Technical SEO Audit Checklist For Local Businesses

Last Updated on 25 September 2025 by Dorian Menard

Technical SEO is the backbone of a strong online presence for local businesses. It helps your website load faster, work better on mobiles, and rank higher in local search results. Here’s what you need to focus on:

• Website Speed: Aim for pages to load in under 3 seconds. Compress images, enable caching, and use Australian-based servers for faster response times.
• Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly with responsive design and readable text.
• On-Page SEO: Optimise title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and URLs with local keywords.
• Local SEO Setup: Keep your Google Business Profile accurate, use schema markup, and maintain consistent business details (NAP).
• Search Engine Crawlability: Check your robots.txt file, create an XML sitemap, and fix internal linking issues.
• Extras: Secure your site with HTTPS, eliminate duplicate content, and use structured data to highlight key business details.

These steps help your website perform better, attract more local customers, and boost conversions. Ready to get started? Let’s dive deeper.

Technical SEO Audit Checklist: Boost Speed & Performance

Website Speed and Performance

Website speed plays a big role in both user experience and search rankings, especially for local businesses. Faster-loading websites not only rank better but also draw in more customers from nearby areas.

Page Speed Testing and Improvements

Use Google PageSpeed Insights to check your website’s load time. Focus on these areas to optimise performance:

• Image Compression: Shrink image file sizes without losing quality. Modern formats like WebP can help.
• Browser Caching: Enable caching so static resources are stored on users’ devices for quicker loading.
• Code Minification: Remove unnecessary characters from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to streamline code.
• Server Response Time: Choose an Australian hosting provider with servers in Sydney or Melbourne to cut down latency.

For local businesses, aim for a page load time of under 3 seconds – anything slower risks losing customers to competitors.

Mobile Website Testing

Once your page speed is optimised, make sure your site performs well on mobile devices. Check mobile usability using:

• Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool
• Responsive design that adjusts to different screen sizes
• Tap targets that are at least 44×44 pixels for easy interaction
• Text that’s easy to read without zooming
• Navigation menus designed for touchscreens

Core Web Vitals Check

Beyond basic speed improvements, keep an eye on Core Web Vitals to ensure a smooth experience for users. Focus on these three key metrics:

1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

• Aim for an LCP of under 2.5 seconds by optimising large elements and using lazy-loading for offscreen images.

2. First Input Delay (FID)

• Keep FID below 100 milliseconds. Reduce JavaScript execution time and break longer tasks into smaller chunks.

3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

• Maintain a CLS score under 0.1 by setting dimensions for all media and reserving space for dynamic content.

Use Google Search Console to regularly monitor these metrics and spot issues before they hurt your local search performance. Since most customers search for services on their smartphones, mobile optimisation is especially critical for local businesses.

On-Page SEO Basics

On-page SEO helps improve local search visibility in Australia. These elements assist search engines in identifying your business’s location and services.

Meta Tags and Descriptions

Meta tags play a key role in improving your local search presence.

Title Tags

• Include your main service and location (e.g., "Professional Plumber in Perth, WA").
• Keep titles within 50-60 characters.
• Position important keywords at the beginning.
• Add your business name at the end.

Meta Descriptions

• Write unique meta descriptions for each page, staying within 150–160 characters.
• Mention your suburb or city name.
• Include your phone number in the Australian format (e.g., 08 9123 4567).
• Add a clear call-to-action aimed at local customers.

Fine-tune your headings and URLs next to strengthen site structure and local relevance.

Headers and URL Structure

Organising headers and URLs properly makes your site easier to navigate for both users and search engines.

Header Structure

• Use H1 for the main page title (limit to one per page).
• Add location-specific terms in H2 subheadings.
• Follow a clear hierarchy (H1 > H2 > H3).

URL Best Practices

• Keep URLs concise and descriptive.
• Include location keywords where applicable as explained in this comprehensive guide.
• Use hyphens to separate words.
• Remove unnecessary filler words like "a" or "the."

Examples:
example.com.au/services/plumbing-perth
example.com.au/locations/northbridge-plumber

Local Keyword Integration

• Naturally include suburb names in headers.
• Add service area postcodes where relevant (e.g., "Serving Perth’s Northern Suburbs 6000-6065").
• Mention local landmarks or districts when appropriate as explained in this checklist.

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Local SEO Technical Setup

Google Business Profile Setup

Setting up your Google Business Profile correctly is key to improving local search visibility. Pay attention to these essential technical elements:

Profile Verification

• Complete verification using phone or postcard.
• Upload high-quality photos (minimum 750×750 pixels).
• Ensure business hours are accurate, including public holidays.
• Select the most relevant primary and secondary categories.

Profile Optimisation Basics

• Write a detailed business description that includes local keywords.
• Specify your service area radius in kilometres.
• Mention accepted payment methods (e.g., EFTPOS, PayPass).
• Activate messaging and booking features if applicable.

After setting up your profile, make sure your business details are consistent across all platforms.

Business Information Consistency

Keeping your business details consistent strengthens your local search presence. This is often referred to as NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency and involves systematic checks.

Key Business Information

• Use your registered trading name as per ASIC records.
• Include a complete street address with unit or suite numbers.
• Provide a local phone number in the Australian format (e.g., 02, 03, 08).
• Display your ABN consistently across platforms.

Finally, use structured data to provide search engines with additional local context.

Local Schema Setup

Adding local business schema markup helps search engines better understand your business’s location and details. Include properties like business type, name, address, coordinates, operating hours (in ISO format), and primary category.

{   "@context": "https://schema.org",   "@type": "LocalBusiness",   "name": "Smith's Plumbing Services",   "address": {     "@type": "PostalAddress",     "streetAddress": "123 Murray Street",     "addressLocality": "Perth",     "addressRegion": "WA",     "postalCode": "6000",     "addressCountry": "AU"   },   "geo": {     "@type": "GeoCoordinates",     "latitude": "-31.9523",     "longitude": "115.8613"   } } 

Once implemented, verify your schema using Google’s Rich Results Testing Tool to ensure accuracy.

Search Engine Crawling

To help search engines index your local business website, you need to get the technical basics right. Here’s how to ensure your content is easy for search engines to find and understand.

Robots.txt Setup

The robots.txt file guides search engines on which parts of your site to crawl. It’s crucial to configure it correctly so your key business pages remain accessible.

Key Checks for Robots.txt

• Confirm the file is located at yourdomain.com.au/robots.txt.
• Make sure essential business pages aren’t blocked.
• Review crawl rules for important directories.

Here’s an example of a well-set-up robots.txt file for a local business:

User-agent: * Allow: / Disallow: /wp-admin/ Disallow: /checkout/ Disallow: /my-account/ Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com.au/sitemap.xml 

Once your crawl settings are sorted, focus on your sitemap to make page discovery even easier.

Sitemap Management

An XML sitemap acts like a roadmap for search engines, helping them find and index your pages efficiently. Be sure to include pages that highlight your services and locations.

What to Include in Your Sitemap

• Add all key business pages.
• Adjust update frequency for pages with changing content.
• Stick to the limits: 50,000 URLs per sitemap and 50MB file size.
• Use Australian date formats (DD/MM/YYYY).

Internal Link Structure

A strong internal link structure connects your pages in a way that makes sense to both visitors and search engines.

Best Practices for Internal Linking

• Link service pages to related location pages.
• Tie blog posts to relevant services.
• Use clear, descriptive anchor text.
• Keep your site structure shallow (no more than three clicks to any page).

Try a hub-and-spoke model for your site structure. For example:

Homepage ├── Plumbing Services │   ├── Emergency Repairs │   ├── Hot Water Systems │   └── Gas Fitting └── Service Areas     ├── Perth CBD     ├── Fremantle     └── Joondalup 

This layout ensures users and search engines can easily navigate to your most important pages.

Technical SEO Extras

Beyond the essential checks, these additional technical steps can help fine-tune your site’s performance and ensure it runs smoothly.

SSL Certificate Setup

Having a secure website is not just about protecting data – it also builds trust with users and boosts your search rankings. An SSL certificate ensures your site operates on HTTPS, safeguarding sensitive information.

SSL Checklist

• Confirm HTTPS is active on every page.
• Check for and resolve any mixed content issues.
• Set up proper redirects from HTTP to HTTPS.
• Keep track of your SSL certificate’s expiration date.

Once your SSL setup is complete, it’s time to check for duplicate content that might be affecting your local search rankings.

Duplicate Content Check

Duplicate content can confuse search engines and hurt your local rankings. It’s important to identify and address these issues.

Where Duplicate Content Often Comes From

• Different versions of your homepage (e.g., with and without "www").
• Location pages with very similar or identical text.
• Product descriptions repeated across categories.
• Printer-friendly versions of pages.

To find duplicates, you can use a simple search query like this:

site:yourdomain.com.au "exact content snippet" 

After resolving duplicate content issues, you can move on to optimising your structured data.

Business Schema Markup

Structured data helps search engines understand your business better. Business schema markup is especially useful for highlighting details like your hours, address, and contact information.

Example Schema for Local Business

{   "@type": "LocalBusiness",   "name": "Your Business Name",   "address": {     "@type": "PostalAddress",     "streetAddress": "123 Main Street",     "addressLocality": "Perth",     "addressRegion": "WA",     "postalCode": "6000"   },   "openingHours": "Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr 09:00-17:00",   "telephone": "+61 8 1234 5678" } 

For service-area businesses, you can also include:

• Service radius (in kilometres).
• Areas served.
• Business hours for each location.
• Markup for multiple locations, if applicable.

Conclusion

Audit Checklist Review

Performing a detailed technical SEO audit is key for local businesses looking to improve their online presence. Here’s a quick guide to track your audit:

Focus on the aspects that directly influence local search rankings. Website speed and mobile usability should be at the top of your list, as they play a big role in user experience. These areas form a solid foundation for improving local SEO.

Professional SEO Support

Addressing technical SEO challenges often calls for expertise and consistent upkeep. The team at Search Scope can help with:

• Detailed technical SEO audits
• Setting up and optimising schema markup for local search
• Monitoring and improving Core Web Vitals
• Ensuring proper Google Business Profile setup
• Keeping NAP details consistent across all platforms

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• How to Optimise Location Pages for Local SEO