# Local SEO Checklist > A practical checklist for your business facts, location pages, listings beyond Google, reviews, and a monthly local check. Canonical: https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/local-seo-checklist/ **Maintained by Vassal Marketing** · Last updated on September 26, 2026 Reviewed at least quarterly and whenever a platform or rule it cites changes. General information, not legal or professional advice. Check rules that affect your business with a qualified professional. Start with one master list of your business name, address or service area, phone, hours, and website. Then make every page and listing match it. A few correct listings beat many sloppy ones. For profile-specific tasks, use the Google Business Profile checklist. ## Write down your business facts once Keep one master copy so your website and listings never disagree. - [ ] Write down your exact business name, as customers see it on signs and invoices. — Owner · Once - [ ] Write down your address, or the areas you serve if you visit customers. — Owner · Once - [ ] Write down your main phone number and website address. — Owner · Once - [ ] Write down regular hours and planned closures. — Owner · When something changes - [ ] Confirm your business owns the domain, Google profile, analytics, and directory logins. — Owner · Once - [ ] Search for duplicate, moved, or closed listings and fix them through each platform. — Either · Quarterly ## Local pages on your website Each local page should describe a real location or service area with details specific to it. - [ ] Publish one page for each real staffed location, with hours, services, and directions. — Either · Once - [ ] For service areas, describe where you actually go and any travel limits. — Either · Once - [ ] Add a real local example or photo to each area page. — Owner · Quarterly - [ ] Link each location page from the menu or a locations page. — Provider · Once - [ ] Merge or remove city pages that only swap the town name. — Provider · Once ## Listings beyond Google Customers also use Apple Maps, Bing, Yelp, and industry directories. Keep the ones they use accurate. - [ ] Claim your listing in Bing Places for Business. — Either · Once - [ ] Claim your Apple Maps place card in Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect). — Either · Once - [ ] Correct your details on Yelp and the main directories in your industry. — Either · Once - [ ] Update every listing the same week your phone, address, or hours change. — Either · When something changes - [ ] Earn local mentions through real partnerships, sponsorships, and community work, not paid link packages. — Owner · Quarterly - [ ] Ask customers for honest reviews the same way every time, with no rewards or screening. — Owner · Weekly ## Monthly local check A short check each month keeps small errors from spreading. - [ ] Check your Google profile for suggested edits and wrong hours. — Either · Monthly - [ ] Compare profile calls and direction requests with booked jobs. — Owner · Monthly - [ ] Note repeated customer questions in reviews and answer them on your website. — Either · Monthly - [ ] Write down closures, promotions, and tracking changes so next month's numbers make sense. — Either · Monthly ## Questions business owners ask ### What affects Google's local results? Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance, and prominence. You can improve accurate information and your real reputation, but you cannot control where the searcher is. ### Do we need hundreds of directory listings? No. Keep Google, Apple Maps, Bing, and the directories your customers actually use accurate. More low-quality listings do not help. ### Should a service-area business show its home address? Follow Google's address rules. If customers do not come to the address, you should generally hide it and list the areas you serve. ## Primary guidance - [Google: Improve local ranking](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091) - [Google Business Profile guidelines](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - [Apple: Introducing Apple Business](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/introducing-apple-business-a-new-all-in-one-platform-for-businesses-of-all-sizes/) ## Related guides - [Local SEO beyond your Google profile](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/local-seo.md) - [Location and service-area pages](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/location-service-area-seo.md) - [Structured data for local businesses](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/structured-data-for-local-businesses.md) ## Related resources - [Google Business Profile Checklist](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/google-business-profile-checklist.md): Set up, verify, maintain, and measure your Google Business Profile with accurate information and safe ownership. - [High-Quality Service Page Checklist](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/service-page-checklist.md): Plan, write, check, and improve a service page that answers real customer questions without keyword stuffing. - [Review Request Templates](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/review-request-templates.md): Sample email and text messages for asking every customer for an honest review, with wording to avoid. 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