> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.rankability.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.rankability.com/audit/gbp-auditor-guide.md).

# Using the Google Business Profile Auditor

Use the Google Business Profile Auditor to evaluate a local listing, compare locations, review competitor evidence, and turn profile, review, media, category, and trust findings into verified work.

## Choose Full Audit or Public Audit

Open the client and choose **Audit → Google Business Profile Auditor**.

* **Full Audit** uses the client’s connected Google Business Profile. Choose it when you manage the listing and need the most complete available profile, review, media, and performance evidence.
* **Public Audit** looks up any business using publicly available data. It does not require a GBP connection and is useful for prospects or competitors.

Public audits cannot access every managed-profile field. Google Posts, Q\&A, detailed media, review-response metrics, and other private account evidence may be unavailable and are excluded where appropriate. A public audit is therefore not directly equivalent to a Full Audit.

For a Full Audit, connect the client’s Google Business Profile first. See [Connecting client Google services](/account-and-settings/connecting-client-google-services.md).

## Set up the audit

For a connected audit, enter the primary keyword used for local competitor benchmarking and confirm the location.

For a public audit:

1. Enter the business name.
2. Add the primary keyword and location for better matching and competitor context.
3. If the business has similar or multiple listings, add the optional website URL or address hint.
4. Confirm the correct listing if Rankability presents multiple candidates.

The audit can be pending, running, completed, or in error. If a connected profile has a permission problem, Rankability may fall back to public data and identify that limitation in the completed report. Reconnect the profile before relying on fields that require managed access.

## Read the audit summary

The report shows an overall GBP Health score and scores for the categories supported by that run. Categories can include:

* Profile;
* Reviews;
* Media;
* Posts;
* Q\&A;
* Categories; and
* Trust & Consistency.

Each checkpoint is marked **Pass**, **Warning**, or **Fail** and can show the current value, recommended value, supporting evidence, recommendation, and competitor benchmark. Open the relevant Google link when offered and verify the live profile before making a change.

Google Posts and Q\&A data can be temporarily unavailable because of Google API changes. The connected report identifies this and excludes unavailable checkpoints from scoring rather than treating them as failures.

## Compare competitors and locations

The **Competitors** tab shows businesses returned for the audit’s primary keyword in the local map results, with available category, rating, review, and related evidence. It is a search snapshot, not a permanent market definition; results can vary by keyword, location, and time.

When the client has at least two audits, use **Compare locations** to review overall and category scores side by side. Keep the keyword and audit mode consistent when you want a fair comparison.

## Handle reviews and supported fixes

For a flagged-review checkpoint, you can hide a reviewed item and restore it later from the ignored list. Ignoring a review only changes the Rankability audit view. It does not remove or flag the review on Google.

Some connected-audit checkpoints offer an AI-assisted action, such as drafting a description or review reply. Review and edit every suggestion before applying it. When you choose **Apply** on a supported action, Rankability can write the selected change to the connected Google Business Profile; this is different from merely hiding an audit item.

AI output is a draft, not proof that the wording is accurate, compliant, or appropriate. Confirm names, offers, claims, hours, contact details, review context, and Google policy before applying it.

## Rerun, share, and export

Use **Re-run Audit** after changing the listing or when source data was incomplete. Because public results and Google-managed data change, record the audit date when comparing reports.

On a completed audit you can:

* use **Share** to copy a public, read-only report link;
* export checkpoint data as **CSV**; or
* export the structured result as **JSON**.

Anyone with the share link can view the supported report, so review it before sending.

## Troubleshooting

* **Wrong public listing:** use the listing picker or rerun with a more precise location, website URL, or address hint.
* **Incomplete public report:** connect GBP and run a Full Audit when you control the listing.
* **Connected report fell back to public data:** reconnect Google Business Profile and rerun.
* **No competitors:** confirm that the primary keyword and location describe a real local search market.
* **Old information:** verify the live profile and rerun; provider and public-search data can lag.

For a repeated failure, contact support with the client, business name, location, keyword, audit mode, time, and visible error.

## Related articles

* [Audit overview](/audit/audit-overview.md)
* [Connecting client Google services](/account-and-settings/connecting-client-google-services.md)
* [GBP group tracking](/track/gbp-group-tracking.md)
* [Troubleshooting common issues](/troubleshooting/troubleshooting-common-issues.md)