How to Audit Your Google Business Profile
A systematic GBP audit reveals exactly what's holding your listing back. Follow this 8-section audit to find and fix every issue on your profile.
Updated: February 2026•14 min read
Skip the Manual Audit
Our free AI tool performs an instant audit of your Google Business Profile and gives you a score plus specific fixes.
Run Free AI Audit →Section 1: Basic Information Audit
☐
Business name — Matches your legal/DBA name exactly. No keywords or city names added.
☐
Address — Correct, current, matches your website and other directories.
☐
Phone number — Local number (not toll-free), matches your website.
☐
Website URL — Points to correct page (homepage or location page). Uses HTTPS. No tracking parameters.
☐
Map pin — Correct location on the map. Verify by checking Google Maps satellite view.
Section 2: Categories Audit
☐
Primary category — Is this truly the best category for your main service? Check what top competitors use. See our categories guide.
☐
Secondary categories — Have you added all relevant secondary categories? (Up to 9 additional)
☐
Irrelevant categories — Remove any that don't accurately describe your business.
Section 3: Description & Content Audit
☐
Description — Uses all 750 characters. Includes primary service, city, differentiators, and CTA. See our description guide.
☐
Products — All key offerings listed with photos, descriptions, and prices.
☐
Services — Complete list of services with descriptions. See our products & services guide.
☐
Opening date — Added (shows "X years in business" badge).
Section 4: Photos & Visual Audit
☐
Photo count — At least 20+. Businesses with 100+ photos get 520% more calls (BrightLocal). See our photos guide.
☐
Cover photo — High-quality, represents your business well.
☐
Logo — Clean, professional, correct dimensions.
☐
Photo variety — Exterior, interior, team, product/service, atmosphere photos included.
☐
Photo quality — No blurry, dark, or unprofessional images.
☐
User photos — Review customer-uploaded photos for anything inappropriate.
Section 5: Reviews Audit
☐
Response rate — Are you responding to ALL reviews (positive and negative)? See our reviews guide.
☐
Response time — Responding within 24-48 hours?
☐
Review velocity — Getting new reviews regularly (not just in bursts)?
☐
Rating — Above 4.0? Ideally 4.5+. If below 4.0, prioritize improvement immediately.
☐
Fake/spam reviews — Flag and report any fake negative reviews.
Section 6: Hours & Attributes Audit
☐
Regular hours — Accurate and up to date.
☐
Special hours — Upcoming holidays marked with special hours.
☐
More hours — If applicable: drive-through hours, senior hours, delivery hours.
☐
Attributes — All relevant attributes selected (accessibility, amenities, payments, etc.).
Section 7: Posts & Activity Audit
☐
Posting frequency — At least 1 post per week. See our posts guide.
☐
Post variety — Mix of updates, offers, and events.
☐
Q&A section — Seeded with common questions and answers. Monitoring for new questions.
☐
Messaging — Enabled and being responded to promptly (or disabled if you can't manage it).
Section 8: Competitive Audit
☐
Search your target keywords — Where do you appear vs. competitors?
☐
Compare profiles — Do competitors have more reviews, better photos, more products/services listed?
☐
Check for spam — Are competitors violating guidelines (keyword-stuffed names, fake addresses)? Report them.
☐
Identify gaps — What are top competitors doing that you're not?
Audit Scoring
Score yourself on each section (0-10) and prioritize the lowest-scoring areas first:
| Section | Score | Impact on Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Info & NAP | ___ / 10 | Critical |
| Categories | ___ / 10 | Critical |
| Description & Content | ___ / 10 | High |
| Photos & Visuals | ___ / 10 | High |
| Reviews | ___ / 10 | Critical |
| Hours & Attributes | ___ / 10 | Medium |
| Posts & Activity | ___ / 10 | Medium |
| Competitive Position | ___ / 10 | High |
Get Your Instant AI Audit Score
Enter your business name and our AI runs a comprehensive audit in seconds — for free.
Run Free AI Audit →