A guide to conducting a local SEO audit
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of boosting traffic to your company’s website through organic search engine results. SEO is crucial to a company’s success because it brings the exposure and attention you need.
If you’re reading this, you may already know the difference between SEO and local SEO.
But if you’re new here, let me give you a recap: SEO and local SEO are the same thing. The only difference is that local SEO is specifically for the location your company is located at.
We recommend reading why you should conduct a local SEO audit first, as it will give you insight into why you should conduct a local SEO audit and the benefits of doing so.
A checklist to conduct a local SEO audit:
Google My Business: Everyone knows that Google is the way to go when searching for anything, to the point that the word “googling” is a universal term that people use. Creating a Google My Business account will give your company extra visibility in local searches and maps done on Google, and it might even recommend your company if it fits the search criteria.
Online reviews evaluation: Other than Google, there are other platforms that people can make reviews on about your company. Yelp, Facebook, and even social media are a few of those platforms. Make sure you review what is being said about your company to make the necessary changes to improve.
Website evaluation: What you have on your website can make or break your chances of gaining potential customers. This includes keywords, structure, and speed. Constantly making updates to enhance your website can greatly improve an online user’s experience.
Citation evaluation: A citation consists of your company’s name, address, and phone number (NAP). There are two types of citations: structured and unstructured. Structured citations are used for authorized company directories. For example, your profile on Yelp would be considered a structured citation. On the other hand, unstructured citations are when your NAP is used but not necessarily for company directories. An example of this would be a local magazine mentioning your company and including its NAP.
Social media evaluation: Trends come and go in social media. Monitoring what’s considered “in” on social media can help your company stay relevant. Social media also allows you to see the comments your audience has in regards to your company. We highly recommend interacting with them to boost engagement.
Competition evaluation: Keeping tabs on your competitors is a tactic that every company does. Evaluate what they have internally and externally, and discuss what your company can do to be better.
It might seem overwhelming to conduct a local SEO audit at first, but regularly doing so will lead your company to the success it deserves. Your efforts will gradually show with the engagement it receives online.
