The Free Growth Audit: What We Actually Look at (And Why It Matters)
Here's exactly what Braxus's free snapshot covers — your Google Business Profile, reviews, citations, website, lead capture, and competitive landscape.
When we say "free snapshot," we mean it. Not a sales pitch disguised as an audit. An actual look at your business's online presence — the things that are working, the things that aren't, and the specific gaps that are costing you leads right now. Here's exactly what we look at and why each piece matters.
1. Your Google Business Profile
This is where we start because it's where most of your local visibility lives. Most businesses we audit have a profile that's technically "live" but functionally incomplete. Missing a description. No photos. Last updated two years ago. These gaps have a direct, measurable impact on whether you show up when someone searches nearby.
- Is it claimed and verified?
- Is every section fully completed?
- Are your categories accurate?
- Are you posting regularly?
- How do you compare to your top local competitors?
2. Your Review Profile
We look at your total review count, your average star rating, how recently reviews were left, and how often you respond — across Google, Yelp, Facebook, and any industry-specific platforms relevant to your business.
Review data tells us a lot about how customers perceive you — and what Google thinks about you.
- Whether your review volume is competitive in your market
- Whether there are unanswered negative reviews damaging your reputation
- Whether your review velocity (new reviews per month) is growing, flat, or declining
3. Citation Consistency
We run your business through a citation audit to check how your name, address, and phone number appear across major directories. Inconsistencies are flagged. Duplicate listings are identified. Missing listings on high-authority directories are noted.
This isn't glamorous work, but it's foundational. Citation problems quietly suppress your local rankings, and most business owners have no idea they exist.
4. Your Website's Local SEO Signals
We look at whether your website is working with your Google profile — or against it. A surprising number of businesses have websites that look professional but send Google almost no useful local information.
- Does your homepage clearly state what you do and where you do it?
- Do you have pages for each major service you offer?
- Is your NAP consistent between your website and your Google profile?
- Is your site mobile-friendly and fast-loading?
- Are you using any structured data (schema) to help search engines read your content?
5. Lead Capture and Response Speed
This is the piece that surprises business owners the most. We look at what happens after someone finds you. Do you have a clear way for visitors to contact you or book immediately? If a lead comes in at 9pm on a Thursday, is there anything in place to capture and respond to that inquiry — or does it just sit until someone checks email the next morning?
Speed matters enormously in lead conversion. Studies show that responding to a lead within 5 minutes makes you 21 times more likely to qualify them versus responding within 30 minutes. Most small businesses are responding in hours, or days.
6. Competitive Landscape
Finally, we look at who is actually outranking you and why. This gives us a realistic picture of what it would take to compete — not just in theory, but in your specific market. Sometimes the gap is small. Sometimes it's significant. Either way, you deserve to know the truth.
Want help implementing this?
Get my free snapshot tailored to your business.