Local SEO launch checklist
Work top to bottom — each item compounds.
Foundations
- Claim and verify your Google Business Profile at business.google.com — complete the postcard/phone/email verification and don't skip it (unverified profiles don't rank)
- Use one exact, consistent business name everywhere — match it letter-for-letter to your storefront signage; don't stuff keywords into the name (it's against Google's guidelines)
- Match your address and phone (NAP) across every listing — paste one canonical version into a doc and reuse it; even "St" vs "Street" inconsistencies dilute the signal
- Set accurate categories, hours, and service areas — pick the most specific primary category (e.g. "Emergency plumber", not "Plumber") and add real special hours for holidays
Your website
- Add LocalBusiness schema — build the JSON-LD with Google's Structured Data Markup Helper, paste it into your homepage
<head>, and validate at validator.schema.org (fields:name,address,geo,telephone,openingHours) - Create a page per location with unique, useful content — 300+ words genuinely different per location (parking, neighborhoods served, that team), never a duplicated template
- Embed a map and clear directions on each location page — use a Google Maps embed pointed at your verified profile plus written directions from a nearby landmark
- Put your phone number in the header as a click-to-call link — use a
tel:link (e.g.<a href="tel:+15551234567">) so mobile taps dial directly
Proof & signals
- Get listed in the core directories — Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, Facebook, Better Business Bureau, the data aggregators (Data Axle, Localeze), plus your industry's big ones (Angi/Houzz for home services, Avvo for law, Healthgrades for medical, TripAdvisor for hospitality)
- Ask your last 10 happy customers for a Google review — text your GBP review link (found under "Ask for reviews") within a day or two; ask every customer, never only the happy ones (review-gating violates Google's policy)
- Respond to every review, positive or negative — reply within 48 hours, thank by name, and answer complaints calmly and factually
- Add real photos of your team, work, and location — upload 10+ genuine photos (not stock) to both your GBP and location pages
Verify
- Run a GrowMyWebsite audit (or Lighthouse + Google Search Console) and fix every failing check before warnings
- Search "[your service] near me" on mobile in an incognito window and note your map-pack and organic position — track it monthly with BrightLocal, Whitespark, or a manual log