How to build a local SEO selection checklist that holds up

What to take away

• A local SEO selection checklist is a written set of tests you apply to every candidate supplier before money moves.
• Each claim a supplier makes should trace to a named source with a date, not to an assumed rule.
• Testimonials and review scores need checking against advertising rules, not just reading.
• Workforce and market-size claims should rest on published employment data, not on a sales deck.
• Score every supplier on the same checklist so comparison is like for like.

The checklist below runs from first enquiry to signed contract. Work through it in order and keep the evidence in one folder.

1. Define the buying scope

Write down what you are buying before you talk to anyone. A single-location business buying citations and Google Business Profile work needs a different brief from a multi-site retailer.

State the number of locations, the towns or cities in scope, and the reporting you expect. Anything vague here becomes a dispute later.

2. Test every claim for evidence

The Committee of Advertising Practice rules on claims, endorsements and testimonials apply to how agencies present results. The ASA guidance on claims and testimonials is the reference point when a supplier quotes a ranking gain or a review score.

Ask which client, which period, which location. If the answer is a range with no named source, treat the claim as unverified.

3. Check review provenance

Look at where reviews sit, who left them and when. A cluster of five-star reviews posted in one week tells you less than a steady trickle over two years.

The data and sources method explains how to weigh review volume against review age, which matters when two suppliers look identical on a directory page.

4. Match supplier skills to the brief

Agency teams vary. Some are strong on technical fixes, others on content and local landing pages. Ask who will actually do the work and whether that person is employed or subcontracted.

Qualifications are a weak signal on their own, but they confirm baseline knowledge. The CIM Foundation Certificate in Professional and Digital Marketing includes SEO and online presence modules, so it is a reasonable check on a junior hire.

5. Size the market with published data

If a supplier claims a territory is saturated or under-served, ask for the numbers behind it. Employment levels shape how many local businesses can afford a retainer and how many staff an agency can recruit.

The ONS people in work dataset is the starting point for those workforce and local market sizing claims, and it is free to cite.

6. Score commercial terms

Put fees, contract length and exit terms on one page per supplier. For example, a team paying £400 a month on a twelve-month term is committing £4,800 before any renewal conversation.

Check notice periods and whether the fee covers reporting or bills it separately.

7. Agree measurement before launch

Decide which metrics count, who owns the dashboard and how often you review it. A monthly call with no written record is not measurement.

The comparison methods guide sets out how to score suppliers on reporting quality alongside price, which stops the cheapest quote winning by default.

8. Document the decision

Record why you chose one supplier over another. A short file with the checklist scores, the evidence links and the date of each check is enough.

This protects you at renewal and gives a new marketing lead a starting point.

The checklist

Use this for each supplier and keep the answers side by side.

• Scope written down: locations, towns, deliverables, reporting frequency.
• Every performance claim has a named client, period and location.
• Testimonials checked against CAP rules on claims and endorsements.
• Review volume, age and spread recorded from at least two platforms.
• Named delivery staff, with employment status confirmed.
• At least one relevant qualification or equivalent experience evidenced.
• Market and workforce claims sourced to ONS or another named dataset.
• Total contract value calculated, including notice period exposure.
• Reporting metrics agreed in writing before the start date.
• Decision rationale filed with dates and evidence links.

Common questions

How many suppliers should I score?

Three to five is workable. Fewer limits comparison, more than five slows the process without adding much evidence.

Do I need to check reviews on every platform?

No. Pick the two platforms your customers actually use and check those consistently across suppliers.

What if a supplier refuses to name clients?

That is a signal to score the claim as unverified. It does not rule them out, but it should lower the evidence score.

How often should the checklist be rerun?

At each renewal, and any time the scope changes. Recheck the sourced figures too, because published data is revised.