Local SEO Score Checker
Paste your URL. We audit your homepage live and score it on 15 local SEO signals - weighted by real-world ranking impact.
What local SEO actually means in 2026
Local SEO is no longer about keyword density on service pages. Google's 3-pack algorithm - the single most valuable real estate in local search - weighs three clusters of signals roughly equally: relevance (does your GBP match the search intent), proximity (how close are you to the searcher), and prominence (reviews, citations, authoritative mentions across the web).
Proximity is mostly out of your control - you can't move your office. Relevance is straightforward once your GBP is well-filled. Prominence is where 80% of local SEO effort should go, and it's also where this tool focuses.
The 15 signals this tool checks
Auto-detected from your URL (12 signals, 65 points)
- HTTPS on homepage (2 pts) - table stakes. No HTTPS, no ranking.
- 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
Self-reported (3 signals, 35 points)
- GBP fully claimed + completed (15 pts) - the single highest-impact factor in local 3-pack rankings
- 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
Industry benchmarks from Moz (Local Search Ranking Factors 2023), BrightLocal (Local Consumer Review Survey), and Whitespark show GBP completeness and review signals drive the majority of local 3-pack placement. Site-side technical factors (schema, meta, canonical) matter but can only compensate so much for a weak GBP. The score weights reflect this empirical reality, 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. 15-minute fix, huge payoff.
"Phone number not on homepage"
Add a tel: link in the header. Format: <a href="tel:+17258885272">(725) 888-5272</a>. Click-to-call is how most mobile local searches convert - hiding the number kills conversions and signals to Google that you're not a local service provider.
"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: "24/7 HVAC repair and install in Las Vegas. Licensed, insured, 4.9★ with 400+ reviews. Call (725) 888-5272 or book online in 60 seconds."
"Multiple H1 tags"
Remove duplicates. One <h1> per page, matching the primary keyword intent. Section headings should be <h2>.
How to raise your score from 65 → 90 in 30 days
- 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.
Automate it with Elmob.ai
Running this audit monthly is useful. Having a system that continuously improves every signal this audit measures - reviews, posts, schema, citations, rankings - is the actual job. Elmob.ai's local SEO agent handles all of it on autopilot, and the free plan includes GBP autopilot, review automation, and weekly rank tracking. Start free.
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 most of the local-pack ranking factors are either missing or misconfigured, which is why you're invisible on Google Maps. The tool shows you what to fix in priority order.
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 for local search, Google's 3-pack algorithm leans far more heavily on GBP signals (completeness, reviews, posts, Q&A) than on site-side factors. A perfect site with a broken GBP ranks worse than a mediocre site with a great GBP. The weights in this tool match what Moz, Whitespark, and BrightLocal have measured across 10,000+ local businesses.
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 defines your service radius. The tool accounts for this.
What's the fastest win from this list?
For 9 out of 10 businesses: response speed on reviews. Go from 'rarely responding' to 'responding within 24 hours on every review' and watch rankings move in 3-4 weeks. The second-fastest win is filling the GBP Services and Q&A sections - takes an hour, most competitors have them blank.
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 this running on autopilot?
Elmob.ai automates everything this tool does - for every review, every lead, every day. Free plan, no card.
Start Free