# Local SEO checklist for moving companies

A local SEO checklist for a moving company covers the Google Business Profile, reviews, the website, business listings, and tracking, with each step based on what Google says affects local results.

- Canonical URL: https://movermarketing.ai/learn/local-search/local-seo-checklist
- Topic: [Local Search & Google Maps](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/local-search)
- Format: How-to
- Publisher: Mover Marketing AI, reviewed by Nicholas DiMoro

## Learning objectives

After reading this article you will be able to:

- Work through the core local SEO tasks for a moving company in order
- Check a Business Profile, website, and listings against Google's guidelines
- Measure calls and visits that come from local search

## What does a local SEO checklist cover?

A local SEO checklist covers five areas a moving company controls: its Google Business Profile, its reviews, its website, its details on other listings, and its tracking. Google says local results "are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity." Each item below supports relevance or prominence. Distance depends on where the searcher is. For background, see [what is local SEO](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/local-search/what-is-local-seo).

## How do you set up the Google Business Profile?

1. **Verify the profile.** Google says verification "tells Google that you're authorized to represent the business, so it's more likely to show up in search results." See [Business Profile verification](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/google-business-profile/verification), or for a new office, our [video verification checklist](https://movermarketing.ai/blog/google-business-profile-video-verification-checklist).
2. **Choose the right address setting.** A mover that doesn't serve customers at its office hides the address and sets a service area. See [what is a service area business](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/google-business-profile/what-is-a-service-area-business).
3. **Pick a specific primary category.** Google says "the categories you select affect your local ranking on Google." See [how Business Profile categories work](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/google-business-profile/categories).
4. **Complete every field that applies**: hours, services, description, website, and phone number. Google says "businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results."
5. **Add photos and videos** of the crew, trucks, and work. Google lists photos and videos among its tips to improve [local ranking](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/local-search/google-maps-ranking-factors).
6. **Use the real business name** without added keywords. Google says the name "should reflect your business's real-world name."

## How do you handle reviews?

1. **Ask every customer** after the job. Google allows businesses to ask for reviews but not to "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers." See [how to get more Google reviews](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/reviews/how-to-get-more-google-reviews).
2. **Never offer incentives** for reviews.
3. **Reply to reviews**, including negative ones. Google says "positive reviews and helpful replies can help your business stand out." See [how to respond to negative reviews](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/reviews/how-to-respond-to-negative-reviews).

## How do you check the website?

1. **Give each main service its own page**, such as local moving, long distance moving, packing, and storage.
2. **Describe the areas served** with content that's useful to customers in each area. Google's spam policies treat pages "created to rank for specific, similar search queries" as doorway abuse. See [service area pages vs. doorway pages](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/local-search/service-area-pages-vs-doorway-pages).
3. **Show the business name, phone number, and service area** on the site, matching the Business Profile.
4. **Add local business structured data.** Google says it can "tell Google about business hours, different departments within a business," and more. See [what is schema markup](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/websites/what-is-schema-markup).
5. **Link the Business Profile to the right page**: the home page for one location, or each location's page for several.

## How do you check other listings?

1. **List every place the business appears**: Bing Places, Apple Business, directories, social profiles, and industry associations.
2. **Match the name, address, and phone number** to the Business Profile. See [what is NAP consistency](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/local-search/what-is-nap-consistency).
3. **Fix or remove outdated listings**, especially after a move or a phone number change.

## How do you measure local SEO results?

1. **Tag the Business Profile website link** with UTM parameters so Google Analytics can separate those visits. Google says to "always use utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign." See [what are UTM parameters](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/tracking/what-are-utm-parameters).
2. **Track phone calls** as well as form submissions. See [what is call tracking](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/tracking/what-is-call-tracking).
3. **Count booked jobs, not only visits.** Compare leads and bookings from local search month to month.

## FAQs

### What should a local SEO checklist include?

It should cover the Google Business Profile, reviews, the website, business details on other listings, and tracking. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity, and those five areas cover what a business controls.

### What is a local SEO audit?

A local SEO audit checks a business's current state against a list like this one: whether the Business Profile is verified and complete, whether listings match, whether the website describes each service and area, and whether reviews get replies.

### How often should a moving company review its local SEO?

Review the Business Profile and listings whenever business details change, such as a new phone number, address, or service. Reviews need ongoing attention because customers keep posting them.

## Related articles

- [What is local SEO?](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/local-search/what-is-local-seo)
- [What is NAP consistency?](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/local-search/what-is-nap-consistency)
- [How Google Business Profile categories work](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/google-business-profile/categories)

## Our take

- [SEO for Movers: The Moving Company SEO Playbook](https://movermarketing.ai/blog/seo-for-moving-companies)
- [Moving Company SEO Mistakes That Kill Your Rankings (And Fixes)](https://movermarketing.ai/blog/moving-company-seo-mistakes)

## Sources

- [Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091)
- [Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177)
- [Google Business Profile Help: Manage your business category](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7249669)
- [Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474122)
- [Google Search Central: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content)
- [Google Search Central: Local business (LocalBusiness) structured data](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/local-business)
- [Google Search Central: Spam policies for Google web search](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies)
- [Google Analytics Help: Collect campaign data with custom URLs](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952)