How to Run a Local SEO Audit (That Covers Google, Maps & AI Search Results)

Local SEO has always been about making your business visible where customers in your area are searching. But in 2025, "where" doesn't just mean Google Maps or Apple Maps. It now includes AI search platforms like ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini.

That means your local SEO audit can't be based around old checklists. To future-proof your local SEO strategy, you need a comprehensive audit that covers traditional local ranking factors and your visibility across emerging AI search tools.

This guide walks you through everything you need to include in a local SEO audit in the AI era, complete with a practical checklist you can follow.

What Is a Local SEO Audit?

A local SEO audit is a structured review of your business's online visibility in local search results. It identifies where you're performing well, where you're falling short, and what opportunities exist to improve.

Think of it as a health check for your local search presence. By auditing your Google Business Profile (GBP), website, citations, reviews, and now AI search visibility, you get the insights you need to:

• Fix ranking issues

• Beat competitors

• Increase calls, visits, and customers

Why Local SEO Audits Matter More Than Ever

• Customer habits are shifting: People are using AI assistants to find local businesses, not just Google Maps.

• Competition is rising: Your competitors are optimizing their profiles, building citations, and collecting reviews.

• Search keeps changing: Google AI Overviews, Apple Business Connect, and Bing integrations mean local SEO is no longer just "set it and forget it."

Regular audits help you adapt to these changes and stay visible wherever people search.

The 2025 Local SEO Audit: Step-by-Step

A local SEO audit should be treated like an inspection. You're not fixing things yet, but rather you're checking where the machine runs smoothly and where it's sputtering. Here's what to examine at each stage:

1. Google Business Profile Audit

Your GBP is the centerpiece of local visibility. Check for:

• Accuracy: Is your business name, address, and phone (NAP) correct?

• Completeness: Are hours, services, categories, and attributes filled out?

• Activity: Are there recent posts, photos, or updates, or is it stagnant?

• Duplicates: Are there multiple or outdated listings that could confuse search engines?

2. Website & On-Page SEO Audit

Your site should reinforce your local signals. Review:

• NAP Consistency: Does site information match your GBP exactly?

• Local Relevance: Do titles, headers, and meta descriptions reflect geographic intent?

• Content Coverage: Are there dedicated pages for each service area or location?

• Schema Validation: Is structured data present and error-free?

3. Local Citations & Directory Listings

Citations help search engines confirm your legitimacy. Audit by checking:

• Consistency: Does your NAP match across platforms like Yelp, Tripadvisor, Bing Places, and Apple Maps?

• Coverage: Are you missing from important general or industry-specific directories?

• Conflicts: Do duplicates or old citations exist with incorrect info?

4. Online Reviews & Reputation Audit

Reviews drive both rankings and conversions. Look at:

• Volume: How many reviews do you have versus competitors?

• Quality: What's your average star rating across major platforms?

• Recency: Are reviews coming in steadily or tapering off?

• Response Rate: Is the business actively replying to feedback?

• Sentiment: Are there common themes (positive or negative) across reviews that can provide insights?

5. Local Link Profile Audit

Backlinks build authority, but not all links are equal. Check:

• Relevance: How many backlinks come from local or industry-related sites?

• Authority: Are these links coming from trusted domains?

• Gaps: Do competitors have local partnerships or mentions you don't?

• Risks: Are there spammy or irrelevant links dragging you down?

6. Competitor Benchmarking

Your audit should always include context. Compare yourself to local leaders:

• Visibility: Who dominates Google Search, Maps, and AI results in your area?

• Categories: What GBP categories are they using that you aren't?

• Reviews: Do they have stronger ratings or more volume?

• Keywords: Which local terms do they rank for that you're missing?

7. Local Keyword Research Audit

Search behavior changes constantly. Evaluate:

• Current Keywords: Which terms are driving impressions and clicks (via Search Console)?

• "Near Me" Coverage: Are you showing for geo-modified and intent-driven queries?

• Missed Opportunities: Are competitors ranking for keywords that you aren't?

• Search Demand: Which terms have meaningful search volume in your area?

• Conversational Queries: What AI search-style keywords are users searching for in your area?

8. Technical SEO Audit

Technical health influences both rankings and user experience. Review:

• Site Speed: Are mobile and desktop load times competitive?

• Mobile Usability: Does the site pass Google's Core Web Vitals?

• Indexation: Are there crawl errors or blocked pages?

• Schema: Does structured data validate without errors?

9. AI Search Visibility Audit (New for 2025)

AI platforms are reshaping local discovery. Your audit now needs to include:

• Presence: Does your business appear in Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, ChatGPT, Grok, and other AI search tools for target queries?

• Citations: Are your website and content mentioned in AI-generated answers?

• Competitors: Are rivals surfacing in AI results where you're absent?

• Content Use: Is AI pulling info from your site or relying on other third-party sources?

Your 2025 Local SEO Audit Checklist

Here's a simplified version of the local SEO audit steps above:

• Google Business Profile: Accuracy, completeness, activity, duplicates
• Website: NAP consistency, local relevance, landing page coverage, schema errors
• Citations: Consistency, coverage, conflicts
• Reviews: Volume, quality, recency, response rate, sentiment
• Links: Relevance, authority, competitor gaps, spam risks
• Competitors: Visibility, categories, reviews, keyword gaps
• Keywords: Current performance, "near me" coverage, missed opportunities, demand, AI search trends
• Technical SEO: Speed, mobile usability, crawl errors, schema validation
• AI Search: Presence in AI Overviews, mentions in ChatGPT/Gemini/AI Overviews/AI Mode/Grok, etc., competitor activity, content sourcing

How Local Falcon Speeds Up the Audit Process

Doing all this manually is time-consuming, but AI-driven local SEO audit tools like Local Falcon automate key parts of your audit:

• Local Rank Tracking: Visualize your rankings across a geo-grid for Google Business Profile ,Apple Business Connect, and leading AI search platforms.

• Competitor Analysis: See which competitors dominate your area and get AI-powered insights into why.

• Keyword Suggestions: Discover local keywords based on actual search patterns and hyperlocal opportunities.

• AI Insights: Get actionable recommendations on how to improve both SERP and AI search visibility.

• Review Sentiment Analysis: Quickly spot reputation gaps and opportunities to improve.

With Local Falcon, you can turn a days-long local SEO audit into a fast, actionable process.

Final Thoughts

Local SEO is evolving quickly. The businesses that adapt their local SEO audits to include AI search visibility will stay ahead of competitors and win more customers.

A 2025-ready local SEO audit should:

• Cover all the traditional SEO fundamentals

• Layer in new checks for AI platforms

• Be repeated regularly to keep pace with constant changes

Start your local SEO audit today, and make sure your business is visible everywhere people are searching across traditional search engines, maps apps, and AI tools.