The essentials
- Objective: get a score out of 12 and a ranked list of actions in 30 minutes, with no tool to buy.
- Four blocks: the Google Business Profile listing, reviews, consistency of your information across the web, the site and its local pages.
- The test that counts: your main queries typed on a mobile, from three points in your area. If you aren't among the three listings in the local pack, the audit tells you why.
- To go further: the full local SEO audit, with grid tracking and citation analysis.
Before paying for a local SEO audit or a supplier, a business can measure most of its own local presence. The twelve points below cover what Google assesses (relevance, distance, prominence) and what the customer sees. Count one point per criterion met; the total places you and the order of the blocks gives you your priorities.
Block 1: the Google Business Profile listing (4 points)
| # | Criterion | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The listing is claimed and verified, and the primary category is as precise as possible | Sign in; compare your category with those of the three local pack listings on your main query |
| 2 | Every field is filled in: hours (including holidays), phone, site, services, description, attributes | Google shows the completeness rate; aim for 100%. See optimising your listing |
| 3 | At least 10 recent photos (under 6 months old), including exterior, interior, team, work done | The Photos tab; look at the date of the most recent one |
| 4 | A post in the last 30 days | The Posts tab. See posting regularly |
Block 2: reviews (3 points)
- 5. Volume and rating: you have at least as many reviews as the median of the three local pack listings, with a rating of 4.3 or above. Below that, reviews are the first workstream; see collecting quality reviews.
- 6. Freshness: at least one review a month over the last six months. A listing that stops receiving reviews loses ground.
- 7. Responses: 100% of the reviews from the last three months have a response, positive or negative, within 7 days. The method is in responding to reviews.
Block 3: consistency across the web (2 points)
Google cross-checks your information against directories and the sites that cite you. Inconsistencies (an old address, a different number, the name with or without the legal form) weaken that trust.
- 8. A consistent NAP: type your business name in quotes followed by your town. In the first 10 results (directories, Facebook, trade directories, press), the name, address and phone are identical to the listing. The principle is explained in NAP.
- 9. Presence in the useful directories: you appear in the 5 reference directories for your sector and your region (see local citations).
Block 4: the site (3 points)
- 10. A page per location or per area: the site has a page with the address, hours, a map, the services and photos of that location; if several towns are targeted, one page per town with its own content (see structuring your local pages).
- 11. LocalBusiness structured data: test the page in Google's rich results test; the LocalBusiness type (or a subtype) appears with no errors. See local Schema.org.
- 12. Mobile and speed: the page loads in under 3 seconds on mobile (PageSpeed Insights) and the phone number is clickable.
Reading the score and setting priorities
| Score | Situation | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | Local presence barely started | All of block 1 this week, then start collecting reviews |
| 5 to 8 | Foundations laid, visibility uneven | Reviews (block 2) and consistency (block 3); set up grid rank tracking |
| 9 to 11 | Good presence, room on the site | Block 4 and local content; compare with competitors point by point |
| 12 | A complete presence | Move on to thefull audit : a ranking grid, local link building, competitive analysis |
Complete the score with the field test: type your three main queries on a mobile, from three points in your area (centre, outskirts, neighbouring town). Note whether you appear in the local pack and at what rank. A high score with absence from the local pack on the outskirts signals a distance problem, not a listing problem; the answers are in understanding local ranking.
How GreenRed helps
Rather than juggling several tools, GreenRed's Google Business Profile module brings these metrics together in a single dashboard, compares them over time and tells you which actions come first. You can try it free, with no card, from the Pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How often should you redo this audit?
Every quarter for a small business, every month for a network or a competitive sector (restaurants, healthcare, property). Between audits, track the listing's metrics (calls, directions, reviews) and your local pack rankings.
Which free tools help with this audit?
Google Business Profile itself (statistics and completeness rate), Google search in a private window on a mobile, the rich results test for structured data, PageSpeed Insights for speed, and Search Console to see which local queries the site appears on.
How does this differ from a professional local SEO audit?
The professional audit adds rank tracking across a grid of geographic points, a full analysis of citations and links, a quantified comparison with competitors and a prioritised action plan over several months. The 12-point self-audit is enough to identify the obvious gaps and get started.
My score is good but I don't appear in the local pack — why?
Most often because of distance: the local pack favours businesses close to the user, and a visibility radius of a few kilometres in a city is normal. Also check the primary category, which decides relevance, and your review count against better-ranked competitors.