Local SEO Analysis (March 2026)

Key Statistics

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Business Type Detection

Detect from page signals before analysis. This determines which checks apply.

Brick-and-Mortar

• Physical street address visible in page content or footer
• Google Maps embed with pin/directions
• "Visit us at", "Located at", "Come see us"
• Structured address in LocalBusiness schema

Service Area Business (SAB)

• No visible physical address
• Service area mentions: "serving [city/region]", "service area includes"
• "We come to you", "On-site service", "Mobile [service]"
• areaServed in schema without address.streetAddress

Hybrid

• Both physical address AND service area language present
• "Visit our showroom" combined with "We also serve [areas]"

Impact on checks: SABs skip embedded map verification and physical address consistency. Brick-and-mortar gets full NAP + map checks.

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Industry Vertical Detection

Detect from page signals and GBP category patterns. Routes to industry-specific checks from ../seo/references/local-schema-types.md.

If no vertical detected, use generic LocalBusiness analysis path.

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Analysis Dimensions

1. GBP Signals (25%)

Primary category is the single most important local pack factor (Whitespark #1, score: 193). Incorrect primary category is the #1 negative factor (score: 176).

Check for:

• GBP embed or reference detectable on page (Maps iframe, place ID, reviews widget)
• Primary category appropriateness (infer from page content vs visible GBP data)
• Evidence of secondary categories (optimal: 4 additional per BrightLocal)
• GBP posts presence (no direct ranking impact per WebFX, but triggers Post Justifications)
• Photos/video evidence (45% more direction requests with photos, Agency Jet)
• Q&A content (deprecated Dec 2025, replaced by Ask Maps Gemini AI -- recommend recreating Q&A content as FAQ sections on website; GBP removed existing Q&A with no export available)
• Google Verified badge eligibility (replaced Guaranteed/Screened in Oct 2025)
• GBP link URL strategy: do NOT link to strongest website page (Sterling Sky Diversity Update -- risks suppressing organic rankings)
• Business hours visibility on page (businesses open at search time rank higher, factor #5)

Scoring guide:

• Full: GBP embed present, category signals align, posts active, photos present
• Partial: Some GBP signals present but incomplete
• Low: No visible GBP integration on website

2. Reviews & Reputation (20%)

Review velocity matters more than total count. The 18-day rule (Sterling Sky): rankings cliff if no new reviews for 3 weeks.

Check for:

• Total Google review count visible on page or schema (magic threshold: 10, Sterling Sky)
• Star rating (31% of consumers only use 4.5+, 68% only use 4+, BrightLocal 2026)
• Review recency indicators (74% only care about reviews in last 3 months)
• aggregateRating in schema (ratingValue, reviewCount, bestRating)
• Third-party review presence (consumers use average of 6 review sites, BrightLocal 2026)
• Owner response patterns (88% would use business that responds, BrightLocal)
• Review gating detection: any pre-screening of satisfaction before directing to review platform is prohibited by Google (fake engagement policy) and FTC ($53,088/violation)

Industry-specific:

• Healthcare: HIPAA prohibits confirming/denying reviewer is a patient in responses
• Legal: attorney-client privilege considerations in review responses

Scoring guide:

• Full: 10+ reviews, 4.5+ stars, recent activity, owner responses, multi-platform presence
• Partial: Some reviews but gaps in recency, rating, or response rate
• Low: <10 reviews, no recent activity, no responses, single platform only

3. Local On-Page SEO (20%)

Dedicated service pages = #1 local organic factor AND #2 AI visibility factor (Whitespark 2026).

Check for:

• Title tag contains city/service keywords
• H1 tag with local intent (city + service)
• NAP (Name, Address, Phone) visible in page HTML (footer, contact section, header)
• Dedicated service pages (one page per core service)
• Location page quality for multi-location sites:
  • >60-70% unique content minimum (industry consensus, no Google-confirmed threshold)
  • Swap test: if you can swap the city name and content still makes sense, it's a doorway page (RicketyRoo method). HVAC company lost 80% rankings + 63% traffic after March 2024 Core Update for this pattern
  • Local photos, area-specific testimonials, local FAQs
• Embedded Google Map (geographic signal reinforcement, not direct ranking factor -- lazy-load to mitigate speed impact)
• Click-to-call button (tel: link) and contact form above the fold
• Internal linking architecture: hub-and-spoke, every critical page within 3 clicks of homepage
• 2-5 contextual internal links per 1,000 words with descriptive anchor text

Multi-location specific:

• Store locator with individual crawlable URLs (SSR/SSG preferred over CSR)
• Subdirectory structure: domain.com/locations/city-name/ (subdirectories consolidate link equity better, Bruce Clay: 50%+ traffic lift)
• Each location page has unique LocalBusiness schema with @id

Scoring guide:

• Full: City in title + H1, NAP visible, dedicated service pages, no doorway patterns, good internal linking
• Partial: Some local signals but missing service pages or doorway page risk
• Low: Generic title/H1, NAP not visible, thin location pages

4. NAP Consistency & Citations (15%)

Citations declining for traditional pack rankings but 3 of top 5 AI visibility factors are citation-related (Whitespark 2026). Google's July 2025 documentation update removed "directories" from prominence definition.

Check for:

• NAP extraction: compare Name, Address, Phone from:
  1. Visible page HTML (footer, contact page)
  2. LocalBusiness JSON-LD schema
  3. Any visible GBP data
  • Flag any discrepancies between these three sources
• Citation presence on Tier 1 directories (check via WebFetch or site: search patterns):
  • Google Business Profile signals on page
  • Yelp: site:yelp.com "Business Name"
  • BBB: site:bbb.org "Business Name"
  • Facebook business page references
• Apple Business Connect awareness (usage doubled to 27%, BrightLocal 2026 -- recommend claiming)
• Bing Places awareness (powers ChatGPT, Copilot, Alexa -- recommend claiming and optimizing)
• Industry-specific directory recommendations: load ../seo/references/local-schema-types.md for per-vertical citation sources
• Data aggregator awareness: Data Axle, Foursquare, Neustar/TransUnion (recommend submission for downstream distribution)

Scoring guide:

• Full: Consistent NAP across page/schema, Tier 1 citations detected, industry directories present
• Partial: NAP present but inconsistencies, some citations missing
• Low: NAP discrepancies, no detectable citations, no schema address

5. Local Schema Markup (10%)

Schema is NOT a direct ranking factor (John Mueller confirmed). But enables rich results (43% CTR increase, Webstix case study) and helps AI systems parse business information.

Check for:

• LocalBusiness schema presence (extract JSON-LD blocks)
• Required properties: name, address with PostalAddress sub-properties
• Recommended properties: geo (minimum 5 decimal places, Confirmed), openingHoursSpecification, telephone, url, priceRange (<100 chars), image, aggregateRating
• Correct subtype for industry -- load ../seo/references/local-schema-types.md:
  • Restaurant using Restaurant not generic LocalBusiness
  • Legal using LegalService not deprecated Attorney
  • Auto dealer using AutoDealer not deprecated VehicleListing
  • Healthcare using MedicalClinic/Hospital/Dentist not generic MedicalBusiness
• SAB-specific: areaServed with named cities (recommended, not in Google's official list but Schema.org supported)
• Multi-location: each location page has own LocalBusiness with unique @id, linked via branchOf to Organization on homepage
• Industry-specific schema patterns (per ../seo/references/local-schema-types.md):
  • Restaurant: Menu + MenuSection + MenuItem + ReserveAction
  • Healthcare: Physician (Person) + MedicalSpecialty + sameAs to NPI
  • Legal: LegalService + Person + Service (practice areas)
  • Home Services: Subtype + areaServed + Service
  • Real Estate: RealEstateAgent + Person + RealEstateListing
  • Automotive: AutoDealer + Car + Offer (separate dept schemas)

Scoring guide:

• Full: Correct subtype, all recommended properties, industry-specific patterns, valid JSON-LD
• Partial: LocalBusiness present but generic type or missing recommended properties
• Low: No local schema, or schema with errors/placeholder content

6. Local Link & Authority Signals (10%)

Links declining for local pack but remain ~26% of local organic ranking (Whitespark 2026, #2 factor group). "Best of" list placements = #1 AI visibility citation factor.

Check for:

• Local backlink indicators detectable from page:
  • Chamber of Commerce mentions or links (high Trust Flow, ~80% more consumer visits, GlueUp)
  • BBB accreditation/badge (Google uses BBB for business verification)
  • Local news/press mentions
  • Community involvement signals (sponsorships, local events, partnerships)
• "Best of" list presence (top AI visibility factor per Whitespark 2026)
• Digital PR signals: 66.2% of PR practitioners now track AI citations as KPI (BuzzStream 2026)
• Brand mentions correlate 3x more strongly with AI visibility than traditional backlinks (Ahrefs: 0.664 vs 0.218 correlation)
• Link velocity benchmark: 5-10 quality local links/month for small businesses (consensus)

Scoring guide:

• Full: Local authority signals visible (chamber, BBB, press), community involvement evident
• Partial: Some authority signals but limited local link indicators
• Low: No detectable local authority signals

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AI Search Impact on Local

Do not duplicate seo-geo analysis. Provide local-specific AI context and recommend /seo geo <url> for full analysis.

Key local AI facts:

• AI Overviews appear on up to 68% of local searches (Whitespark Q2 2025)
• ChatGPT converts at 15.9% vs Google organic at 1.76% (Seer Interactive)
• 3 of top 5 AI visibility factors are citation-related (Whitespark 2026)
• ChatGPT does NOT access GBP directly -- sources from Bing index, Yelp, TripAdvisor, BBB, Reddit
• Bing Places is critical: powers ChatGPT, Copilot, Alexa
• AI-powered local packs (mobile US) show only 1-2 businesses, 32% fewer shown (Sterling Sky)

Recommendation: Run /seo geo <url> for comprehensive AI search visibility analysis including citability scoring, llms.txt check, and brand mention audit.

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Reference Files

Load on-demand as needed:

• ../seo/references/local-seo-signals.md: Ranking factors, review benchmarks, citation tiers, GBP feature status, algorithm updates
• ../seo/references/local-schema-types.md: LocalBusiness subtypes by industry, schema patterns, citation sources per vertical

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Output

Generate LOCAL-SEO-ANALYSIS-{domain}.md with:

1. Local SEO Score: XX/100 with dimension breakdown table
2. Business type: Brick-and-mortar / SAB / Hybrid
3. Industry vertical detected + industry-specific findings
4. GBP optimization checklist (detected signals vs missing)
5. Review health snapshot (rating, count, velocity indicators, response patterns)
6. NAP consistency audit (page vs schema discrepancies, cross-source comparison)
7. Citation presence check (Tier 1 directory status)
8. Local schema status (present/missing/malformed + ready-to-use fix)
9. Location page quality (if multi-location: unique content %, doorway risk, store locator)
10. Top 10 prioritized actions (Critical > High > Medium > Low)
11. Limitations disclaimer: What this analysis could NOT assess (geo-grid ranking, Domain Authority, comprehensive backlinks, GBP Insights data, real-time local pack position) and which paid tools can fill those gaps

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Quick Wins

1. Claim and optimize Apple Business Connect (usage doubled to 27%)
2. Claim and optimize Bing Places (powers ChatGPT, Copilot, Alexa)
3. Fix any NAP discrepancies between page, schema, and GBP
4. Add LocalBusiness schema with correct industry subtype
5. Add geo coordinates with 5+ decimal precision
6. Ensure phone number uses tel: link for click-to-call
7. Add city + service keyword to title tag and H1

Medium Effort

1. Create dedicated page for each core service (Whitespark: #1 local organic factor)
2. Build review generation strategy maintaining 18-day minimum cadence
3. Submit to three data aggregators (Data Axle, Foursquare, Neustar/TransUnion) for downstream distribution
4. Claim industry-specific directory listings (per vertical recommendations)
5. Add industry-specific schema patterns (Menu for restaurants, Physician for healthcare, etc.)
6. Implement hub-and-spoke internal linking for service/location pages

High Impact

1. Build local digital PR strategy targeting "best of" lists (#1 AI visibility factor)
2. Develop unique, non-swappable content for each location page (>60% unique)
3. Establish presence on platforms ChatGPT sources from (Yelp, TripAdvisor, BBB, Reddit)
4. Pursue Chamber of Commerce and BBB membership (authority + verification signals)
5. Create community involvement content (sponsorships, local events, partnerships)

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DataForSEO Integration (Optional)

If DataForSEO MCP tools are available, use local_business_data for live GBP data extraction, google_local_pack_serp for real-time local pack positions, and business_listings for automated citation auditing across directories.

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Error Handling

FLOW Framework Integration

For prompt-guided local optimization, use /seo flow local <url> — FLOW's 11 local-stage prompts cover GBP optimization, meta descriptions, title tags, and structured local audit workflows.

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Supporting file: LICENSE.txt

MIT License - see repository root LICENSE file for complete terms.

Copyright (c) 2026 AgriciDaniel
https://github.com/AgriciDaniel/claude-seo

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Supporting file: skills/seo/references/local-schema-types.md

Local Schema Types & Industry-Specific Patterns (March 2026)

Schema is NOT a direct ranking factor (Confirmed: John Mueller, Gary Illyes). It indirectly impacts visibility through rich results (43% CTR increase, Webstix case study), better entity understanding, and AI search features.

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Google-Supported LocalBusiness Subtypes

Food & Dining

Healthcare

Legal

Home Services

Real Estate

Automotive

Other Common Local Types

AnimalShelter, BeautySalon, ChildCare, DaySpa, DryCleaningOrLaundry, EmergencyService, EmploymentAgency, EntertainmentBusiness, FinancialService, FireStation, FurnitureStore, GasStation, GolfCourse, GovernmentOffice, HealthClub, Hotel, InsuranceAgency, Library, LodgingBusiness, NightClub, PetStore, PoliceStation, PostOffice, RecyclingCenter, ShoppingCenter, SkiResort, SportsActivityLocation, Store, TouristInformationCenter, TravelAgency, VeterinaryCare

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Required vs Recommended Properties

Per Google Developers documentation (updated December 10, 2025, Confirmed).

Required (Minimum)

Recommended

SAB-Specific

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Industry-Specific Schema Patterns

Restaurant

Restaurant (or specific subtype)
  + Menu > MenuSection > MenuItem (name, price, nutrition, suitableForDiet)
  + ReserveAction (booking capabilities)
  + OrderAction (takeout/delivery)
  + servesCuisine, acceptsReservations

Note: Google Food Ordering (GFO) direct checkout discontinued June 2024. "Order Online" button now redirects to third-party platforms.

Healthcare

MedicalClinic (or Hospital, Dentist)
  + Physician pages: Person + medicalSpecialty + hospitalAffiliation + hasCredential
  + MedicalSpecialty (helps match "hip replacement surgery" to relevant pages)
  + sameAs: link to NPI Registry entry and medical board page

HIPAA constraint: Cannot confirm/deny reviewer is a patient in review responses. Fine precedent: $30,000 (Manasa Health Center, 2023).

Legal

LegalService (NOT Attorney -- deprecated)
  + Person on attorney bio pages: jobTitle, worksFor, alumniOf, hasCredential (bar admissions)
  + makesOffer > Service (one per practice area)
  + Practitioner GBP: unique phone per attorney, not sole lawyer at firm

Note: Reviews follow practitioner listing when attorney changes firms.

Home Services

Specific subtype (Plumber, Electrician, etc.)
  + areaServed: named cities with sameAs to Wikipedia/Wikidata
  + Service on individual service pages, linked via provider
  + hasOfferCatalog for service listings

SAB note: Service area in GBP does NOT currently impact rankings -- rankings based on verification address (Sterling Sky, March 2025).

Real Estate

RealEstateAgent (for both agent and brokerage)
  + Person on agent pages: memberOf (brokerage), credentials
  + RealEstateListing + SingleFamilyResidence/Apartment + Offer (pricing)
  + Event for open houses with organizing agent

Note: No RealEstateBrokerage type exists on Schema.org.

Automotive

AutoDealer (sales)
  + Car/Vehicle: VIN, mileage, fuelType, vehicleTransmission
  + Offer: price, priceCurrency, availability
  + Separate GBP: AutoRepair (service), AutoPartsStore (parts)

VehicleListing deprecated June 12, 2025 (Confirmed). Use Car + Offer instead. Feed-based Vehicle Listings via Google Merchant Center still functional.

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Industry-Specific Citation Sources

Restaurant

Yelp, TripAdvisor (1B+ reviews), OpenTable (DA + bookings), DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub, Foursquare (powers Apple Maps, Uber)

Healthcare

Healthgrades (50% of Americans who see a doctor visit), Zocdoc (booking + lead gen), WebMD physician directory (high DA), Vitals, Doximity (80% of US physicians), NPI Registry (entity verification source of truth), state medical board directories

Legal

FindLaw (DA91, dofollow), Martindale-Hubbell (DA84, peer review since 1868), Avvo (1-10 ratings, auto-created from bar data), Justia (DA~70, free profiles), Super Lawyers (top 5%, selection-based), state bar directories (entity verification)

Note: Internet Brands (KKR) owns Avvo + Martindale + Lawyers.com + Nolo. Thomson Reuters owns FindLaw + Super Lawyers + LawInfo.

Home Services

Thumbtack ($400M revenue 2024, integrations with ChatGPT/Alexa/Zillow), BBB, Nextdoor, Yelp. Declining: Angi (revenue -30% from 2022 peak), Porch (pivoted to insurance), Houzz (pivoted to SaaS)

Real Estate

Zillow (44% of all RE search traffic, integrated into ChatGPT Oct 2025), Homes.com (#2, overtook Realtor.com, 100M monthly visitors), Realtor.com, Redfin (acquired by Rocket Companies Mar 2025), local MLS sites

Automotive

Cars.com, AutoTrader, CarGurus, DealerRater (reviews syndicate to Cars.com + OEM sites, supports salesperson ratings), Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book (pricing authority), OEM manufacturer dealer locators (entity verification)

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Multi-Location Schema Pattern

// Homepage: Organization with branchOf references
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "@id": "https://example.com/#org",
  "name": "Brand Name",
  "url": "https://example.com"
}

// Each location page: individual LocalBusiness
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Dentist",
  "@id": "https://example.com/locations/downtown/#location",
  "name": "Brand Name - Downtown",
  "branchOf": { "@id": "https://example.com/#org" },
  "address": { ... },
  "geo": { "latitude": "40.71234", "longitude": "-74.00567" },
  "telephone": "+1-555-123-4567",
  "openingHoursSpecification": [ ... ]
}

Use @id for unique identifiers per location. Subdirectory structure recommended: domain.com/locations/city-name/ (subdirectory consolidates link equity better than subdomain, Bruce Clay study: 50%+ traffic lift).

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Deprecated/Invalid Local Schema

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Supporting file: skills/seo/references/local-seo-signals.md

Local SEO Ranking Signals & Benchmarks (March 2026)

Source Key

• Confirmed: Google official documentation or employee statements
• Study: Data-driven industry research from recognized firms
• Consensus: Practitioner agreement without controlled testing
• Caution: Single-source or unverified claims

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Whitespark 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors

Published November 6, 2025. 47 experts surveyed across 187 factors. (Study)

Local Pack/Maps Factor Groups

Top 15 Individual Local Pack Factors

1. Primary GBP category (score: 193)
2. Keywords in GBP business title (score: 181)
3. Proximity of address to search point (score: 176)
4. Verified GBP
5. Business open at time of search (Sterling Sky controlled study)
6. High numerical Google ratings
7. Quantity of native Google reviews
8. Additional GBP categories
9. Review recency/velocity
10. Dedicated service pages
11. Domain authority
12. NAP consistency
13. Spam listing removal
14. Quality backlinks
15. Review sentiment

Top Negative Factors

1. Incorrect primary category (score: 176) -- single worst mistake
2. Duplicate profiles at same address (score: 142)

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Search Atlas ML Study (August 2025)

XGBoost regression model, explains 92-93% of variance. (Study)

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Review Benchmarks

Sterling Sky Findings (2025, Study)

• Magic 10 threshold: Significant ranking boost at 10 reviews. 9-to-10 = noticeable increase. 10-to-11 = no similar bump.
• 18-Day Rule: Rankings "fall off a cliff" if no new reviews for 3 weeks. Velocity > volume.

BrightLocal LCRS 2026 (February 2026, Study)

Review Platform Usage (BrightLocal 2026)

Enforcement

• Google blocked/removed 240M+ policy-violating reviews in 2024 (Confirmed, 40% increase over 2023)
• Review deletion rates up 600%+ Jan-Jul 2025; 38% of deleted were 5-star (Study, GMBapi.com)
• FTC Consumer Review Rule effective Oct 21, 2024: penalties up to $53,088/violation (Confirmed, US law)
• Review gating prohibited by both Google (fake engagement policy) and FTC (Confirmed)

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Citation Source Tiers

Tier 1 (Universal, All Industries)

Tier 2 (Broad Directories)

BBB, YellowPages, Manta, Superpages, Foursquare, Nextdoor

Tier 3 (Data Aggregators)

Industry-specific directories: see local-schema-types.md

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GBP Feature Status (March 2026)

Deprecated/Removed

Active Features

Posts (with scheduling), Services menu, Attributes (including identity: Women-led, Eco-friendly), Photos/Video, Local Lists (Local Gems, Trending, Top List), AI-generated "Suggest Description", Google Verified badge (replaced Guaranteed/Screened Oct 2025)

Key GBP Insights

• Posts: No direct ranking impact (WebFX empirical testing). Can trigger Post Justifications. (Study)
• Photos: "Likely a ranking benefit adding some vs none, but not continued benefit adding more" (WebFX). Geotagging has NO impact. 45% more direction requests with photos. (Study/Confirmed mix)
• Attributes: Identity attributes have minor, targeted impact for attribute-specific searches only (WebFX/Sterling Sky). General attributes are filter/informational, NOT direct ranking factors. (Study)

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Algorithm Updates Affecting Local (2025-2026)

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Voice Search & Assistants

• 58% of voice searches are for local business information (Study, BusinessDasher)
• Voice queries typically 4-7 words, phrased as complete questions (Consensus)
• 80%+ of Google Assistant voice answers come from top 3 search results (Study)

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AI Search Impact on Local

ChatGPT sources: Bing web index (primary), Yelp, TripAdvisor, BBB, Reddit. Does NOT access GBP directly. (Study, Search Engine Land)

Perplexity sources: Authority-first. 40% more from high-authority sites. Averages 21.87 citations per question. (Study, Qwairy)

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Local Pack Structure

• Standard: 3 results (universal)
• New: Curated Local Lists (Local Gems, Trending) around position 4 (SOCi, Nov 2025)
• AI-powered local packs (mobile US): Only 1-2 businesses, 32% fewer businesses shown (Sterling Sky)
• Local pack ads grew from ~1% to 22% of tracked mobile keywords in 12 months (Sterling Sky/Places Scout)
• Zero-click rate for local-intent searches: up to 78% on mobile (Similarweb)

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Proximity & Search Behavior

• 46% of all Google searches seek local information (Study)
• 76% of mobile "near me" searches lead to visit within 24 hours (Confirmed, Google)
• 900% increase in "near me" searches over two years (Confirmed/Study, Google)
• Proximity varies: urban 1-2 miles, rural 5-10+ miles, specialty/niche = wider (Consensus)
• Google uses dynamic weighting per query: "emergency plumber near me" = proximity-dominant; "best plastic surgeon" = prominence-dominant (Consensus)