Catalog / Local SEO Cheat Sheet
Local SEO Cheat Sheet
A concise cheat sheet to help you optimize your online presence for local search and leverage analytics to improve your local SEO strategy.
Foundational Elements
Google My Business (GMB) Optimization
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Claim & Verify: Ensure your GMB listing is claimed and fully verified. |
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NAP Consistency: Maintain consistent Name, Address, and Phone number across all online platforms. |
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Business Description: Craft a compelling and keyword-rich business description. |
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Categories: Select primary and secondary categories accurately reflecting your business. |
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Photos & Videos: Add high-quality photos and videos showcasing your business, products, or services. |
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Posts: Regularly publish GMB Posts to share updates, offers, and events. |
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Q&A: Monitor and answer questions posted by users in the Q&A section. |
On-Page SEO for Local
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Location Pages: Create dedicated pages for each location with unique content. |
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Keywords: Incorporate local keywords (city, region) naturally throughout your website content. |
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Schema Markup: Implement local business schema markup to provide structured data to search engines. |
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Title Tags & Meta Descriptions: Optimize title tags and meta descriptions with local keywords. |
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Mobile-Friendliness: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive. |
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Page Speed: Optimize website loading speed for a better user experience and search ranking. |
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Internal Linking: Use internal links to connect related pages on your website, including location pages. |
Local Citations
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Core Citations: Build citations on major directories (e.g., Yelp, Yellow Pages, Foursquare). |
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Industry-Specific Citations: Obtain citations on directories relevant to your industry. |
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Local Chamber of Commerce: List your business on your local Chamber of Commerce website. |
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NAP Consistency: Maintain NAP consistency across all citations. |
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Monitor Citations: Regularly monitor and update citations to ensure accuracy. |
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Citation Audit: Perform a citation audit to identify and correct any inconsistencies. |
Advanced Local SEO Tactics
Link Building
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Local Partnerships: Build relationships with local businesses and organizations for link opportunities. |
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Sponsorships: Sponsor local events and organizations in exchange for links. |
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Guest Blogging: Contribute guest posts to local blogs and websites. |
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Broken Link Building: Find broken links on local websites and offer your content as a replacement. |
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Resource Page Linking: Get listed on local resource pages. |
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Press Releases: Distribute press releases about local events or news. |
Review Management
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Encourage Reviews: Actively encourage customers to leave reviews on Google and other relevant platforms. |
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Respond to Reviews: Respond promptly and professionally to both positive and negative reviews. |
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Monitor Reviews: Regularly monitor online reviews to identify and address any issues. |
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Use Review Schema: Implement review schema markup to display star ratings in search results. |
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Address Negative Reviews: Handle negative reviews constructively and offer solutions to resolve customer issues. |
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Highlight Positive Reviews: Showcase positive reviews on your website and marketing materials. |
Content Marketing
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Local Blog Posts: Create blog posts about local events, news, and topics relevant to your audience. |
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Local Guides: Develop local guides showcasing the best of your city or region. |
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Case Studies: Publish case studies highlighting successful local projects or customer stories. |
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Infographics: Create infographics about local trends or statistics. |
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Videos: Produce videos showcasing your business, products, or services in a local context. |
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Community Engagement: Participate in local events and initiatives to build brand awareness. |
Local SEO Analytics & Tracking
Google Analytics
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Track Website Traffic: Monitor website traffic from local sources. |
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Set Up Goals: Define goals to track conversions (e.g., contact form submissions, phone calls). |
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Analyze User Behavior: Understand how users are interacting with your website. |
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Identify Popular Pages: Determine which pages are attracting the most local traffic. |
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Measure Bounce Rate: Assess the bounce rate to identify areas for improvement. |
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Track Mobile Traffic: Monitor mobile traffic to optimize the mobile experience. |
Google Search Console
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Monitor Search Performance: Track your website’s performance in local search results. |
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Identify Keywords: Determine which local keywords are driving traffic to your website. |
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Check Indexing Status: Ensure your website is properly indexed by Google. |
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Submit Sitemap: Submit a sitemap to help Google crawl your website more efficiently. |
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Fix Crawl Errors: Identify and fix any crawl errors that may be affecting your website’s visibility. |
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Monitor Mobile Usability: Check for mobile usability issues and address them promptly. |
GMB Insights
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Track Views: Monitor how many people are viewing your GMB listing. |
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Analyze Search Queries: Determine which search queries are leading users to your GMB listing. |
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Monitor Actions: Track actions taken by users (e.g., website clicks, phone calls, directions requests). |
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Understand Audience: Gain insights into the demographics and interests of your audience. |
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Track Popular Times: Determine the busiest times for your business. |
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Monitor Photo Views: Track the number of views your photos are receiving. |
Troubleshooting & Maintenance
Common Local SEO Issues
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NAP Inconsistencies: Inconsistent Name, Address, and Phone number across online platforms. |
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Duplicate Listings: Multiple GMB listings for the same business. |
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Negative Reviews: Unaddressed negative reviews impacting your online reputation. |
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Missing or Inaccurate Information: Incomplete or incorrect information on your GMB listing or website. |
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Lack of Reviews: Insufficient number of reviews affecting your ranking and credibility. |
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Poor Website Performance: Slow loading speed and mobile usability issues. |
Maintenance Checklist
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Regular GMB Updates: Update your GMB listing with fresh content, photos, and offers. |
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Citation Monitoring: Regularly monitor and update your citations. |
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Review Management: Actively monitor and respond to reviews. |
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Content Refresh: Refresh your website content with new and relevant information. |
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Link Building: Continue building high-quality local links. |
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Analytics Review: Regularly review your analytics data to identify trends and opportunities. |
Tools & Resources
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Google My Business: https://www.google.com/business/ |
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Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console/ |
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Google Analytics: https://analytics.google.com/ |
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Moz Local: https://moz.com/local |
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BrightLocal: https://www.brightlocal.com/ |
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Whitespark: https://whitespark.ca/ |