Utility Belt Labs

How to improve local SEO for your website, Google Business Profile and Apple Maps

Local search rewards a clear website, consistent listings and timely review replies — but the to-do list is scattered. This guide shows what ClearRank SEO checks on the one public page you enter, how the Google Business Profile and Apple Maps checklists work, how the NAP (name, address, phone) checker compares the listings you paste, and what the Reviews & Reputation tab covers. Analyzing your own site and importing your own reviews need a subscription; anyone can preview the synthetic sample (Example Plumbing Co.) without an account. Guidance and drafts only — not ranking guarantees. Utility Belt Labs is not affiliated with Google or Apple.

1. What ClearRank SEO does

  • Website analysis. Checks the page you enter (title, meta description, headings, canonical, structured data, image alt text, links, robots.txt, sitemap and speed hints), writes copy-ready fixes and walks you through each change. Fixes are labelled rule-based or AI-generated when AI is enabled.
  • Google Business Profile and Apple Maps. Guided checklists (claim, category, description, services, hours, photos, reviews) with draft text. ClearRank cannot read your profiles; you work the checklist yourself.
  • NAP consistency. Paste directory listings (one per line as Source | Name | Address | Phone, or tabs from a spreadsheet). Each source is marked match, format differs, nearly or different, and fix cards are added. Paste-only; US-style phone numbers; it does not look up directories.
  • Reviews & Reputation included. A review-request planner with email and SMS templates, a Google review-link builder, an inbox for reviews you import, reply templates and a monthly summary. ClearRank does not send messages for you — you copy templates into your own tools.

2. What you need

ClearRank does not use marketplace reports. You need:

  • Your website URL — ClearRank reads that one public page plus its robots.txt and sitemap.
  • Your directory listings for the NAP check: one per line as Source | Name | Address | Phone (or tabs pasted from a spreadsheet).
  • Your reviews (optional), pasted or as a CSV. Recognised headers include reviewer, rating / stars, date, text / review, replied and reply.
  • Your Google Place ID for the review link. Find it with Google's Place ID Finder. Google also lets you copy a review link or QR code from your Business Profile via Read Reviews → Get more reviews (Google help on review links / QR codes).

3. How to use it

  • Open ClearRank SEO. Signed out, the tool shows sample data for a made-up business (Example Plumbing Co.), not an analysis of any real site. Use it to see the scorecard, Website fixes, Maps checklists, NAP checker and Reviews & Reputation tabs.
  • Work through Website fixes: each card shows the current state, why it matters, a copy-ready fix and the steps. Click Copy Fix, then Mark as done to track progress.
  • Use the Google Maps and Apple Maps tabs as guided checklists with draft text. Use NAP Consistency on sample listings first, then paste your own when subscribed.
  • In Reviews & Reputation, fill in business details so the email/SMS templates and Day 0 / reminder plan update. Load sample reviews (or import your own when subscribed): unanswered and 1–3★ reviews are flagged first. Suggest a reply gives a rule-based template labelled "Template (not AI)" to edit before you post. The monthly summary (average rating, new reviews, response rate, rating mix, themes) is calculated only from reviews you import.
  • With a subscription, analyze your own site URL and import your own reviews. Do not mix the synthetic sample with your real data when drawing conclusions.

4. How to read the results

  • Overall score / issues / high priority — from the Website analysis of the one page you enter. Google, Apple and NAP are guided checklists, since ClearRank cannot read your profiles. Sample scores on the live demo are synthetic for Example Plumbing Co., not a claim about your site.
  • Fix labels — each fix is labelled rule-based (a template filled from your page's data) or AI-generated (when AI is available, some wording fixes are rewritten by xAI's Grok).
  • NAP status — Match, format differs (same info, different formatting), nearly or different. Use one canonical version everywhere.
  • Reputation summary — numbers come only from imported reviews. Themes use simple keyword matching, so skim the reviews to confirm.

5. Tips and limits

  • Guidance and drafts, not ranking guarantees. Review all text before publishing.
  • No direct Google connection yet. Reviews come from what you import and stay in your browser, unless you click Draft with AI, which sends that one review to the AI provider (xAI).
  • Google's rules: reviews must reflect a genuine experience, and offering incentives for reviews is prohibited (Google tips to get more reviews). ClearRank's templates also say to ask every customer, not only happy ones. Google also recommends replying to reviews, keeping replies short and professional, and taking complex issues offline.
  • The NAP checker compares only what you paste and expects US-style phone numbers. It does not look up directories.
  • Limit for AI actions (fixes + reply drafts): 75 per month on ClearRank when AI is enabled on the server.
  • Steps and screens on Google and Apple help pages can change; their own help is the reference.

Pricing

ClearRank SEO is $14.99/month on its own (website analysis with copy-ready fixes, Google / Apple / NAP checklists, Reviews & Reputation included), or included in the Full Suite of all four Utility Belt Labs tools for $34.99/month. Prices are in US dollars and exclude any applicable tax. Cancel anytime.

Try ClearRank SEO on the sample business. A printable version is the one-page ClearRank SEO guide (PDF).