SEO Audit Checklist for Los Angeles Businesses

An SEO audit for a Los Angeles business should check fifteen areas: crawling and indexing, speed and Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, titles and H1s, service pages, location pages, Google Business Profile, citations, reviews, schema, internal links, backlinks, content gaps, AI search visibility and tracking. Use the checklist below to work through each one, mark what passes, and turn what fails into a prioritized to-do list.

Before you start: tools and baseline

You do not need expensive software to run a solid audit. Gather these first:

• Google Search Console for indexing, queries, Core Web Vitals and manual actions.
• Google Analytics 4 for traffic and conversions.
• PageSpeed Insights for page speed and Core Web Vitals data.
• A site crawler to list every URL, status code, title, H1 and internal link.
• Access to your Google Business Profile and any directory listings you control.

Record a baseline before changing anything: organic clicks, top queries, indexed pages, calls and form leads from the last few months. Without it, you cannot prove what the audit fixes achieved.

Crawling and indexing checklist

1. Check the Pages (indexing) report in Search Console. Are your important pages indexed?
2. Look for important pages excluded as “noindex,” “crawled, currently not indexed” or “duplicate.”
3. Review robots.txt to make sure it is not blocking pages, CSS or JavaScript that Google needs.
4. Confirm you have an XML sitemap, that it lists only live, indexable pages and that it is submitted in Search Console.
5. Crawl the site and fix 404 errors on pages that have links or traffic. Redirect them to the closest relevant page.
6. Remove redirect chains and loops so each old URL points directly to its final destination.
7. Check canonical tags. Each page should point to itself or to the preferred version of a duplicate.
8. Make sure there is only one live version of the site (HTTPS, with or without www, not several).
9. Check Search Console for manual actions and security issues.

If this section turns up more than a few problems, a focused technical SEO project is usually the fastest fix.

Speed, Core Web Vitals and mobile checklist

Google’s Core Web Vitals documentation recommends a Largest Contentful Paint of 2.5 seconds or less, an Interaction to Next Paint of 200 milliseconds or less and a Cumulative Layout Shift of 0.1 or less.

• Open the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console and note which URL groups are “Poor” or “Needs improvement.”
• Test your homepage, top service pages and top location pages in PageSpeed Insights on mobile.
• Compress and resize images, and serve modern formats where possible.
• Remove or delay scripts you no longer need, such as old tracking tags, chat widgets and sliders.
• Check that images and ads have reserved space so the page does not jump while loading.
• On a real phone, confirm menus, buttons, forms and click-to-call links work easily.
• Make sure text is readable without zooming and pop-ups do not cover the main content.

On-page checklist: titles, H1s, service and location pages

Titles and headings

• Every indexable page has a unique, descriptive title tag that matches how customers search.
• Every page has one clear H1 that describes the page’s topic.
• Meta descriptions are written for people and explain why they should click.
• No duplicate or missing titles across the site.

Service pages

• Each core service has its own page, not a single list of everything you offer.
• Each page explains the service, who it is for, the process, what affects price and how to book.
• Pages include proof: photos, credentials, reviews and examples of real work.
• Each page has a clear call to action and a visible phone number.

Location pages

• You have pages only for areas you genuinely serve, such as specific neighborhoods or nearby cities.
• Each location page contains specific local detail, not the same text with a different city name.
• Multi-location businesses have one page per physical location, with address, hours, map and directions.
• Location pages link to the relevant service pages, and vice versa.

Local checklist: Google Business Profile, citations and reviews

Google Business Profile

• The profile is verified and owned by the business, not a former vendor or employee.
• The business name matches your real-world name, with no added keywords.
• The primary category is the most accurate one available; secondary categories truly apply.
• Address or service areas are set correctly for how you serve customers.
• Hours, holiday hours, services, attributes, description and website link are complete and current.
• Recent, real photos are uploaded, and updates are posted regularly.

Citations

• Your name, address and phone number match exactly across your website, Google, Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yelp and Facebook.
• Industry directories relevant to your field are claimed and accurate.
• Duplicate or outdated listings, especially from old addresses or phone numbers, are fixed or removed.

Reviews

• You have a repeatable process for asking every customer for a review.
• New reviews arrive steadily, not in rare bursts.
• Every review has a calm, helpful response.
• No incentives, fake reviews or selective asking that filters out unhappy customers.

For a deeper walkthrough of the local side, see our local SEO guide for Los Angeles businesses and our Google Business Profile optimization service.

Schema and internal links checklist

Structured data

• Your homepage or contact page uses LocalBusiness markup, or a more specific type such as Dentist or Restaurant.
• Name, address, phone, hours and URL in the markup match your Business Profile and website.
• Other relevant schema is used where it fits, such as breadcrumbs or products.
• Markup describes content that is actually visible on the page.
• Pages pass Google’s Rich Results Test without errors.

Internal links

• Every important page is reachable within a few clicks from the homepage.
• No important page is an orphan with zero internal links pointing to it.
• Anchor text describes the destination page, such as “roof repair in Pasadena” rather than “click here.”
• Blog posts link to the related service pages they support.
• Navigation and footer links point to your most important services and locations.

Backlinks and content gaps checklist

Backlinks

• List the sites linking to you and note which are relevant, local or authoritative.
• Look for spammy patterns, such as large numbers of links from unrelated or low-quality sites.
• Find links pointing to broken pages and redirect those URLs to working pages.
• Compare your link sources with competitors ranking above you to spot realistic opportunities: local associations, partners, sponsorships and press.

Content gaps

• List the services and neighborhoods your competitors have pages for that you do not.
• Review Search Console queries where you appear but rarely get clicks. These pages may need better titles or content.
• Collect common customer questions from calls and emails and check whether your site answers them.
• Identify outdated pages with old prices, services or staff and update or consolidate them.

Our article on Los Angeles SEO ranking factors explains how to weigh these gaps against your competition.

AI search visibility, tracking and next steps

AI search visibility

• Key pages answer common questions clearly and directly, near the top of the page.
• Important content is in the HTML, not hidden behind tabs that require scripts or logins to load.
• Your robots.txt does not unintentionally block the search crawlers used by AI tools you want to appear in.
• Your business details are consistent across your website, Google and major directories.
• Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Mode the questions your customers ask and note whether your business or competitors appear.

Google says there are no special requirements to appear in its AI features beyond standard SEO best practices, and no one can guarantee placement in AI answers. You can, however, make your information easy to find and trust.

Tracking

• Search Console is verified for the correct version of your domain.
• GA4 tracks form submissions, bookings and click-to-call taps as conversions.
• Call tracking separates organic, Business Profile and paid calls.
• Your Business Profile website link uses UTM parameters.
• Rankings are checked from several locations across your service area, not only your office.
• Someone reviews the numbers monthly and connects them to leads and revenue.

Turn the audit into a plan

Sort every failed item into three groups: critical (blocks indexing or leads), high impact (likely to move rankings or conversions soon) and ongoing (content, reviews and links). Fix critical items first, schedule the high-impact ones over the next month or two, and build the ongoing work into a monthly routine. Our Los Angeles SEO guide shows how these pieces fit into a long-term plan. If you want a team to own the fixes, our local SEO services and Los Angeles SEO company can take it from here.

Frequently asked questions