Steps to perform the audit of local ranking

The local auditing is very task and time extensive process. It involves various aspects that are to be analyzed and evaluated so that you can get a detailed idea about the actions to be taken and implement them as required.

Step 1: Prepare the documentation

This involves the creation of a spreadsheet with columns like Google Visibility ranking, User visibility ranking, level of accuracy for listing, category of the profile, spam count, citation health count, backlink health, website health, social media presence and ranking of AI visibility. All these factors are the key reasons which act as the driving force for a business and helps in setting up of the business local ranking.

Step 2: Google Map visibility

This includes the ranking of a local business on Google Map and identify the level of visibility on various keywords, as it may vary from one keyword phrase to another. You can search the business on Google Map and take the screenshot for the reference purpose. You can also use the map emulator tools like Semrush which helps in offering a detailed outlook of the local business listing you are looking for. Digital Marketing institutes in Ahmedabad like Digital Describe Ahmedabad offers a better ideal about usage of Google Maps for ranking as well as the emulator tools like Semrush.

Step 3: User based search ranking

User based search ranking is the core factor that is to be looked after for better management and analysis of a local business ranking. This involves the analysis of a local business ranking on different keywords, at various locations in a city or geographical area. This may vary on hourly as well as daily basis. The key factor to look at is that Google give personalized results in general, based on user’s activity online. It also depends of the availability as to which business is open and which is closed for the day. It helps in the analysis of a specific business in a particular geographical area. Like, if you search digital marketing course in Udaipur, the local GBP account of Digital Describe will be visible on the top.  

Step 4: Checking spam

Spamming is the major challenge that is been faced by the local businesses while the local audit is been carried out. The spamming may be at the local listing, or maps which may affect your ranking to an extent. The best practice to prevent such spam listings are to identify and flag them by reporting for further investigation.

Step 5: Analyzing the accuracy of the listing

This step may look easy but major business listings are affected while working on this step. Different sort of factors like business name, address of the business, phone number, website linked, hour of operation, photos and videos of office or store premises and the map marker is required to be correctly put for the better ranking and avoiding suspension of the local listing. In case to make these GBP listings more reliable, Google accepts third part suggestions. However, spammers and other businesses in competition may misuse it to target your local listing. This may affect the accuracy and overall ranking of your business.

Step 6: Star rating on your local business

The star rating play a very significant role in setting up of the local business and is a very important aspect of local business which is to be considered. A Google business listing with more than 4.5 or 5 star rating with positive reviews is given a high priority while ranking on the Google Local Business listing. Besides this, it also helps in determining the level of trust and quality of service that is offered by the business. For an instance, if you search for digital marketing course in Udaipur, the Google Business listing of Digital Describe is visible on the top of the SERP results as it is the top rated digital marketing training institute with highest number of positive reviews by trainees and students for digital marketing course at Digital Describe and Digital Describe Ahmedabad.

Step 7: Number of positive reviews

The average star rating is complimented by the reviews that are posted on the Local business listing. The reviews are also fetched by other business review platforms which helps the search engines like Google to get the best reviewed and ideal business listing to be visible on the top of the SERP results. The reviews are important for multiple reasons. If your reviews have been decreased suddenly, possibility suggest that your business is been penalized and there is some bug in the algorithm. On the other hand, if a business has a sudden rise in the positive reviews, there can be a strong possibility of spamming and paid reviews which are placed to improve the average rating for a business listing.

Step 8: Types of reviews received

The types or the intention of review that is been placed strongly determines the quality of service offered by the business. Also it helps in getting a deep and real time insight for a product or services a business is offering. If majority of the reviews that are been posted on the local business listing are negative it showcases that the business is required to work on the quality of their products and services as well as their operations. On the other hand, a positive review is an indicator that the business is serving well and will help the brand or business to scale up more effectively. In addition to this, it will also act as an advantage for marketing strategy and promotional activities, leading to overall rise in their reputations and sales. Students at digital marketing course training institutes in Ahmedabad like Digital Describe Ahmedabad are thoroughly guided about the sentimental factor of reviews for local SEO audit.

Step 9: Category of your GBP Listing

Categorization of the business also plays a very important role in setting up of the merchant experience. While creating the merchant listing, the businesses are required to select the best suited and accurate business category which is to be chosen by the business. You have to monitor and keep a track on the categories that are newly added by Google. It helps in the proper classification as well as plays a very critical role in setting up of your business on a local geographical location.

Step 10: Photos that are uploaded by business or owner

When you click on the photos and video section of the local business listing, you come across various photos and videos that are uploaded or posted by the business or the owner of the listing. In case of proper local SEO auditing, calculate well the number of photos and videos that are been added, approved or are still pending in the GBP listing. These are the major differentiator which will make your business have more conversions and builds the trust over the period of time. Besides this, regular posting of accurate and relevant images and videos of your business keeps your listing active, making it to get priority by Google.

Step 11: Images by contributors, customers and service receivers

Google pays equal emphasis on the images and videos that are uploaded and posted on a business listing while placing the reviews. As a supportive business, you are required to offer the proper support and guidelines which will improve the chances of acceptance of these images and videos on your profile and improves the trust level of your business or services. Other than this, if someone is spamming your business listing with the spam photos and videos, you are required to report them so that Google removes them without affecting your business listing. In order to get a better insight about how Google checks and analyze the images and videos, you can enroll for digital marketing course training in Ahmedabad at Digital Describe Ahmedabad.

Step 12: Analysis of GBP features

Google Business profile also inculcates many feature driven attributes or sections which are required to be monitored while Local SEO audit and is important for the proper ranking of your business. The features like menus, products, services, questions and answers, social media links and updates are taken into regular consideration by Google as well as business owner. It is an essential tool to be taken in consideration for the present condition of your business listing. Hence, while setting up, these attributes are required to be taken in proper consideration by the business owner. It is to be kept in mind that any sort of error or misinformation can have adverse effect on the visibility of your listing.

Step 13: Evaluation of the GBP metrics

The performance tab of your new merchant experience is needed to be monitored and analyzed on regular basis as it helps in setting up and overall operational capacity of a business. You can get the proper analysis of the performance factors like clicks to site, clicks to call, number of bookings, number of sales/ conversions made. A downtrend is an indicator of a drastic change in the local demand or competitive landscape of a business. To learn more about these metrics and how they are used properly with other tools like Google Analytics, you can enroll to the digital marketing course in Ahmedabad at Digital Describe Ahmedabad.

Step 14: Number of structured citations           

The structured citations of a local listing of your business on the directory and business listing sites like Trip Advisor etc. This will provide you with the suitable insight about the account health over the website. Proper listings and setting up of the listings is important, failing to which may cause Google to be unable to fetch correct information for your business. Through the proper audit you can identify the misinformation that is been posted for the business and can get them rectified for better ranking. 

Step 15: Unstructured listing health

The unstructured citations or listings are also another important factor which is to be taken in consideration for Local SEO audit. These includes the analysis of third party sites where you post the information about your business listing. It can be local blogs community sites and even news platforms. The two major criteria’s which are taken into a greater consideration while auditing of the unstructured listing health are the accuracy and embedded links. The information that is been posted on the third party site is required to be accurate and free from any error. Along with this, the links that are been applied are required to be correct and working, avoiding broken link of any sort. For learning a detailed knowledge of this off page SEO technique, you can join now for the advance seo and digital marketing course in Ahmedabad at Digital Describe Ahmedabad.

Step 16: Organic rankings

The organic ranking of your business website is also a very important determining factor for local SEO audit. You can get a better insight of the ranking and overall health of your local SEO by analyzing the movement of your website in SERP. If the site’s ranking is moving on top, it means the SEO is working positively and adequate. It confirms the success of your SEO strategy. Meanwhile, a downward movement of ranking is an indicator of the inadequate and lacking of the efforts placed for SEO for your website and requires immediate action.

Step 17: On page SEO

The On page SEO plays a crucial role in setting up of the improvement and enhancement of local SEO as well as your website. Google lay a great emphasis on the robustness of the on page SEO that is been done on a website. Besides this, it also lay a great effect on the landing page of your Google Business Profile. In order to analyze the On page SEO for a website or Google Business profile, check and evaluate the attributes like title tags, meta name description, headers, content in the body, and internal linking. These factors are a very important aspect of the ranking as it determines the visibility and user experience for your business listings. You can enroll to advance digital marketing course in Ahmedabad at Digital Describe Ahmedabad to get the better insight about how on page SEO works for a business.

Step 18: Interest and behavior of the user

The interest and behavior of a user while searching the website or a Google Business listing is a very important aspect of the ranking. The tools like Google Analytics and Search Console along with third part tools like Semrush helps you to identify the effectiveness of your online presence. It also helps you as a business to identify the important metrics like number of impressions received, bounce rate of your customer and on an average time a user is engaged on your website. Tracking of these factors properly will help you greatly in the local SEO audit and provide a proper idea about any potential risk factors which may affect your ranking.

Step 19: Analysis of Link health

Using various free and paid tools that can be used to analyze the overall link health of your website, you can identify the scope of improvement in any potential backlink or citation and can rectify it. It will help you greatly in documentation and potential threats to the ranking of your business listing as well as the website. To gain a better insight about how link health lay influence on ranking of a website, you can enroll to digital marketing and SEO course in Ahmedabad at Digital Describe Ahmedabad.

Step 20: Overall website health

It has a broader perspective and includes various factors and attributes that are to be taken in consideration and insight for local SEO audit. While analyzing you can look for certain important attributes or features like broken links, forms or buttons, non working call to action buttons, unorganized structure of a website, pages not loading properly on mobile devices, any malware or virus attack on the website, and mishandling of HTTPS codes for the website. All these factors are to be put under scrutiny as poor website health may lower down your ranking and may cause you a loss in customer base for your business.

Step 21: Presence on social media

The overall social media presence of your business or brand is also very crucial in setting up of the local ranking of the GBP listing on Google. The brands or businesses, along with the updates on the local listing are required to be well active on social media as it act as a driving factor for the businesses to gain new customers and build engagement with their existing user base. In order to learn the concepts of social media, how it affects the business along with digital marketing, you can enroll now to advance digital marketing course in Ahmedabad at Digital Describe Ahmedabad.

Step 22: Presence on AI platforms

In the final stage of the Local SEO audit, you can evaluate and analyze the presence of the brand or business profile on the AI platforms like Chat GPT and Generative AI. As AI is becoming an essential part of businesses on a wider scale, their involvement in the Local SEO audit can’t be ignored.