Local SEO Checklist: 12 Steps for Australian Businesses

Want to attract more local customers in Australia? This 12-step Local SEO checklist is your go-to guide for boosting online visibility and driving foot traffic. Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll learn:

• Optimise Your Google Business Profile: Ensure accurate details, add photos, and use location-specific keywords.
• Choose the Right Categories: Select precise business categories to help customers find you.
• Keep NAP Data Consistent: Maintain uniform Name, Address, and Phone details across all platforms.
• Manage Local Citations: Use Australian directories like Yellow Pages and TrueLocal to build trust.
• Optimise Your Website: Use location-based keywords, create location-specific pages, and display contact info prominently.
• Use Schema Markup: Highlight key business details for better search engine visibility.
• Create Local Content: Write about local events or community activities to engage your audience.
• Gain Quality Backlinks: Build connections with trusted Australian websites.
• Handle Customer Reviews: Encourage reviews and respond professionally to boost credibility.
• Ensure Mobile-Friendly Design: Optimise your website for mobile users to improve local search rankings.
• Perform a Technical SEO Audit: Fix site speed issues, broken links, and other technical problems.
• Monitor SEO Performance: Track rankings, conversions, and local traffic with tools like Google Analytics.

The Complete Local SEO Checklist for 2024

1. Set Up Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) serves as your online storefront for local Australian searches. A well-optimised GBP helps you show up in local search results and Google Maps, bringing in more foot traffic and inquiries.

Verify Your Profile

Start by claiming and verifying your Google Business Profile through Google’s process. This typically involves receiving a postcard with a verification code or a phone call. Double-check that all your details – business name, address, phone number, operating hours, and website URL – are accurate.

Write a Business Description

Craft a description that highlights what sets your business apart. Use location-specific keywords like “artisanal sourdough in Brisbane” or “custom wedding cakes in Southeast Queensland” to make it clear where you operate and what you offer.

Add and Update Photos

Photos play a big role in attracting customers. Upload sharp, high-quality images of your storefront, interior, team, and products. Keep them updated – businesses that regularly add photos get 42% more direction requests and 35% more clicks.

Once your Google Business Profile is set up, make sure your business categories are accurate to improve your visibility in search results.

2. Select Business Categories

Picking the right business categories for your Google Business Profile is key to improving your local search rankings. Being specific helps Google connect your business to the right audience. For example, “Modern Australian Restaurant” is far more precise than just “Restaurant.”

• Set Your Primary Category
  Your primary category should clearly describe your main service. It has a big impact on how your business appears in search results. For instance, an automotive business in Melbourne should opt for “Electric Vehicle Repair Service” instead of the broader “Auto Repair Shop”.
• Add Secondary Categories
  Use additional categories to cover other services you offer, but don’t overdo it. A florist, for example, could add “Wedding Florist” or “Flower Delivery Service” as secondary categories.
• Keep Categories Up-to-Date
  Regularly check and adjust your categories to align with any new services or changes in your business focus. This ensures your profile stays relevant and visible.

To boost your local SEO, make sure your business categories are consistent across Australian directories and your website. Once your categories are sorted, the next step is to ensure all your business information is accurate and uniform across platforms.

3. Keep NAP Data Consistent

Accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) data is a must for Australian local SEO. According to BrightLocal, 68% of consumers stop using a local business if they find incorrect information in online directories.

Why Consistency in NAP Matters

Search engines use NAP data to verify and rank your business. If your information is inconsistent, it can hurt your local search rankings and make it harder for customers to trust your business.

Your NAP details should include:

• Business name exactly as it’s registered
• Full street address, including unit or suite numbers
• Phone number with the correct area code
• ABN (Australian Business Number) for added credibility with both search engines and customers

Common NAP Issues

Here are some frequent problems that lead to inconsistent NAP data:

• Variations in how your business name or address is written (e.g., “Smith’s Cafe” vs. “Smith Cafe” or “Street” vs. “St.”)
• Multiple phone numbers without a clear primary contact
• Outdated details from a move or relocation
• Regional differences in formatting, such as “NSW” vs. “New South Wales”

Tools to Simplify NAP Management

Tool Name	What It Does	Why Use It
Moz Local	Tracks citations	Finds and flags errors
BrightLocal	Audits NAP information	Scans multiple directories
SEMrush	Manages local listings	Provides real-time updates

Tips for Managing NAP Data

To avoid errors, create a single master document with your official NAP details. Use this as your reference to update listings consistently. Regularly check and update your information across:

• Google Business Profile
• Your website, including the footer and contact pages
• Australian business directories
• Social media accounts
• Industry-specific directories

For better results, use schema markup (structured data) to help search engines easily understand your business details. Always update your Google Business Profile and your website first when making changes.

Once your NAP data is consistent, you can focus on managing citations in Australian directories to further improve your local SEO.

4. Manage Local Citations

Local citations play a key role in improving your local SEO. However, inconsistent citations can hurt your rankings – studies show they can lead to a 41% drop in search rankings.

Use Australian Directories

Here are some top Australian directories to help you build strong citations:

Directory	Purpose	Key Features
Yellow Pages	General Business	Well-known platform with broad reach
TrueLocal	Local Business	Focus on customer reviews and location
Hotfrog	General Business	Free basic listings available
HealthEngine	Healthcare	Includes appointment booking options

When setting up your listings, make sure to include accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone) details, high-quality images, and thorough descriptions of your services. These details help improve visibility.

Check for Accuracy

Keeping your citations accurate is just as important as building them. Here’s how you can stay on top of it:

• Perform monthly checks on major directories and quarterly reviews for niche platforms.
• Use tools like Moz Local or BrightLocal to monitor your citations, fix any inconsistencies, and even automate updates.
• Complete verification processes, such as phone or mail confirmations, to ensure your listings are credible.

Industry-Specific Considerations

Different industries have unique needs when it comes to citations. For example, healthcare providers should focus on platforms like HealthEngine, while hospitality businesses might find more value in tourism-related directories.

Accurate and well-maintained citations not only boost your search rankings but also build trust with local customers. This trust can translate into more foot traffic and better conversion rates. Once your citations are in order, you can move on to refining your website for even better local SEO results.

5. Optimise Your Website

Getting your website in top shape is a must for boosting local SEO in Australia. Data shows that optimised websites can see up to 82% higher visibility in local search results compared to those that aren’t ^[2]. A well-tuned website works hand-in-hand with consistent citations to highlight your business’s local presence.

Use Location-Based Keywords

Location-based keywords help search engines understand where your business operates. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help you find terms such as “dental clinic Parramatta”, which are more targeted than generic phrases.

Here’s a quick look at how to use these keywords:

Website Element	Example	Why It Matters
Page Title	“Plumbing Services in Brisbane CBD”	Major ranking factor
Meta Description	“Emergency Plumbers serving Brisbane”	Boosts click-through rates
H1 Heading	“Plumbing Solutions for Gold Coast”	Highlights local relevance
Content	Natural mentions of location terms	Improves search visibility

Create Location Pages

If your business serves multiple areas, consider adding dedicated pages for each location. These pages should include:

• Unique descriptions of the services offered in that area
• Testimonials and case studies from local customers
• Area-specific pricing or service details
• Embedded maps showing your coverage
• Mentions of nearby landmarks or community references

For example, businesses like The Coffee Club have used tailored location pages to drive local traffic effectively. The key here is to avoid duplicating content – make each page unique and relevant to its specific audience.

Display Contact Information

Make your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) details easy to find. Place them in:

• The footer (visible across all pages)
• A dedicated contact page
• Location-specific service pages

Here are some extra tips to build trust with your audience:

• Include your Australian Business Number (ABN)
• List operating hours for each location
• Provide emergency contact details, if applicable
• Embed Google Maps for each location to improve usability and search rankings

Since over 65% of local searches in Australia come from mobile devices, ensure your contact info is mobile-friendly. Use clickable phone numbers and addresses that allow users to tap-to-call or tap-to-navigate easily.

Once your website is optimised for local relevance, you’ll be ready to dive into advanced strategies like schema markup and creating locally-focused content.

6. Use Schema Markup

Schema markup is a way to help search engines better understand your business, which can improve your local search rankings. For Australian businesses, it’s especially useful for highlighting local details and boosting visibility in search results.

Key Schema Types for Australian Businesses

Schema Type	Purpose and Key Information
LocalBusiness	Includes ABN, trading hours, and service areas
Organization	Covers business name, logo, and contact information
Review	Displays customer feedback, ratings, and reviews
Place	Provides physical address and service radius details

How to Implement Schema Markup

When adding schema markup, focus on these important details:

• Include your ABN in the Organization schema.
• Use a 24-hour format for trading hours.
• Add service area details for each location if you have multiple branches.
• Regularly update your schema markup whenever business information changes.

Google suggests using JSON-LD for implementing schema markup. For detailed instructions, refer to Google’s structured data documentation.

Validation and Maintenance Tips

To ensure your schema is working correctly, use tools like:

• Google’s Rich Results Test
• Schema Markup Validator
• Google Search Console

For businesses with multiple locations, create separate schema entries for each branch while maintaining a parent schema for the overall business.

Special Considerations for Australian Businesses:

• Keep your ABN details accurate.
• Clearly define trading hours for each location.
• Specify service areas for better clarity.
• Update schema promptly if business information changes.

Schema markup not only makes it easier for search engines to understand your business but also works alongside consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) details to improve local search performance. For Australian businesses, emphasizing aspects like ABN and service areas ensures critical information is visible in search results.

Pair schema markup with locally relevant content to connect more effectively with your community.

7. Produce Local Content

Focusing on content that resonates with your local audience can significantly improve your visibility in local search results. By addressing topics relevant to your area and connecting with the community, you position your business as a trusted part of the local Australian market.

Highlight Local Events or News

Writing about local happenings helps search engines see your business as relevant to a specific area. Cover topics like festivals, markets, or industry updates. For example, if you’re a café in Brisbane, a blog post about the “Brisbane Coffee Festival 2025” with detailed local insights can attract event-goers and coffee lovers in your area.

Share Your Community Connections

Demonstrating your involvement in the community not only helps your local SEO but also builds trust with your audience. Authentic engagement is key here – focus on meaningful interactions and contributions.

“Content is king, but context is queen – local relevance is key for SEO success.” – Neil Patel, Digital Marketing Expert

How to Highlight Community Engagement:

• Share stories about your team’s participation in local events.
• Showcase partnerships with nearby businesses or customer success stories.
• Post about your involvement in neighborhood projects or initiatives.

Tips for Creating Local Content:

• Include location-specific keywords and high-quality visuals.
• Tag local organizations and ensure your content stays current.
• Add event details and relevant keywords to attract local searches.

Once you’ve created engaging local content, you can shift your focus to building strong backlinks to further boost your local SEO.

8. Gain Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are a powerful way to boost your search engine authority and strengthen your local SEO. By connecting your business to reliable Australian websites, you signal to search engines that your business is credible and relevant in the local market.

Target Local Authority Sites

Focus on earning backlinks from well-regarded Australian websites, especially those with domains like .com.au or .edu.au. These could include chambers of commerce, industry groups, universities, and regional news platforms.

Publish Content Worth Linking To

Create content that naturally attracts backlinks. Think about producing local industry studies, regional guides, or expert interviews – anything that provides real value to Australian audiences.

“The key to successful backlink building is not just about getting any link, but about getting links from sites that are relevant and authoritative in your niche.” – Neil Patel, SEO Expert, NeilPatel.com

Build Real Relationships

Forge genuine connections within your local business network. You can do this by:

• Joining community events and sponsorships
• Writing guest posts for Australian industry blogs
• Keeping an eye out for unlinked mentions of your brand and requesting links

Measure Your Backlink Success

Use SEO tools to monitor your backlink performance. Keep an eye on metrics like:

• The domain authority of the sites linking to you
• Whether the backlinks are from Australian sources
• How relevant the links are to your industry

Quality matters more than quantity. A single link from a respected Australian business group can outweigh dozens of low-quality links. Also, avoid links from unrelated or spammy sources – they can hurt more than help.

Once your backlink strategy is solid, you’ll be ready to focus on managing customer reviews to further boost your local SEO.

9. Handle Customer Reviews

Customer reviews play a big role in influencing potential buyers and boosting your local search rankings. With 85% of consumers trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, managing reviews effectively is a key part of local SEO.

Collect Reviews

Focus on building your review presence, especially on Google Reviews, as they directly affect your local search visibility. Make it easy for customers to leave reviews by sharing direct links through emails, QR codes, or in-store prompts. Encourage your staff to ask satisfied customers for feedback, ensuring a consistent flow of reviews across various platforms.

Manage Feedback

Responding to reviews is just as important as collecting them. Thank customers for positive feedback, address neutral reviews with constructive responses, and handle negative reviews professionally. Apologize when necessary, take responsibility, and aim to resolve issues offline. Tools like BrightLocal can help you track and respond to reviews efficiently.

“Reviews are a ranking factor, and having more reviews can help you rank higher in local search results.” – David Mihm, Founder of GetListed.org, Moz

Pay attention to recurring themes in customer feedback. These insights can help you improve your services, which can also enhance your local SEO.

Once your review management is in good shape, ensure your website is mobile-friendly to attract more local visitors.

10. Ensure Mobile-Friendly Design

For Australian businesses, mobile optimization is a must. With 76% of local searches on smartphones leading to same-day business visits, a mobile-friendly website isn’t just nice to have – it directly impacts your local SEO and customer engagement.

Why Mobile Design Matters for Local SEO

A mobile-friendly design ensures your website works well on any device. Here are a few key elements to focus on:

Mobile Design Element	How It Helps Local SEO
Responsive Layout	Google favors mobile-friendly sites in local search results, boosting your visibility.
Fast Loading Speed	Pages loading in under 3 seconds reduce bounce rates and improve rankings.
Clear Navigation	Makes it easier for users to find contact info or directions.
Optimised Images	Enhances page speed and overall user experience.

Best Practices for Mobile Design

Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test is a handy tool to find and fix common mobile issues. Keep an eye out for problems like:

• Text that’s too small to read
• Buttons or links placed too close together
• Missing or hard-to-find contact details
• Slow-loading images or videos

These issues can drive users away and hurt your local search visibility. Fixing them ensures a smoother experience for mobile visitors.

Stay on Top of Optimization

Mobile optimization isn’t a one-and-done task. Regularly test your site with tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to catch and resolve usability issues. Make sure your site loads quickly, click-to-call buttons work seamlessly, and maps are properly integrated.

Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites, especially for local searches. A site that’s optimised for mobile not only improves your search rankings but also helps you connect with the growing number of mobile users in your area.

Once your site is mobile-friendly, you’re ready to focus on strengthening its technical foundation to support your local SEO goals.

11. Perform a Technical SEO Audit

Keeping your website technically sound is crucial for Australian businesses aiming to rank well in local search results and provide a smooth experience for users. Regular technical SEO audits help identify and fix issues that could hurt your rankings or frustrate visitors.

Test Site Speed

Your site’s loading speed plays a big role in both search rankings and how users interact with your site, especially for local searches. A well-optimised site ensures it meets the needs of both search engines and local customers.

Speed Factor	Impact on Local SEO	Recommended Solution
Server Response Time	Influences rankings and user engagement	Aim for under 3 seconds; use reliable hosting in Australia
Image Optimization	Affects overall site performance	Compress images and enable lazy loading
Cache Settings	Enhances repeat visitor experience	Set up browser and server-side caching

Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you evaluate your site’s performance. Pay close attention to how quickly your content becomes visible to users, as this directly affects their experience.

Repair Broken Links

Broken links can damage your reputation with both users and search engines. Regularly checking for and fixing these links ensures your site structure stays intact and your SEO efforts remain strong.

Key areas to review:

• Internal navigation and menu links
• Cross-links between pages
• Links to local partners or resources

Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to find broken links. Once identified:

• Update outdated URLs
• Remove links that no longer serve a purpose
• Implement 301 redirects to retain link authority

Aim to conduct these audits every three months to keep your site running smoothly. By addressing technical issues regularly, you’ll help your business stay visible and competitive in Australia’s local search landscape.

12. Monitor SEO Performance

Keeping an eye on your local SEO is crucial for boosting your Australian business’s online visibility. By tracking the right metrics, you can pinpoint what’s working and what needs tweaking to better connect with your local audience.

Make the Most of Analytics Tools

Leverage tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to focus on location-specific performance metrics. Here’s what to keep an eye on:

Metric	What to Track	Why It Matters
Search Visibility	Impressions and clicks for Australian location terms	Highlights your presence in local search results
Click-through Rate	Performance of location-specific listings	Shows how effective your listings are
Average Position	Rankings for local keywords	Reflects your competitiveness in the market

Set up tracking for:

• Traffic from specific regions in Australia
• Local customer interactions, like calls, directions, or form submissions
• Performance of your location-specific pages
• Google Business Profile activities

Focus on Key Metrics

Here are the main indicators to monitor:

• Rankings for Location Terms
  Keep tabs on how you rank for city-specific searches like “electrician Perth” or “café Melbourne CBD”. Also, check your visibility in specific suburbs.
• Local Conversions
  Track actions that matter, such as:
  • Phone calls from Australian customers
  • Direction requests via Google Business Profile
  • Form submissions from local visitors
  • Appointment bookings by region
• Technical Performance
  Ensure your site is technically sound by monitoring:
  • How site speed affects local rankings
  • Mobile usability
  • Loading times for location pages

Review this data monthly to identify trends and fine-tune your strategies. Comparing results across different Australian regions can uncover areas for growth. Focus on metrics that directly connect to business outcomes, not just general stats.

Conclusion

Local SEO plays a direct role in driving foot traffic and boosting revenue. In fact, 50% of Australians visit a business the same day they conduct an online search. This checklist outlines actionable steps to improve visibility, build trust, and create a better user experience to support long-term growth.

By working through this checklist, you can strengthen your local SEO efforts and engage with your audience more effectively. Your Google Business Profile acts as your digital storefront, while consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information and smart use of Australian directories help build trust with both search engines and customers. On the technical side, ensuring mobile responsiveness and fast loading speeds ensures your website delivers a smooth experience.

Each action complements the others, forming a clear strategy for standing out in local search across Australia. Keep in mind, success in local SEO isn’t a one-time effort. Regularly monitor and refine your approach using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to adapt based on real performance data.

Start by optimizing your Google Business Profile, then tackle each step to connect with your local audience. Whether you run a café in Melbourne or provide electrical services in Perth, E-Web Marketing, Known for its SEO Services,can help you with a strong local SEO plan and grow in the Australian market.