Local SEO Checklist for Small Businesses

Google Business Profile

Claim and verify your profile.
Choose the most accurate primary category.
Add hours, services, photos and a description.
Post updates and answer questions monthly.

Consistent NAP

Your name, address and phone number must match exactly on your website, Google, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Facebook and industry directories. Inconsistent details confuse search engines and AI models alike.

Check your own site

See how your site scores on this in about two minutes.

Run free audit

On your website

Address and phone in the footer of every page.
A page for each main service and each area you serve, with genuinely local content.
LocalBusiness schema with geo coordinates and opening hours.
An embedded map on the contact page.

Reviews

Ask every happy customer for a review, and reply to all reviews, good and bad. Review count, rating and recency influence local rankings and AI recommendations.

Frequently asked questions

How long does local SEO take?

Profile fixes can show results within weeks. Ranking in competitive cities usually takes three to six months.

Do I need a separate page for each city?

Only for areas you genuinely serve, with useful local content. Thin copy-paste city pages can hurt.