/seo-local

name: seo-local
description: >
  Audit local SEO, including Google Business Profile, NAP consistency,
  citations, reviews, local schema, location pages, and multi-location
  structure. Use when the user asks about local SEO, a local business, the map
  pack, or a GBP profile; use seo-maps for geo-grid rank tracking.
user-invocable: true
argument-hint: "[url]"
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: AgriciDaniel
  version: "2.6.0"
  category: seo

Local SEO Analysis (March 2026)

Key Statistics

| Metric | Value | Source | |--------|-------|--------| | GBP signals share of local pack weight | 32% | Whitespark 2026 | | Proximity share of ranking variance | 55.2% | Search Atlas ML study | | Review signals share (up from 16%) | ~20% | Whitespark 2026 | | Google searches seeking local info | 46% | Industry data | | Mobile "near me" searches leading to visit in 24h | 76% | Google confirmed | | ChatGPT/AI usage for local recommendations | 45% (up from 6%) | BrightLocal LCRS 2026 | | ChatGPT local conversion rate | 15.9% | Seer Interactive | | Google organic local conversion rate | 1.76% | Seer Interactive | | Local pack ads growth (Jan 2025 to Jan 2026) | 1% to 22% | Sterling Sky |

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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 `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/seo/references/local-schema-types.md`.

| Vertical | Detection Signals | |----------|------------------| | **Restaurant** | /menu, menu items, reservations, cuisine types, food ordering, "dine-in", "takeout" | | **Healthcare** | insurance accepted, patients, appointments, NPI, medical terms, "Dr.", HIPAA notice | | **Legal** | attorney, lawyer, practice areas, bar admission, case results, "free consultation" | | **Home Services** | service area, emergency service, "free estimate", licensed/insured/bonded, "24/7" | | **Real Estate** | listings, MLS, properties for sale/rent, agent bio, brokerage, "open house" | | **Automotive** | inventory, VIN, test drive, dealership, service department, "new/used/certified" |

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: Google discontinued its Q&A API on 2025-11-03 and public Q&A is reportedly being phased out; answer common questions on the website and in the business description instead, and treat any remaining public Q&A as a bonus
• 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. In Sterling Sky's 2025 study of 8,186 businesses, one case-study business that stopped getting reviews for 18 days lost rankings sharply while steadier competitors held. Treat it as an illustrative example, not a fixed threshold.

**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 ta