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All lessons in Local SEO Lesson 10.4 of 61

Module 1: Introduction to Local Search

  1. 1.1What is local search marketing?
  2. 1.2How does Google local search work?
  3. 1.3Google Search vs. Google Maps: what's the difference?
  4. 1.4How does Google determine local rankings?
  5. 1.5What is the local search customer journey?

Module 2: Google Business Profile

  1. 2.1How to set up a Google Business Profile
  2. 2.2How to verify a Google Business Profile
  3. 2.3How to choose the right business categories
  4. 2.4How to optimize business information and services
  5. 2.5How to add photos, videos, products, and updates
  6. 2.6How to manage multiple locations in Google Business Profile
  7. 2.7Service-area businesses vs. storefronts

Module 3: Local Keyword Research and Search Intent

  1. 3.1How to find local keywords
  2. 3.2City, neighborhood, and service-based keywords
  3. 3.3Understanding near me searches
  4. 3.4Transactional vs. informational local intent
  5. 3.5How to research local competitors and keywords
  6. 3.6How to map keywords to locations and services

Module 4: Local Landing Pages and Website Optimization

  1. 4.1How to create location landing pages
  2. 4.2How to optimize local service pages
  3. 4.3How to write location-relevant titles and content
  4. 4.4How to build location and service page architecture
  5. 4.5How to avoid duplicate and thin location pages
  6. 4.6Local business schema and structured data
  7. 4.7How to keep your website and Business Profile consistent

Module 5: Reviews and Reputation Management

  1. 5.1Why do reviews matter for local businesses?
  2. 5.2How to build a customer review generation process
  3. 5.3How to respond to positive and negative reviews
  4. 5.4How to handle fake or policy-violating reviews
  5. 5.5Review policies and ethical reputation management
  6. 5.6How to monitor review trends and customer sentiment

Module 6: Local Citations and Business Listings

  1. 6.1What are local citations?
  2. 6.2Name, address, and phone number consistency
  3. 6.3How to find relevant business directories
  4. 6.4How to create and update business listings
  5. 6.5How to identify duplicate and incorrect listings
  6. 6.6Industry-specific and local directory opportunities

Module 7: Local Authority and Competitive Visibility

  1. 7.1How to analyze local search competitors
  2. 7.2How to earn local links through community partnerships
  3. 7.3Local sponsorships, organizations, and media
  4. 7.4How to build local brand recognition
  5. 7.5How to evaluate competitor reviews and business profiles
  6. 7.6How to identify local visibility gaps

Module 8: Local Search Tracking and Reporting

  1. 8.1How to track local rankings across geographic areas
  2. 8.2Understanding Google Business Profile performance
  3. 8.3How to measure calls, website visits, and direction requests
  4. 8.4How to track local leads and conversions
  5. 8.5How to use Google Search Console and Analytics for local SEO
  6. 8.6How to create local search performance reports

Module 9: Local Search Strategy by Business Type

  1. 9.1Local search for restaurants and retail stores
  2. 9.2Local search for service-area businesses
  3. 9.3Local search for professional services
  4. 9.4Local search for healthcare and other regulated industries
  5. 9.5Local search for multi-location businesses
  6. 9.6Local search for new and small businesses

Module 10: Local Search Audits and Practical Projects

  1. 10.1How to conduct a local search audit
  2. 10.2How to audit a Google Business Profile
  3. 10.3How to check local landing pages and citations
  4. 10.4How to evaluate reviews and competitor visibility
  5. 10.5How to build a prioritized local search action plan
  6. 10.6How to create a 30-day local search improvement plan

How to evaluate reviews and competitor visibility

Inside this lesson

  • How to audit your reviews
  • How to compare reviews with competitors
  • How to audit competitor visibility
  • How to record review and competitor findings

Short answer

To evaluate reviews and competitor visibility, compare your review count, average rating, review velocity, recency, and response rate with the top three competitors. Tag common review themes. Then check where competitors outrank you using grid rankings for main keywords. Record the gaps, such as fewer recent reviews or weak areas of the map, as audit findings.

Audit your reviews

Record for your business:

  • total reviews and average rating
  • review velocity: new reviews in the last 30 and 90 days
  • date of the latest review
  • response rate
  • top praise and complaint themes

Compare with competitors

Build a table:

BusinessReviewsRatingLast 90 daysResponse rate
You484.6640%
Rival A2104.53590%
Rival B954.81270%

In this example, the biggest gaps are velocity and response rate, not rating.

Audit competitor visibility

Run grid checks for your main keywords. For each area of the map, note who takes the top three spots.

Look for patterns:

  • a rival who dominates one side of town
  • areas where nobody ranks strongly, which are opportunities
  • map weaknesses where you drop off

Match these with what you know: a rival may have a branch there, more reviews, or a location page for that area.

Record findings

Turn gaps into findings:

  • “Reviews | 6 new reviews in 90 days vs 35 for Rival A | High | Start review process”
  • “Reviews | 40% response rate | Medium | Reply to all new reviews within 48 hours”
  • “Visibility | Weak in Cainta grid points | Medium | Build Cainta area page with local proof”

Quick quiz

1. Which review metric shows how active reviews are?
2. What is a map weakness?
3. In the example, what is the biggest gap?

Common mistakes

  • Looking only at the rating. Velocity and replies matter too.
  • Ignoring weak map areas. They show where to build.
  • No evidence. Add screenshots and numbers to findings.

Your action

Evaluate reviews and visibility for your chosen business. Your progress saves on this device.

Key terms

Review audit
A check of review count, rating, recency, replies, and themes.
Review velocity
New reviews per month.
Response rate
The share of reviews with owner replies.
Visibility comparison
Checking where competitors rank compared with you.
Map weakness
Areas of the grid where you rank poorly.

Questions beginners ask

What review gap matters most?

Recency and velocity often matter most, because old reviews feel less trustworthy.

Do I need to reply to old reviews?

Replying to recent ones matters most, but replying to old unanswered negatives can still help.

How do I compare visibility?

Run the same grid check for each keyword and note which competitors take the top spots in each area.

Related lessons

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