. Check if your NAP is listed correctly in the SERP.
• Check if your NAP is on other websites, such as directories and review sites.

Optimize Your Website For Local Keywords

Next, you have to optimize your website for local keywords. Keyword research is a vast topic so we won’t go into too much detail here. But essentially, you need to find the right balance between high-traffic and low-competition keywords. Here are a few tips:

• Use long tail keywords that include your city or region. For example, “plumber in Los Angeles.”
• Use local keywords throughout your website, including in your titles, meta descriptions, and content.
• Optimize your website for mobile devices. Everyone now uses a phone to search for local businesses.

Claim Your Google My Business Listing

Google My Business helps you in getting your business information on Google. It’s an essential tool for Local SEO. Do it now if you haven’t had your listing yet. It’s quick and easy, and it will give you a significant boost in the local search results.

Get Listed In Other Directories

In addition to Google My Business, you should also get listed on other local directories. These include Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Foursquare. Claiming your listings on these sites is quick and easy and will help improve your local rankings.

Build Citations

It is the mention of your NAP on another website. They’re a key ranking factor for Local SEO. The best action to do it is to submit your business to online directories. As mentioned earlier, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Foursquare are the most popular directories.

Optimize Your Website For Mobile Devices

As we mentioned earlier, more and more people are using their smartphones to search for local businesses. Some things you can do to improve your mobile optimization include:

• Use a responsive theme that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes.
• Use large, easy-to-read fonts.
• Use short, concise sentences and paragraphs.
• Include plenty of white space.

Get Reviews From Customers

Reviews are critical ranking factors for Local SEO. The more feedback you get, the higher the ranking in the local search results.

• Ask them directly for a review after they’ve used your product or service.
• Include a link to your review sites on your website and social media profiles.
• Respond to all your thoughts, both positive and negative.

Monitor Your Progress

But wait, your work isn’t done. It would help if you started monitoring. Google Analytics helps you to track your website traffic. It’s essential for monitoring your Local SEO progress because it allows you to see how much traffic you’re getting from the local search results. To set up Google Analytics, follow these instructions.

Closing Thoughts

That’s it! You must follow eight steps to perform a Local SEO audit. If you implement all the steps in this guide, you should significantly increase your local rankings. Of course, SEO is an ongoing process. So once you’ve completed your audit, don’t forget to keep monitoring your progress and making continual improvements.

Tags: Local SEO, Search Engine, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, SEO Audit