Local SEO
Local SEO audit: find out why you're not showing up
A full local SEO audit that tells you exactly what's holding you back and what to fix first. Clear recommendations, no jargon.
What a local SEO audit covers
If you know your local search presence isn't where it should be but you're not sure what's wrong, a local SEO audit gives you the full picture. I review everything that affects how your business shows up on Google and give you a prioritised list of what needs fixing.
This isn't a generic automated report. I'm based in Falkirk and I work with businesses across Scotland and the UK. I manually review your setup, compare you against your local competitors, and write up clear, specific recommendations that you can either act on yourself or have me implement for you.
Google Business Profile health
Is your profile complete? Are your categories right? Are you posting regularly? I check every element of your GBP against best practices.
Citation consistency
I check your business listings across major UK directories for accuracy. Inconsistent name, address, or phone number across sites hurts your rankings.
On-page SEO
Your website's title tags, headings, content, and structure. Are you targeting the right keywords for your services and area?
Competitor comparison
How do you stack up against the businesses that are currently ranking above you? I identify what they're doing that you're not.
Google Maps visibility
Where do you currently rank in the map pack for your key search terms? I test from multiple locations in your service area.
Review profile
How many reviews you have, your average rating, whether you're responding, and how you compare to competitors. Reviews are a major ranking factor.
Pricing
How much does a local SEO audit cost?
A full local SEO audit is £199 as a one-off. You get a detailed written report with prioritised recommendations, delivered within 5 working days. No ongoing commitment required.
If you want me to implement the recommendations, we can discuss that separately. Most improvements fall within the scope of a Growth or Pro support plan.
What the report actually looks like
Three typical findings from a recent audit
So you know what you are paying for, here are three real-world finding categories the audit produces, anonymised and condensed. Your report typically contains 12 to 20 findings prioritised by impact.
GBP primary category does not match the highest-volume search
Why it matters
The profile is listed under "General contractor" but the highest-volume search in the area is "roofing contractor". Google ranks by category match. Roofing-related searches return competitors instead.
What to fix
Change primary category to "Roofing contractor", move "General contractor" to additional categories, monitor Insights for impressions on roofing-related queries over 4 to 6 weeks.
NAP inconsistency across 5 of 9 audited directories
Why it matters
Phone number listed three different ways: with country code, without, and a legacy number from before they moved premises. Google treats this as ambiguity and weighs the listing lower.
What to fix
Pick one canonical version (the one on GBP), update Yell, Trustpilot, FreeIndex, Cylex, and Bizify to match exactly, document for future reference.
Local pack ranking weak from key catchment postcodes
Why it matters
Map-pack rank checked from 6 postcodes across the service area. Business ranks #1 from the home postcode but drops to position 8 to 12 from postcodes only 3 miles away. Proximity bias is real but this gap is wider than expected.
What to fix
Build geographic content (service-area pages or location-specific blog posts) targeting the underperforming postcodes. Citation building in directories tied to those areas. GBP service-area refinement.
Two more finding categories that come up on most audits and are worth flagging:
Internal linking does not pass equity to local landing pages
Why it matters
Service pages and location pages exist on the site but are barely linked to from anywhere else. Google sees them as low-priority because the site itself does not seem to value them. Local landing pages without internal-link equity rarely rank.
What to fix
Add contextual links to location and service pages from the homepage, the relevant blog posts, and from each other where relevant. Use descriptive anchor text, not "click here". Audit and prune orphan pages.
Technical SEO issues holding the site back
Why it matters
Common things I find: missing or duplicate meta descriptions, indexable thank-you and confirmation pages, broken internal links, missing image alt text, no schema markup, slow Largest Contentful Paint on mobile, mixed-content SSL warnings. Each one bleeds rank potential individually; together they cap how high the site can ever go.
What to fix
Most are quick. Audit identifies them, prioritises by ranking impact, and lays out the fix order. Many are 5-10 minute jobs in the CMS; some need developer time. The audit makes that distinction so you know what is DIY vs what needs paying for.
Other typical finding categories in the full report: GBP photo strategy, review velocity, structured data on the website, mobile vs desktop ranking gaps, schema-markup completeness, and competitor delta on each of the above.
What happens after the audit?
You get a written report that explains every finding in plain English. No marketing jargon. Each recommendation is prioritised so you know what to tackle first for the biggest impact.
From there, you have options. You can implement the changes yourself, have your existing developer do it, or ask me to handle it. If you want me to do the work, I'll quote it separately. Common follow-up services include citation building, Google Business Profile optimisation, and on-page SEO improvements.
Looking for a quick overview before committing to a full audit? Start with a free local SEO audit. It covers the essentials and helps you decide if a deeper dive is worth it.
FAQ
Common questions about local SEO audits
Not sure where you stand locally?
A local SEO audit tells you exactly what's working, what's not, and what to fix first.
£199 one-off. No ongoing commitment.