Local SEO Checklist: 50+ Steps to Rank Higher in 2026

Google Business Profile (15 items)

Your GBP is the foundation of local SEO. Complete these first. For detailed instructions, see our GBP optimization guide.

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  Claim & verify your profile on business.google.com
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  Set the most specific primary category available
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  Add 3-6 relevant secondary categories
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  Use your real business name (no keyword stuffing)
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  Set accurate address matching your website & citations
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  Add local phone number (not toll-free or tracking number)
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  Set business hours including special/holiday hours
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  Write optimized description (750 chars with keywords)
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  Upload 15+ quality photos (exterior, interior, team, work)
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  Set all relevant attributes
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  Add products and services with descriptions
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  Seed Q&A with 10+ common questions and answers
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  Set opening date (business tenure is a ranking signal)
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  Link to your website homepage or location page
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  Set up messaging if you can respond within an hour

Reviews & Reputation (8 items)

Reviews are the #2 ranking factor. See our reviews guide for details.

• ☐
  Create a review request process (ask at point of delight)
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  Generate a short review link from GBP dashboard
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  Respond to every review within 48 hours
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  Include keywords in review responses naturally
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  Maintain 4.0+ star rating
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  Aim for 4+ new reviews per month
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  Monitor and flag fake reviews
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  Set up review monitoring alerts

Website On-Page SEO (12 items)

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  Add NAP to footer/contact page matching GBP exactly
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  Include city + service in homepage title tag
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  Create dedicated service pages for each main offering
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  Create location pages for each area you serve
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  Add LocalBusiness schema markup to your site
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  Embed Google Map on contact page
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  Ensure mobile-friendly design (Core Web Vitals pass)
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  Optimize page speed (aim for <3 second load time)
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  Use HTTPS on all pages
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  Create an XML sitemap and submit to Google Search Console
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  Optimize images with alt tags including location keywords
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  Add internal links between service and location pages

Citations & NAP (6 items)

See our NAP consistency guide.

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  Submit to top 30 citation sources (Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps, Bing Places, YP, etc.)
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  Submit to data aggregators (Localeze, Foursquare, Data Axle)
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  Submit to industry-specific directories
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  Audit NAP consistency across all citations
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  Fix inconsistencies and duplicates
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  Suppress old/wrong listings from past addresses or names

Link Building (5 items)

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  Join local Chamber of Commerce and business organizations
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  Sponsor local events or charities for link + community signal
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  Build relationships with complementary businesses for cross-linking
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  Create linkable content (local guides, neighborhood resources, industry studies)
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  Pursue local news/blog coverage

Ongoing Activities (7 items)

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  Publish Google Posts weekly
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  Upload new photos bi-weekly
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  Review and respond to all new reviews within 48 hours
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  Update hours for holidays/special closures
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  Monitor GBP Insights monthly
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  Run free GBP audit quarterly
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  Monitor AI search visibility (AI search guide)

Priority Order

If you're overwhelmed, work through this checklist in order — the sections are organized by impact. Start with GBP optimization (biggest ROI), then reviews, then on-page SEO, then citations, then link building. Each section builds on the previous one.