How the checker scores you
The 16 questions are grouped into four areas. Each answer scores 2 (yes), 1 (partly) or 0 (no). Each area gets a percentage, and the overall score is the average of the four areas, so a strong website cannot hide a neglected Business Profile.
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Verification, categories, services, photos, posts and accurate details |
| Website | Location and service relevance, a page per main service, contact details and mobile speed |
| Reviews | Volume, recency, replies and a repeatable way of asking |
| Citations & consistency | Name, address and phone the same everywhere, plus relevant directories |
The “fix first” list puts the highest-impact gaps at the top: verification and primary category before photos, for example. That order reflects our experience of what moves local results most, not a published Google formula.
What the score cannot tell you
- Distance: Google heavily weights how close a business is to the searcher. A perfect profile will still rank less often for people across town.
- Competition: a 70% score may be enough in a quiet market and not in a crowded one.
- Penalties and suspensions: if your profile has disappeared entirely, see why a business stops showing on Google Maps.
Next steps by weakest area
- Business Profile: follow our guide to optimising your Google Business Profile.
- Reviews: work out how many you need with the Google Review Rating Calculator, then read how to get more reviews without breaking Google’s rules.
- Citations: compare your listings with the NAP Consistency Checker.
- Website: add structured data with the Local Business Schema Generator and make sure each main service has its own page.