Local SEO Score Checker
Paste your URL. We check your homepage live on 17 local SEO signals, add 3 you answer, and weight them by our judgment of what matters most.
What local SEO actually means in 2026
Local SEO is no longer about keyword density on service pages. Google describes local results as based on three things: relevance (does your listing match the search), distance (how close you are to the searcher), and prominence (how well known you are, including reviews and mentions across the web).
Distance is mostly out of your control: you can't move your office. Relevance is straightforward once your GBP is well filled in. Prominence is where most ongoing local SEO effort goes, and it's also where this tool focuses.
The 20 signals this tool checks
Auto-detected from your URL (17 signals, 55 points)
- HTTPS on homepage (2 pts) - table stakes. Browsers flag HTTP pages as not secure.
- Page is reachable and returns 200 (3 pts)
- LocalBusiness schema markup (8 pts) - most-missed high-value signal. Tells Google exactly what kind of business you are.
- Title tag present (4 pts)
- Meta description 120-160 chars (3 pts)
- Viewport meta tag (2 pts) - mobile-ready requirement
- H1 present and singular (3 pts) - multiple H1s signal structural confusion
- Canonical URL set (2 pts) - prevents duplicate content cannibalization
- OpenGraph + Twitter Card meta (3 pts) - clean social previews drive CTR
- Phone number visible on homepage (4 pts) - click-to-call intent
- Address visible on homepage (3 pts) - NAP consistency signal
- GBP / Maps link present (3 pts)
- Sitemap.xml + robots.txt exist (4 pts + 2 pts)
- Image alt text on 80%+ of images (3 pts) - accessibility + image SEO
- Word count on homepage > 300 (3 pts) - thin content signal
- Not blocked by noindex (3 pts) - a noindex tag keeps the page out of search entirely
Self-reported (3 signals, 35 points)
- GBP fully claimed + completed (15 pts) - the listing people see first in local results
- 50+ reviews at 4.5★ with active replies (12 pts)
- NAP consistency across 20+ citations (8 pts)
Why the weights look the way they do
Surveys of local SEO practitioners, such as Whitespark's Local Search Ranking Factors survey, put Google Business Profile and review signals near the top of what matters for the map results. Site-side technical factors (schema, meta, canonical) matter, but they can only do so much for a weak GBP. The weights here are our own judgment along those lines, not a measured model, and they are not the usual checklist where every item counts equally.
Common audit findings and how to fix them fast
"No LocalBusiness schema detected"
Paste the generator output from our Schema Generator into your homepage <head>. Validate with Google's rich results test. A 15-minute fix.
"Phone number not on homepage"
Add a tel: link in the header. Format: <a href="tel:+17025550142">(702) 555-0142</a>. On a phone, a tap-to-call number is the shortest path from search to a booked job, so don't make people hunt for it.
"No sitemap.xml"
Every SEO CMS (WordPress with Yoast/RankMath, Webflow, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify) generates sitemaps automatically - check yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml. If it 404s, your CMS isn't generating it. In WordPress: install Yoast. In Webflow: it's in Project Settings → SEO.
"Meta description too short or missing"
Every page needs a 120-160 character meta description. The homepage description should include your primary service and city. Example for an HVAC business: "HVAC repair and install in Las Vegas. Licensed and insured. Call (702) 555-0142 or book online." Only include claims like 24/7 service or a star rating if they are true for you.
"Multiple H1 tags"
Remove duplicates. One <h1> per page, matching the primary keyword intent. Section headings should be <h2>.
A 30-day plan to raise your score
- Week 1: Fix all auto-detected site issues (schema, meta, viewport, canonical). Add phone + address to homepage. 40-60 minutes of dev time.
- Week 1-2: Complete every section of your GBP - services, attributes, photos (minimum 10), Q&A (seed with 5 common questions + answers), weekly posts.
- Week 2-4: Start systematic review collection. Send the review link to every past customer (link generator), add it to invoice footers, put a QR on the vehicle. Target 10+ new reviews in 30 days.
- Week 3-4: Audit NAP consistency across Yelp, BBB, Angi, Facebook, Bing Places, Apple Maps. Whitespark or BrightLocal's citation tools make this fast; manual audit works if you only have 10-15 listings.
Keep it up with Elmob.ai
Running this audit monthly is useful. The ongoing work is reviews and posts. Elmob.ai drafts GBP posts and review replies for you to approve, then publishes them to Google for you. Review requests by text start on the Solo Operator plan. Start on the free plan.
Questions about this tool
What's a good local SEO score?
85+ is strong - you're doing the fundamentals right. 60-84 means you have meaningful leaks but a solid base. Below 60 means many of the basics are missing or misconfigured. The tool lists what to fix, ordered by the points each item is worth.
Does this tool actually audit my site?
Yes. We fetch your homepage, read the HTML, extract schema.org markup, check meta tags, verify sitemap and robots.txt existence, count images missing alt text, and detect contact signals (phone, address, GBP link). The review/GBP questions you answer manually - we can't see inside your Google Business Profile dashboard.
How often should I re-audit?
Monthly is enough. Local SEO signals shift slowly - GBP completeness, citation consistency, review velocity. Running this every week is noise. If you've just made a major change (new schema, new service pages, new GBP claim), wait 2-3 weeks before re-running to let Google re-index.
Why do you weight GBP higher than schema?
Because in local search your Google Business Profile is what people see in the map results, before they ever reach your site. The weights in this tool are our own judgment, not a measured model of Google's ranking.
Can I rank without a physical address?
Yes, via service-area businesses (SAB) - Google's designation for companies that travel to customers (HVAC, plumbing, cleaning, locksmith). You still need a GBP, just one that hides the address and lists your service area. Note that this tool gives 3 points for a street address on your homepage, so a service-area business without one can ignore that item.
What's the fastest win from this list?
Usually the Google Business Profile itself: fill in services, hours and photos, which takes about an hour. After that, start replying to every review and asking every finished customer for one.
How does this compare to SEMrush or Ahrefs?
Different tool for a different job. SEMrush/Ahrefs measure organic keyword rankings and backlink profiles. This tool measures local-SEO-specific signals that don't matter for e-commerce or SaaS: GBP completeness, NAP citations, local schema, review velocity. Use all three if you do both.
Want help with the ongoing work?
Elmob.ai keeps your leads, reviews and content drafts in one place, and you approve what goes out. Start on the free plan, no card.
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