Local SEO checklist for Australian businesses

Most local SEO advice is a list of fifty tips with no idea which ones matter. Google has actually published how local rankings work. This checklist starts there and works outwards.

How does Google rank local businesses?

Google's help page on improving your local ranking says Local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity. It then explains three factors:

• Relevance: how well a Business Profile matches what someone is searching for.
• Distance: how far each business is from the customer who's searching.
• Prominence: how well-known a business is. Google says this is based on info like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have.

Distance is out of your hands. You can't move your shop closer to every customer, however nicely you ask. So every item below works on relevance or prominence.

One more line from that page is worth pinning to the wall: There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google. Anyone selling you a shortcut is selling you something Google says doesn't exist.

The local SEO checklist at a glance

Is your Google Business Profile set up properly?

This is the big one. Your profile is what shows in the map pack, so it gets fixed first.

Verify it

Google says verifying tells Google that you're authorized to represent the business, so it's more likely to show up in search results. It also lets you edit your info and reply to customers. Google picks the verification method for you, which can include phone, text, email, video or a postcard (Google's verification steps).

Fill in everything, accurately

Google says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results. That means your address, hours (including special hours), category and attributes like parking or Wi-Fi.

Pick your categories carefully. Google's guidelines say to use as few categories as possible to describe your overall core business. Ticking every box that sounds vaguely related doesn't make you more relevant. It makes you less clear.

Add photos and videos

Google lists photos and videos as a way to show customers what you offer and tell the story of your business. Real photos of your work, your team and your premises beat stock images every time.

How many Google reviews do you need?

There's no magic number, and Google doesn't give one. What it does say is that more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking.

So the job is simple, if not easy: ask every customer, every time, and make it one tap. Then reply to the reviews that come in. Google's own tip is that replying shows that you value their feedback. We cover the asking part in how to get more Google reviews.

If you'd rather not chase reviews yourself, our reputation management service sends the requests after every job and answers every review. It runs on Lumero, our review software.

Does your website help your local ranking?

Your profile tells Google where you are. Your website tells it what you actually do. Google's guidelines ask for a website that represents your individual business location, so link your profile to the right page, not a generic head office one.

Then give each main service its own page, and each area you really serve its own page too. A plumber with one page saying "we do everything, everywhere" is hard for Google to match to "blocked drain Preston". A plumber with a page about exactly that isn't.

Basic hygiene matters too. The site should load fast, work properly on a phone, and show your business name, address and phone number the same way your profile does.

Are your listings consistent across the web?

Your business is probably listed in more places than you remember: directories, industry sites, maps apps, social profiles. Google says it gathers info from different sources, like user reports and licensed content, and may update your profile if sources report your info is wrong (Google's help page).

So an old address on a forgotten directory isn't harmless. Find your listings, fix the old details, and keep them matching your profile. We cover which ones matter in local citations in Australia.

Links count as well. Google's prominence factor mentions how many websites link to your business. Real links from local and industry websites, like a supplier, a sponsor or a trade association, are the kind worth having. Bought links by the thousand are not.

What gets Google Business Profiles suspended?

Some local SEO shortcuts work right up until Google notices. Then the profile disappears and the phone goes quiet. Google's guidelines rule out these common ones:

• Keyword-stuffing your business name. Your name should reflect your business's real-world name. Google says unnecessary information in the name could lead to suspension.
• Virtual offices. A rented mailing address you don't operate from isn't eligible for a profile.
• PO boxes. Google says P.O. boxes or mailboxes at remote locations aren't acceptable addresses.
• Showing a home address as a shopfront. If you travel to customers, Google says a service-area business should hide your business address from customers.

If you've already been caught out, our post on a suspended Google Business Profile covers what to do next.

How long does it take to show up on Google Maps?

Google says rankings for new businesses can take up to a month to appear in search results, and edits to your info can take up to three days to show (Google's help page). Verification itself can take up to five business days after you finish the steps.

Climbing into the top three is a different question. That depends on your area, your industry and how hard the businesses already there are working. Nobody can promise you a spot, and anyone who does is guessing.

If you'd like the whole checklist done for you, and kept done, that's our local SEO service.

FAQ

What are the most important local SEO tips?

Verify your Google Business Profile, fill in every detail accurately, follow Google's guidelines, and get more reviews and reply to them. Google's local ranking help page explains three factors, relevance, distance and prominence, and those tasks cover the two you can influence.

Can I pay Google to rank higher in the map pack?

No. Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google. Your ranking is earned through the same work on this checklist.

Do I need a website for local SEO?

You can have a Business Profile without one, but a good website gives Google and customers far more to go on. Google's guidelines ask for a website that represents your individual business location.

Can I do local SEO myself?

Yes, much of this checklist is free to do yourself. The hard part is keeping it going every month, which is where most businesses either get help or let it slide.

Sources

1. Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google
2. Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
3. Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business on Google
4. Google Business Profile Help: Find your business on Google
5. Google Business Profile Help: Understand Google updates on your Business Profile