Updated 25 October 2026. Google My Business is now Google Business Profile, and a few parts of the profile have changed since 2020. This checklist follows Google's current help pages.
A Google Business Profile audit is a health check for your listing. It shows what's missing, what's wrong and what to fix first, so more of the people who find you on Google turn into customers.
Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to show up in local search results. An audit is how you make sure yours is.
You can do it by hand for one location using the checklist below. For many locations, use a tool that audits them all at once.
Before you start
Search Google for your business name and suburb, and open your profile on Google Maps. Look at it the way a customer would. Then sign in and check the details behind it.
Make sure you're verified. If the Get verified button shows on your profile, start there. Read our postcard verification tips.
1. Business details
- Business name: exactly as it appears on your signage. No added suburbs or keywords.
- Address or service area: correct and complete, including unit or shop number. If customers don't visit you, hide the address and set a service area instead. Read our service area guide.
- Phone number: a number that's answered during opening hours.
- Website: links to the right page, ideally that location's page on your site. Add UTM tracking so you can see visits from your profile. Read our crash course on UTM tracking codes.
- Primary category: the one that best describes your business. Up to 9 more categories can cover other things you do.
- Description: what you do, who you serve and what makes you different, in plain words.
Multi-location tip: check that every location uses the same name format and primary category. Small differences add up across hundreds of listings.
2. Hours
- Regular hours match when you're actually open.
- Special hours are set for upcoming public holidays. Read our holiday hours guide.
- No out-of-date temporary closures.
3. Attributes, products and services
- Attributes such as accessibility, payments and service options are filled in and true. Read our guide to attributes.
- Products, services or menu are listed, with current details.
- Booking links work, if you take bookings.
4. Reviews
- How many reviews you have, and how recent they are.
- Your rating, and whether it's moving up or down.
- Your reply rate. Are new reviews being answered within a few days? Read should you reply to old reviews?
- Reviews that may break Google's policies, which you can report. Read how to deal with fake reviews.
- How you ask for reviews. Read how to ask for Google reviews.
5. Posts
- When you last posted. Aim for once a week.
- A mix of updates, offers and events. Read our guide to Google posts.
6. Photos
- Logo and cover photo are set and look right. Read our cover photo tips.
- Real, recent photos of your shopfront, inside, products and team.
- Old or poor photos are gone. Read when to delete photos.
- Customer photos don't break Google's rules. Report any that do.
7. Questions customers ask
Google has been phasing out the questions and answers section since late 2025, in favour of an AI feature that answers customers from your profile, reviews and website. So check the answers to common questions are already on your profile and website. Read what's taking over from Q&A.
8. Changes you didn't make
Anyone can suggest edits to your profile, and Google can apply them. Check nothing has changed without your knowledge: hours, phone number, address, category, or a "closed" label.
Audit every location for free
Doing this checklist by hand for one location takes about half an hour. For 50 locations, it's a week's work, and it's out of date by the time you finish.
The Comprehensive Audit in Local Intelligence checks every location for you. It's an 18-point audit across three pillars, Presence, Reputation and Marketing. It scores each location out of 100, and tells you what to fix and why. It's included on every plan, including Free. Connect your Google Business Profiles and see every location's score.
From there:
- Premium lets you fix many issues from one console, across many locations at once. It also exports audit results as CSV, and adds competitor insights and industry benchmarks.
- Premium + Fix has the DigitalMaas team do the work. We work to lift your audit score to an 80% average across your locations, then keep it there.
See pricing, or read how we help multi-location brands.