Is Traditional SEO Dead?
The short version: no. The long version is more interesting. What actually died, what still works and the four things SEO 2026 needs that SEO 2022 did not.
Read
29SEP
Google Business Profile Audit
Search your business or paste your Google Maps URL. Get a 15-check GBP health score out of 100 with specific fixes for every gap. Covers categories, NAP, hours, reviews, photos, posts, Q&A, and AI-citation signals. Powered by Google Places data and Claude Sonnet 4.6. No signup required.
73/100
GBP Health Score
Want to dominate your local pack?
Every audit is scored deterministically against 15 Google-documented local-pack factors. We hand-fix your GBP, set up review request flows, author weekly Posts, respond to every review, and tune your attributes for the AI-citation queries your buyers actually ask.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
How accurate is this GBP audit?
The audit pulls real public Google Maps data via the Serper API, scores it deterministically against 15 Google-documented local-pack ranking factors, and marks dashboard-only data (hours per day, photo count, Q&A, posts, attributes) as UNKNOWN with partial credit so you can self-verify. Same business audited twice returns the same score. Not a scrape, not a guess, not AI opinion.
What does the score out of 100 mean?
Each of the 15 checks has a point value based on its ranking impact (primary category and NAP are heaviest, attributes and service links are lightest). Score is scaled to 100. 85+ is strong. 65 to 84 is solid with gaps. 40 to 64 needs work. Under 40 means significant work before local-pack visibility. Hard cap at 55 if primary category or NAP is missing because those block local-pack eligibility entirely.
Why are some checks marked UNKNOWN?
Google exposes some GBP data publicly (name, address, phone, rating, review count, category, website) and keeps the rest behind the dashboard login (per-day hours, photo count, Q&A entries, Posts, attributes). The audit gives partial credit for unknowns and tells you exactly what to verify in your dashboard. Nothing is guessed.
Is this really free? What is the catch?
Yes, free, no email, no signup required. We rate-limit at 5 audits per IP per day because the Serper API costs real money per call. No lead gate, no retargeting pixel, no third-party trackers. The optional email field only triggers the audit report being emailed to you plus a lead notification to us. We hope you remember Middle Mann next time you need local SEO help.
What are the 15 checks?
Primary category, secondary categories count, NAP completeness, website URL, hours per day, review count, average rating, photo count, verified badge, review response rate, recent review activity, posts in last 30 days, Q&A section populated, appointment or service links, and attributes count. Each is weighted by its documented ranking impact per Google Search Central Local Search guidance and 2025 BrightLocal benchmark data.
What are the biggest GBP mistakes you see?
Three mistakes crush most small business GBPs: (1) only one category set, should be primary plus 3 or more secondary, (2) under 25 reviews with no response strategy (73% of consumers will not engage), and (3) fewer than 10 photos (businesses with 100+ photos get 520% more calls). Fix those three and most businesses move from invisible to competitive in the local pack within 60 days.
Does GBP matter for AI assistants, not just Google?
Yes, massively. ChatGPT with web browsing, Claude with web search, Perplexity, Gemini and Grok all crawl Google Maps data when answering location-aware queries like "best dentist near me" or "LGBTQ-friendly plumber in Phoenix". A thin GBP is nearly invisible to AI assistants even if the business has strong SEO on its website. Review response rate, attribute density, and photo count are specific AI-citation signals the audit tests for.
What AI model powers the insight paragraph?
Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.6, grounded in a research-backed knowledge base covering 2026 Google Search Central local-pack guidance, BrightLocal 2025 benchmark data, and AI-assistant citation patterns. The insight paragraph is 60 to 120 words of specific, actionable analysis for the business audited, not generic advice.
What else does Middle Mann build?
AI SEO service that gets businesses cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek, Grok, Perplexity and Copilot. Custom AI agents and chatbots. Content automation pipelines. Custom websites, web apps, PWAs and Android APKs. Virtual data rooms and privacy-first infrastructure. Everything hand-crafted, custom code the client owns outright. Phoenix-based, worldwide remote.
From the Blog
Related Reading
30AUG
What is Generative Engine Optimization?
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is how businesses get cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and other AI assistants. Here is the full field guide.
Read
05JUL
Your product has a shimmer problem
Every product has an artifact. A tell. A shimmer that signals "not quite right" to anyone who knows what to listen for. The question is whether you hear it before your customers do.
ReadMore Tools
Try another free SEO tool.
Every Middle Mann SEO tool is free, no signup, no email required. Rate-limited to keep API costs sane. If you need higher volume, email us.
Need a custom SEO engagement?
Related