Multistead / Local SEO checklist
Checklist
Local SEO checklist: a 48-point audit for every location
This local SEO checklist is a working audit for one location: 48 checks across its Google Business Profile, location page, schema, listings, reviews and rankings. Tick what's already true and the page scores the location out of 100. A single location takes about 30 minutes; the section after the checklist explains how to run the same local SEO audit across 10 or 200 locations.
Each check is pass or fail. "Mostly" counts as fail: a profile with the right hours on weekdays and the wrong ones on holidays sends customers to a locked door. Work through it with the location's Business Profile, its page and a phone open side by side.
How to run this local SEO audit across many locations
One location is a 30-minute job. Fifty locations is a week, and by the time you finish, the first ones have drifted. A few habits make it workable:
- Put it in a sheet. One row per location, one column per check, pass or fail. Sort by the total and the weakest locations are at the top.
- Find the system faults first. If 40 of 50 locations fail the same check, such as profile links going to the home page, it's a template or process problem. Fix it once, centrally.
- Then fix by location, starting with the lowest scores in your biggest markets.
- Split the work. Headquarters owns the template, schema, categories and the sitemap. Location managers own hours, photos, team and review replies. A checklist works best when each item has an owner.
- Re-audit quarterly, and re-run the profile and hours checks before every holiday.
| Score | What it usually means | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| 85–100 | The basics are in place | Use the geo-grid to find weak neighborhoods; work on reviews and local content |
| 60–84 | Gaps that cost visibility | Fix Business Profile and location page items first; they move rankings fastest |
| Under 60 | The location is hard for Google to understand | Start with sections 1 and 2, then schema |
Local SEO audit tools vs. doing it by hand
Many items, such as the photos and whether the services match, still need a person. Others, like titles, schema, sitemaps and page completeness, can be checked by software continuously instead of once a quarter. That is what Multistead's per-location checklist score does: every location page is scored automatically against the on-page and schema items, so headquarters sees which locations need work without running an audit. The 7×7 rank grid covers the rankings section, and each location has its own reports and dashboards. If you run many locations, our guide to SEO for multiple locations covers the architecture side.
For section 4, we set up and match each location's listings during onboarding (Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yelp, Facebook and Instagram, Yellow Pages, Foursquare, and Healthgrades for health brands), and the platform's citation tracker then flags any directory where a location's name, address or phone is missing or doesn't match. Pricing is published: $249, $449 or $649 per location per month, billed annually.
Questions
What should a local SEO checklist include?
At minimum: a complete and accurate Google Business Profile, a dedicated location page that matches it, LocalBusiness schema, consistent details on the main directories, a steady flow of reviews with replies, and a way to measure rankings across the area the location serves.
How often should we run a local SEO audit?
Quarterly for every location, plus a quick check of hours and holiday hours before each holiday. Re-check a location after any move, phone change or rebrand.
What is a good local SEO audit score?
On this checklist, 85 or above means the basics are in place and further gains come from reviews, local content and the neighborhoods a geo-grid shows as weak. Below 60 usually points to profile or page problems that are quick to fix.
Is there a free local SEO audit tool?
This checklist is free and works in your browser; nothing you tick is saved or sent anywhere. Google's own Rich Results Test, PageSpeed Insights and Search Console cover the technical checks for free.
Who should own the checklist in a multi-location business?
Headquarters should own the template, schema, categories and sitemap items, and each location should own hours, photos, team details and review replies. Give every item a named owner.