Growth Rankers
Local SEO · Checklist

The local SEO checklist for small businesses

25 steps in priority order, so you know what to do first. Most can be done in an afternoon, and none require buying anything.

The short answer

Local SEO for a small business comes down to five areas: a verified and complete Google Business Profile, a website with a page for each service and location, a steady flow of reviews you respond to, consistent listings across the web, and tracking so you know what's working. Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence, and this checklist improves the two you can control.

Written by Latisha Gray, founder of Growth Rankers. Former Head of SEO at State Affairs, with SEO roles at CNN and Vox Media.
Last updated

1. Google Business Profile (start here)

  1. Claim and verify your profile at business.google.com, owned by your business, not an agency or employee.
  2. Use your real business name exactly as customers see it. No added keywords or cities; Google says that can lead to suspension.
  3. Choose the most accurate primary category, and as few additional categories as needed.
  4. Set your address or service area correctly. Storefronts show an address; businesses that travel to customers hide it and set a service area.
  5. Add accurate hours, including holiday and seasonal hours.
  6. List your services with short, plain descriptions.
  7. Add real photos of your location, team and work.
  8. Turn on messaging or booking only if someone will reliably respond.

2. Your website

  1. Show the same name, address and phone number as your profile, in the footer of every page.
  2. Create a page for each main service, written in the words customers use.
  3. Create a page for each location if you have more than one.
  4. Answer common questions directly on your service pages: price ranges you can stand behind, timelines, what's included.
  5. Make it easy to contact you on a phone: click-to-call, a short form, fast pages.
  6. Add LocalBusiness schema that matches what's visible on the page.
  7. Check that Google can index your site. Search site:yourdomain.com, and see our guide if pages are missing: why your website isn't showing up on Google.

3. Reviews

  1. Ask every customer for a review, the same way, soon after the job, with your direct review link.
  2. Never offer rewards for positive reviews. It's against Google's policies and the FTC's 2024 rule.
  3. Respond to reviews, positive and negative. Use our review reply templates, including versions for healthcare and law.

4. Listings and mentions

  1. Make your business information consistent on major directories such as Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp and the BBB.
  2. Get listed in industry directories relevant to your field.
  3. Join local organizations such as your chamber of commerce, and keep your member listing current.
  4. Earn local mentions: sponsorships, community events and local news.

5. AI visibility and tracking

  1. Ask ChatGPT and Google for "[your service] in [your city]" and note who gets recommended and why. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 45% of U.S. consumers had used an AI tool to find a local business in the past year.
  2. Set up Google Search Console and Google Analytics and track calls and form submissions as key events.
  3. Review monthly: new reviews and replies, profile accuracy, and which searches bring visitors.
If you only do three things: verify and complete your Google Business Profile, create a page for each service, and start asking every customer for a review.

Go deeper

Sources

  1. Google Business Profile Help, "Tips to improve your local ranking on Google": support.google.com
  2. Google Business Profile Help, "Guidelines for representing your business on Google": support.google.com
  3. BrightLocal, "Local Consumer Review Survey 2026": brightlocal.com
  4. FTC, final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (2024): ftc.gov
FAQ

Local SEO checklist: common questions

What is the most important local SEO step?

For most local businesses, a verified, complete and accurate Google Business Profile with the right primary category. Google says local results are based on relevance, distance and prominence, and the profile affects relevance and prominence directly.

Can I do local SEO myself?

Yes. Most of this checklist can be done by a business owner with a few hours a month. Help is most useful for competitive markets, multiple locations, technical website problems, or when progress stalls.

How long does local SEO take?

Profile and listing fixes can be picked up within weeks. Reviews, links and content build over months. Distance from the searcher is something no optimization changes.

How often should I review this checklist?

Do the setup once, then review monthly: new reviews and replies, profile updates, and any changes to hours, services or locations. A full review twice a year keeps everything accurate.

Want us to run this checklist for you?

The free consultation checks your profile, website, reviews and listings against the businesses in the top three spots, and tells you which steps matter most for you.

Get my free audit Ask a question