NightshiftDirect

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What should a local SEO audit check?

A useful audit checks what decides whether nearby customers find you and can reach you. Here is the list, with a link to each check our free scan runs and a plain note on what a scan cannot see.

By NightshiftDirect Research. Published . Updated .

Can search engines crawl and index the site?

Start here, because nothing else counts if Google cannot read a page. A robots.txt file controls what crawlers may fetch, but a blocked page can still be listed if other pages link to it (Google Search Central). A noindex rule is what removes a page from results, and Google only sees it when robots.txt lets it reach the page (Google Search Central).

Does each page say what it is?

A found page still has to tell a searcher, in a few words, what you do and where.

Can a visitor on a phone call or book?

Someone who finds you on a phone usually wants to call, book or ask for a price next. If that is awkward, the visit is lost after search has done its part.

Is it fast, and does it hold still?

Speed has three measures, and web.dev calls a page good with main content within 2.5 seconds, a response to a tap in 200 milliseconds or less, and a layout shift of 0.1 or less, each at the 75th percentile of page loads (web.dev). Where your site has too few visits for real-visitor data, the scan shows one lab test instead and labels it, so weigh that result lightly.

Can machines tell who you are?

Structured data states your name, address, phone and hours in code that search engines read without guessing. Google requires a name and address for a local business and recommends a phone number, website, map coordinates and opening hours (Google Search Central).

What can the scan not see?

A scan reads the site from outside. It does not measure links from other sites, your rankings or map position, your reviews, or which calls came from search; the method page lists every gap.

Some of an audit lives in accounts only you can open, such as Search Console and Analytics. Google's advice is to grant an auditor read access to Search Console, not write access, and to expect realistic estimates of the gains and the work (Google Search Central).

What about the Business Profile and reviews?

The scan does not open your profile, so check it by hand. The primary category should name what you do, since Google says categories are not for keywords (Google Business Profile Help). Hours should be right and photos should show your own work.

Reviews count toward how prominent Google judges a business (Google Business Profile Help). Note how many you have, how recent the newest is, and whether any still lack a reply.

Questions

How often should a small business site be audited?

Scan after every change to the site, and every few months otherwise. A weekly watch reruns the checks every 7 days and emails you only when a high or medium finding appears or clears. Save a deeper audit for before a redesign or a monthly hire.

Can I run these checks myself?

Yes. The free scan runs every check linked here and shows the line behind each finding. The profile checks need only your Business Profile open. Reading Search Console and Analytics well takes longer, and that is where paying someone helps.

What does a paid audit find that the free scan cannot?

What sits in your accounts. Our Roadmap Audit, $495 once, adds a full crawl with your Search Console and Analytics data, a competitor and map-pack snapshot, and a written 90-day plan in 3 business days. The audit also gives the fix for every finding in your free scan. The fee is credited to your first month if a plan starts within 30 days.

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